Helsinki, the capital of Finland, has become a haven for climate refugees. In a village hall, a French community gathers every Saturday for a game of bingo, filled with nostalgia for the cheerful bingo games of yesteryear and the quiet hope of winning a useful prize. But here, the atmosphere is no longer the same: in Finland, bingo games are far more austere.
On the stage, a young woman, immaculately dressed and naturally reserved, calls out the numbers. Facing her, the players hold their breath, watching for the winning five. Among them are a tram driver, an unemployed woman, an astrophysicist, a zinc roofer, a plumber, a refuse collector and an electrician. Between draws, they loosen their tongues and each reveals a little about themselves. Then, suddenly, without warning, the music bursts forth, sweeping everything away and transforming the village hall into a grand, festive musical.
The playwright, Nicole Genovese, has a penchant for the absurd. In this zany comedy, she plays on her Franco-Finnish heritage and the contrasts between these two countries. On stage, the performers draw the audience into a world that is as pathetic as it is comical, whilst Les Percussions de Strasbourg – who have swapped their percussion instruments for a guitar, a bass and a keytar – infuse the performance with an irresistible festive atmosphere.
⏰ Show at 6pm
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Composition Minh-Tâm Nguyen Choreography Jeanne Alechinsky
With Les Percussions de Strasbourg interpreters Sefdin Abdallah, Alexandre Esperet, Théo His-Mahier, Enrico Pedicone, Lou Renaud-Bailly
and Claude Vanessa company interpreters Sébastien Chassagne, Marion Gomar, Robert Hatisi, Maëva Husband, Salla Lintonen, Mari Laurila-Lili, Adrienne Winling
Stage management and lighting design Pierre Daubigny
Sound engineer Olivier Pfeiffer and Piel Benoît
Costumes Anne-Céline Phanphèngdy
Stage design Nicole Genovese and Pierre Daubigny
Orchestra and stage management Raffaele Rene Vocal coaching Mari Laurila-Lili
Singing tutor Francisco Mañalich
Production management for Claude Vanessa Le B.E.C. — Claire Nollez, Romain Courault
Production management for les Percussions de Strasbourg Maud Repiquet et Héloïse Cao
Co-production by the Claude Vanessa Association and Les Percussions de Strasbourg
Coproduction Reims Opéra de Rayonnement, le Parvis – Scène nationale Tarbes-Pyrénées, le Tangram – Scène nationale d’Évreux, l’Arc – Scène nationale du Creusot
Projet lauréat du Fonds de création lyrique 2025 et lauréat de la Journée de Repérage Artistique 2025, La Pop, en partenariat avec le Théâtre de Vanves, Danse Dense et le Théâtre Les Gémeaux – Scène nationale de Sceaux
Les Percussions de Strasbourg are subsidised by le ministère de la Culture – DRAC Grand Est, la Région Grand Est et la Ville et Eurométropole de Strasbourg. L’association Claude Vanessa is subsidied by le ministère de la Culture – DRAC Île-de-France. Special thanks to Gabriel Festoc, Heidi, Jérémie, Dominique et Sylvie Dubois, et à Gérald Mignotte, responsable des ateliers à La Réserve des Arts