Elie Semoun « Cactus »

On January 27, 2027, at the Palais des Congrès in Lorient, Elie Semoun presents Cactus. The title sets the tone and the comedian explores a new facet of his act, blending more stand-up with his trademark characters. His eighth show to date, Cactus lines up a gallery of figures that respond to and jostle one another: Jean Abdul, who opens for himself; a son who shows his father around a nursing home; Xavier, who has a motor disability, introducing his partner to his mother; a father confronted with his son's transition; and a karate class run by an openly racist character.

Throughout these sketches he also addresses sensitive subjects such as sexual harassment and religion. One recognizes his habit of alternating full-bodied character work and asides, plunging into grey areas while hunting for the right angle, with a tempo more direct than before. Cactus concentrates what defines Elie Semoun’s signature style: crisply sketched characters, an eye that captures the contradictions of everyday life, and a knack for shifting personae without warning, all to better bring the spirit of the times onto the stage.