Elie Semoun « Cactus »

On January 6, 2027 at La Cigale (18th arrondissement, Paris), Elie Semoun presents Cactus, his eighth show. Thirty years on stage and a slight turn: stand-up plays a larger role, without abandoning the characters that have shaped his humour. The writing is direct and more stripped-down, relying as much on addressing the audience as on well-drawn figures.

Cactus lines up a gallery of situations and characters: Jean Abdul, who will also perform the opening act; a son who brings his father to visit an EHPAD (a nursing home for dependent elderly people); Xavier, living with a motor disability, who introduces his wife to his mother; a father coming to terms with his son's transition; a karate instructor who is openly racist. The show crosses sensitive subjects such as sexual harassment, religion, intolerance and taboos, playing on incongruity and the precision of the text.

Faithful to his taste for character work while gaining in spontaneity, Elie Semoun combines fully embodied sketches with stand-up asides. Cactus foregrounds voice, rhythm and presence, offering a direct, uncompromising look at what preoccupies us today.