Élie Semoun « Cactus »

On November 6, 2026, Elie Semoun will be appearing at Zinga Zanga Beziers with Cactus, his eighth show. Thirty years after his debut, the comedian explores a more direct format: stand-up takes up more space, without turning his back on the characters that are a hallmark of his writing. Here, he pieces together snapshots of everyday life—the awkward moments and sensitive subjects—with a sense of rhythm and abrupt shifts that are distinctly his.

Cactus unfurls a gallery of figures: Jean Abdul, who opens the show; a son accompanying his father on a nursing-home visit; Xavier, living with a motor disability, introducing his partner to his mother; a karate instructor with deeply ingrained prejudices; a father confronted with his son's transition. Sexual harassment, religion, intolerance, taboos and injustices run through the performance; Semoun tackles them from unsettling angles to question what his era keeps silent about or skirts around, without losing the critical distance and precision of performance that characterize his signature style.