A Monegasque play in Brussels

Le Rêve de Mercier. ©DR

The play Le rêve de Mercier, written by Monegasque playwright Alain Pastor and directed by Pascal Vitiello*, was performed in Brussels last Wednesday on 18 October 2023.

Made possible by a partnership between the Embassy of Monaco in Brussels and the ‘Voyez-moi-ça’ theatre company, together with the essential support of the Monegasque copyright collective SOGEDA, the performance was attended by a large audience that included Ambassadors based in the Belgian capital and representatives of European institutions. The performance was an opportunity for Ambassador Frédéric Labarrère to present the Principality as a country of culture with a rich and diverse arts scene.

Created in 2021 at the Théâtre Princesse Grace as part of a residency programme, Alain Pastor’s Le rêve de Mercier then ran for five months at the Contrescarpe theatre in Paris in 2022. This wonderful contemporary play was also an opportunity for Belgian audiences to learn about a little-known episode in Monegasque history.

Full of historical details, the striking text explores the tumult of the French Revolution during the Reign of Terror. The play stages an imaginary exchange between two prisoners unlike in every way. Louis-Sébastien Mercier, a famous writer and idealist seeking peaceful revolution, becomes the cellmate of the young Françoise-Thérèse de Choiseul-Stainville, a 26-year-old aristocrat, princess of Monaco by marriage and mother to two young daughters.

“The success of this play has allowed us to promote the Principality through its history and culture. We hosted a high-level audience that greatly appreciated the play and with whom we were able to spend time at a reception following the performance. These initiatives effectively support efforts to promote Monaco in the public eye and enhance the international reputation of our country,” said Ambassador Frédéric Labarrère.

*Actors: Séverine Cojannot and Patrick Courtois.

Author: Alain Pastor.

Directed by Pascal Vitiello, assisted by Jérémy de Teyssier.

Lighting: Thibault Joulié.

Sets: Livia Ruspoli.

Costumes: Corinne Pagé.