Éric Antoine, at the Corum in Montpellier on Friday and Saturday: “What’s important is to keep your magical vision of the world”

The magician and comedian returns to the stage with Grow a little! A spectacular, funny and poetic show that fosters a dialogue between the child and the adult. It will be Friday and Saturday at the Corum.

How do you feel after more than 20 years on stage and a seventh show?

It hurts in the morning when you get out of bed in the hotel. Sometimes we don’t know what city we are in. And at the same time, I feel very happy. I find it wonderful to always do my job. The stage is my first love. It is the place where there is the most freedom where the exchange is more intimate and deep at the same time. I’m so happy.

In your show Grandis un peu!, you return to childhood. Is it to remember the child you were or to question the adult you have become?

Both. I really wonder what a dialogue between the two would look like. To see if the adult that I am would understand the child that I was. Would I still understand his fears, his interests, his curiosity, his passions, his hobbies, especially his dreams? And me, as an adult, am I still fulfilling some of his dreams? I am convinced that a happy adult is an adult who has accomplished part of his childhood dreams, and then who continues to dream like a child, who continues to believe that the possible is more important than the impossible. . And then it’s an invocation. I invite the child that I was to come live my life today. We enter the stage three meters above the ground in full levitation. There are hundreds of people in front of us, I see them laughing, smiling, clapping, and I say to the child: “Look at this”.

The ambient climate is heavy, with the war in Ukraine or galloping inflation. By going to your show, do we have the illusion that it no longer exists?

No way. This is the difference between the optimist and the naive. Optimism, looks at the world and is interested in the reality of what is happening. That’s my choice, as an artist. And hope is stronger than anything. The word entertainment, it comes from divertere, it’s Latin, it means to change path. Entertainment takes us away from reality and illusions. The most beautiful artistic act is to bring back to reality, but to bring back hope.

When you no longer look at magic with wondering eyes, have you lost your child’s gaze?

I who am a magician, an illusionist, I look at magic as a professional curiosity. But one can be very Cartesian, in a quest for research, and in a joy of finding the trick, of finding the method. But what is important is to keep his magical view of the world.

You have chosen to dust off the image of magic by infusing humor. A winning bet?

The proof is that people go out to see shows and that you can build a career on this crossroads of arts.

You co-wrote this show with Jérémy Ferrari. What did he bring?

He has one of the sharpest pens, one of the quickest wits of any French humorist at the moment. He has also been my friend for many years. Among the well-known personalities in the profession, he is the one I am closest to. I appreciated his requirement for my writing. I really like improvisation. But he told me no: “write”. And then : “You’ve already said that, you’ve already done that, find something else.” He was a very good training partner.

Let’s talk about magic. Did you still improve things by arriving at this 7th show?

I think so. I explored new genres. For the first time, I’m doing much quieter numbers, on technical and visual prowess, whereas I’ve always mixed words with magical technicality. There is a cross between film theater and hologram that I had already explored, there are objects that come to life. I improve from year to year and I offer more unique things.

You are back for the 17th season of France has an unbelievable talent on M6 as a juror. You are also a producer, an animator. What do you like doing the most?

If I use a footballing metaphor: I love being the midfielder. You go in defense, you go in attack. Each of these professions nourishes me. But where there is 1,000% of me, it’s probably the stage.

Grow up a little!. Friday 14 and Saturday 15 October at 8 p.m. Corum, Montpellier.
Price: 39/46/49/57€.

We want to thank the author of this article for this remarkable web content

Éric Antoine, at the Corum in Montpellier on Friday and Saturday: “What’s important is to keep your magical vision of the world”


Take a look at our social media profiles as well as other pages related to themhttps://nimblespirit.com/related-pages/