Les Batteurs de Pavés
Classics as street art
Nominated for the «Schweizer Kleinkunstpreis» 2017
Emmanuel “Manu” Moser founded the street theatre group Les Batteurs de Pavés in 1999. Shortly after graduating from drama school at the conservatory in Lausanne that same year, he discovered the Plage des Six Pompes street theatre festival in La Chaux-de-Fonds and is now its artistic director. Manu Moser was excited by the idea of bringing theatre to audiences in the street. The company’s street art primarily consists of adaptations of French literary classics. Inspired by Bertolt Brecht and others, Les Batteurs de Pavés make theatre that is popular but also respectful of great texts and authors. The group tours not only in Switzerland but also in other French-speaking countries. In addition to Manu Moser, who also directs, the regular line-up consists of Laurent Lecoultre, Matthieu Sesseli, Renaud Berger, Caroline Althaus, Yannick Merlin, Mathieu Béguelin, Laurent Baier and Jennifer Wesse.
Les Batteurs de Pavés have created over a dozen works, more than half of which are still in their repertoire; they include “Germinal” (2016) based on the novel by Emile Zola, “The Three Musketeers” (2014) after Alexandre Dumas, and a street version of Shakespeare’s “Hamlet” (2010). Their aims are ambitious, with a combination of difficult texts and light entertainment designed to attract audiences who might not otherwise venture inside the theatre. The success of their programmes is down to the exceptional quality of their text adaptations and their ability to reach out to their audience. Leavened with perceptive humour, their productions are meticulously planned and rhythmed, while their acting is not shallow but challenging and vibrant. They also employ a minimum of production aids and simple urban backdrops to offer committed entertainment.
