Le Pas Grand Chose

Somewhat akin to surrealism, and borrowing its name from the title of one of Alfred Jarry’s books (the author of Ubu Roi), pataphysics appeared in France in the mid-20th century. It was a science that sought imaginary solutions and laws for the exceptions. With a parodic tone, the discipline ended up attracting all kinds of great artists. Johann Le Guillerm is one of them. In this lecture-show, he plays a rebellious researcher who asks how science can claim to hold the keys to understanding the world when there is something else hidden behind everything we see. Maybe we should recreate the world from scratch starting with a minimal dot. Implacable demonstrations, convincing visual experiments... All to make a new world appear that will challenge your sense of logic.

The creator and performer of Le Pas Grand Chose is a French artist trained in the first class at the Centre national des arts du cirque (CNAC). In 1994, he founded his own company, Cirque Ici, to create his first show, Où ça?. One of France’s most influential artists, Johann Le Guillerm has been awarded the Grand Prix National du Cirque (1996), the Prix des Arts du Cirque de la Société des Auteurs et Compositeurs Dramatiques (2005) and the Grand Prix of the same society (2017).

A Cirque Ici – Johann Le Guillerm production

Co-produced by: 2 Pôles Cirque en Normandie - La Brèche à Cherbourg - Cirque-Théâtre d’Elbeuf; Agora - Pôle national des arts du cirque de Boulazac; Archaos - Pôle National des Arts du Cirque Méditerranée; Le Grand T - Théâtre de Loire Atlantique; Le Monfort Paris / Tandem scène nationale / Théâtre de l’Agora - Scène nationale d’Evry et de l’Essonne / Les Treize Arches - Scène conventionnée de Brive; Le Volcan - Scène nationale du Havre; CREAC – La cité Cirque de Bègles.
Johann Le Guillerm was the recipient of a writing residency at the Monastère de Saorge as part of the ‘Monuments en mouvement’ operation of the Centre des
monuments nationaux.

Creative residencies: Théâtre de l’Agora - Scène nationale d’Evry et de l’Essonne; Le Channel - Scène nationale de Calais; Comédie de Caen - CDN de Normandie, 2; Pôles Cirque en Normandie - La Brèche à Cherbourg - Cirque-Théâtre d’Elbeuf.

With the support of the Conseil département de l’Essonne.

The company has received funding from the French Ministry of Culture (DGCA & DRAC Île-de-France), the Région Île-de-France, the Ville de Paris and the Institut Français / Ville de Paris.