L'Enfant et la Nuit

Darkness becomes an unstable territory, populated by fears, desires and metamorphoses, where the imagination takes power.

In this disorienting night, Virgil makes a promise: to cross the darkness to bring back the day and reassure his little sister. This initiatory quest confronts him with Noctilia, a fascinating shadowy figure, a disturbing double of his mother, who feeds on the pain and tears of children to preserve an eternal beauty. Ambiguous characters appear along his path: an unscrupulous scientist, a dream hunter, a tragic clown—all false father figures who try to divert the hero from his mission.

Between dream and nightmare, poetry and unease, The Child and the Night tells the story of an inner and spiritual struggle, where the fear of abandonment gradually transforms into strength. Through dreamlike imagery, laughter, and the power of imagination, Virgil triumphs over the night and brings joy back to life. A luminous and moving show to be experienced as a family, it celebrates childhood's capacity to transform darkness into the promise of light. The Child and the Night is presented for the first time with an orchestra.

A lyrical tale in seven scenes and four tableaux by Franck Villard (2008)
Booklet by Olivier Balazuc – Editions Symétrie

This show was presented as part of the Festo Picho 2027 festival.