“I forgive you (Harvey Weinstein)”: as long as there are men…<

Pierre Notte has accustomed us to musical and poetic theatre, made up of acid and horrifying little fables, often on the edge. The tightrope artist takes all the risks with his new show, "I forgive you (Harvey Weinstein)", post #MeToo cabaret. Just by its provocative title and its daring argument - a fantasized trial of the producer-predator who gradually turns into a woman -, this project promised to be perilous... Despite its good intentions and some flashes, the result is disappointing , as we feared.

Wanting to avoid at all costs being ambiguous and showing any empathy for his "anti-hero", Pierre Notte/Harvey has each of his interventions "corrected" by the two female characters (incarnating in turn famous lawyers, victims, etc.). The indignant reactions and jeers after each reply from "the accused" end up being redundant, hampering the action and blurring the acidic portrait of the transformist ogre.

More generally, the big flaw of the show is its militant catch-all side. To denounce the toxic alpha male, the author-actor-director multiplies the angles of attack: not content with summoning all the contemporary negative figures (Polanski, Matzneff, etc.), he does away with mythology (Hélène de Troie ) and tales (Harvey is made up as the king of "Peau d'Ane"), deciphers the vagaries of male and female pleasure, evokes the question of gender, castigates violence against women... At the risk of serving us a "bouillabaisse" , as one of the characters says…

enigmatic songs

Pierre Notte does try to instill humorous digressions, discrepancies, but by dint of sticking to current events, of trying too hard to deliver messages, the fable becomes a patchwork of slogans. Only the songs, which are more enigmatic, instil humor and mystery, in particular this disturbing ballad asking the question: “Would you love me if I were a woman? ".

We are all the more disappointed by this "Harvey" as the form of the show is irreproachable: the artist once again demonstrates his ability to occupy the space (the main stage of the Renaud-Barrault hall) with almost nothing - a few shimmering accessories and costumes; to create a musical with a simple quartet of gifted actor-musicians (himself, Pauline Chagne, Marie Notte and “The piano angel” Clément Walker-Viry.). Pierre Notte wanted to say too much, to do too much, to defend his commitment... Come on, we forgive him.

I forgive you (Harvey Weinstein)

music theater

by Pierre Notte

Roundabout Theater.

Until June 17, 7:00 p.m. From June 18 to 26, 9:00 p.m.