"Come on, let's play!
Charles Mollet, the director, paces the room with his notebook.
“In these difficult times, it is only natural that America and France have to see and hear each other”.
There, it is de Gaulle talking to General Eisenhower.
Or almost.
“We are going back there, continues the director to the address of the one who plays the leading role.
You do not forget to slow down the flow and to keep a roundness.
The Fraaaaaance!
»
At the Château de Rambouillet, rehearsals for “Secret-defense” have begun.
From June 10 to July 3, this immersive show orchestrated by the production company Polaris will allow the public to relive the meeting of September 1959, in the midst of the Cold War, between General de Gaulle and his American counterpart, Dwight Eisenhower.
BBC studios, presidential procession, offices of secret agents… Spectators will stroll through a lively setting.
Rambouillet, February 2022. The production company Polaris is preparing its pageant.
DR Polaris production.
This Sunday, the scene which replays the interview between de Gaulle and Eisenhower was worked on in a bedroom of the presidential apartment.
Normally, this room is not open to the public.
It will be during the performances.
This is also the objective pursued by Polaris: to allow visitors to discover heritage in a different way.
“Our shows, which call on volunteers, create a real social adventure.
They bring together all ages, all profiles, underlines Julie Claret, production manager at Polaris.
The scenes we work on are quite short: they are accessible to those who have never done theatre”.
Six hundred extras and amateur actors
To revive the atmosphere of this state summit, Polaris called on 600 extras and amateur actors.
Four candidates were recruited to camp Eisenhower.
Eight others will step into the shoes of General de Gaulle in turn, depending on the scene.
Jacky Jurion is one of them.
“Le Parisien” had met him at his home, in Noisy-le-Grand (Seine-Saint-Denis), to discuss this experience.
Read alsoJacky will play General de Gaulle during a historical re-enactment at the Château de Rambouillet
Jacky's height was an obvious "plus" for the cast: he is 1.90 m tall, or 3 cm less than de Gaulle.
This former specialized educator, passionate about theatre, already knows the inner workings of Polaris' immersive shows.
He held the role of a butler for "Le Grand Eve", at the Château de Champs-sur-Marne (Seine-et-Marne).
A “fascinating adventure”, shared with 950 other volunteers.
The phrasing, the gait, the way of standing and looking… We don't improvise by Charles de Gaulle at short notice.
So Jacky works.
He watches documentaries, reads biographies.
And listen to the director's advice during rehearsals.
The general's face was reconstructed by Laurent Zupan, a make-up artist specializing in special effects, who runs the Méta company, based in Strasbourg (Bas-Rhin).
The professional worked with very flexible medical silicone, to create a mask more real than life, which revives this face "very typical, with characteristic physical signs: large ears, large nose, drooping eyelids, tired eyes".
" Top secret ".
From June 10 to July 3.
Reservations from April 4 on secret-defense.fr.
