A Family Affair

Travel into the heart of France with 'A Family Affair'

By FranceInLondon
26/06/2013

A grumpy family where everyone interrupts each other. Dinners that last for ages and ages. Some wine. Some cheese. The corner-bar, 'Le Père Tranquille', where the Ménard family meets up every Friday. 'A Family Affair' is well and truly a portrait of France. However, the play by award-winning playwrights Agnès Jaoui and Jean-Pierre Bacri, will also speak to the Brits. It is the story of a family torn apart by taboos, frustrations and things left unsaid that suddenly come back to the surface. It is the story of a typical family jolted out of their routine. It is a story of feelings and resentment with universal resonance. 

Plot

Every week the whole Ménard Family meets up at the corner-café owned by Henri and goes to have dinner at the "Aux ducs de Bretagne". Tonight, it is Yolande's birthday and everyone is preparing to celebrate. But Arlette, Henri's wife is not showing up, which slowly awakens all the family's frustrations and leads to an explosive dinner.

Play in London

Even though the play has enjoyed a huge success back in Paris, 'A Family Affair' has never been shown in London and the Echange Theatre Company decided to launch its grand premiere with an English version. The translation tries, however, to stay as close as possible to the original version, so that none of the bad-tempered French humour gets lost. But the play will also be shown in French, directed by Emilie Perraudeau, for those who want to maintain their language skills. Both versions will be played at the Drayton Theatre from 25 June to 13 July 2013. 

For further information and to purchase tickets, please click here.