Since the first creation, Le Souffleur has stood out among more than 1,500 productions at the Avignon OFF Festival, with every performance sold out and tickets in extremely high demand.

Synopsis

Le Souffleur tells the story of Ildebrando Biribo, a backstage figure in the theatre world. He was the prompter for the world premiere of Cyrano de Bergerac at the Théâtre de la Porte Saint-Martin in 1897, yet that same evening he was found dead, alone, in his prompt box.

A man who devoted his life to the stage, only to be forgotten by history, Biribo embodies those invisible souls who, like you and me, dedicate themselves silently in life but remain unseen.

Granted the permission of the “Grand Manitou,” he crosses the boundary of time to return among the living. No longer content to merely whisper the words of others, he breaks the rules to tell his own story: awkward and childlike at times, contemplative and wise at others. It is precisely this complex, anti-heroic nature that inspired director Paolo Crocco to bring him to the stage. With “breath” as its central metaphor, the play explores the instinct that makes us human: breathing in and out, attending, listening, living, dying. That is theatre, and that is life.

Through this tragicomic figure, we are reminded of our own fragility and asked the eternal questions: Where are we now? And where are we heading?

Listen closely—“The Souffleur” whispers: “Life is nothing but one silent breath after another.”

Director & Performer

Paolo Crocco

Paolo Crocco, an Italian-born French actor and director, holds a PhD in Theatre History from the University of Bologna. He has worked as an actor with Carrozzone Teatro, Teatro Picaro, Théâtre des Asphodèles, and Compagnie Acidu, and has appeared in Cymbeline with the Théâtre du Soleil. As a director, he co-staged The La Mégère Apprivoisée with Luca Francesci.

In Le Souffleur, Paolo combines his extensive experience as both actor and director to transform the stage into both sanctuary and altar for the “whisperer.” The performance is not only an ode to the “invisible” figures who sustain the theatre from the shadows, but also a profound meditation on memory, death, existence, and dignity—inviting the audience to rediscover the meaning of theatre and reflect on their own relationship with life.