French theatre tackles Grenfell moment with raw emotion and unflinching honesty. Playwright and director Mathilde Aurier has crafted a play that exposes the darker side of France's second city, Marseille. Her production, '65 Rue d'Aubagne', is a searing portrayal of catastrophe, weaving together multiple narratives to convey the devastating impact of the 2018 building collapse on the local community.
The disaster, which killed eight people and left over 4,000 residents homeless, sparked widespread outrage about urban inequality and social deprivation. Aurier's play delves into this world, using a fictional protagonist, Nina, whose story is loosely based on real-life accounts from those affected by the tragedy. Through Nina's eyes, we experience the chaos, trauma, and solidarity that defined the aftermath of the disaster.
One of the key inspirations for Aurier's work was British playwright Howard Barker's "theatre of catastrophe", which explores power dynamics, violence, and patriarchy in historical settings. Her own writing is characterized by a raw, emotional power, particularly in its portrayal of trauma. The play's structure, fragmented and non-linear, reflects the fractured nature of life in Marseille, where residents are grappling with inadequate housing stock and bureaucratic red tape.
Aurier's exploration of catastrophe highlights the complexity of human experience during times of crisis. She describes her approach as "documented", aiming to capture the raw emotions and memories that shape our understanding of trauma. By weaving together multiple narratives, she creates a powerful and cathartic theatrical experience that challenges her audience to confront their own assumptions about power, social inequality, and personal responsibility.
As the play hurtles towards its conclusion, it becomes clear that catastrophe can also be an opportunity for collective strength and resilience. Aurier's portrayal of solidarity among residents is both a testament to their courage and a reminder of the power of community in the face of adversity.
While there have been some positive developments since the disaster, including plans to assess Marseille's housing stock, many critics argue that meaningful reform has yet to materialize. With politics shifting priorities, it seems unlikely that this will be resolved anytime soon.
Aurier is aware of her own limitations as an outsider looking in on urban planning, but her art remains a vital outlet for the emotional reverberations she feels. In creating '65 Rue d'Aubagne', she has delivered a work that is both deeply personal and profoundly universal – a testament to the enduring power of theatre to express our collective pain and drive us towards collective healing.
The disaster, which killed eight people and left over 4,000 residents homeless, sparked widespread outrage about urban inequality and social deprivation. Aurier's play delves into this world, using a fictional protagonist, Nina, whose story is loosely based on real-life accounts from those affected by the tragedy. Through Nina's eyes, we experience the chaos, trauma, and solidarity that defined the aftermath of the disaster.
One of the key inspirations for Aurier's work was British playwright Howard Barker's "theatre of catastrophe", which explores power dynamics, violence, and patriarchy in historical settings. Her own writing is characterized by a raw, emotional power, particularly in its portrayal of trauma. The play's structure, fragmented and non-linear, reflects the fractured nature of life in Marseille, where residents are grappling with inadequate housing stock and bureaucratic red tape.
Aurier's exploration of catastrophe highlights the complexity of human experience during times of crisis. She describes her approach as "documented", aiming to capture the raw emotions and memories that shape our understanding of trauma. By weaving together multiple narratives, she creates a powerful and cathartic theatrical experience that challenges her audience to confront their own assumptions about power, social inequality, and personal responsibility.
As the play hurtles towards its conclusion, it becomes clear that catastrophe can also be an opportunity for collective strength and resilience. Aurier's portrayal of solidarity among residents is both a testament to their courage and a reminder of the power of community in the face of adversity.
While there have been some positive developments since the disaster, including plans to assess Marseille's housing stock, many critics argue that meaningful reform has yet to materialize. With politics shifting priorities, it seems unlikely that this will be resolved anytime soon.
Aurier is aware of her own limitations as an outsider looking in on urban planning, but her art remains a vital outlet for the emotional reverberations she feels. In creating '65 Rue d'Aubagne', she has delivered a work that is both deeply personal and profoundly universal – a testament to the enduring power of theatre to express our collective pain and drive us towards collective healing.
can you believe how raw and honest this play is? it's like, they're pulling no punches when it comes to tackling the dark side of marseille 
i mean, who knew that behind all those beautiful beaches and history, there was this whole other story of urban inequality and social deprivation? 
aurier's approach is so unique, like she's weaving together these multiple narratives to create this super powerful experience... it's not just a play, it's an emotional rollercoaster 
i love how she's using her art to express the collective pain and drive us towards healing 
what do you guys think? have you seen anything like this before? 
. doesn't she feel like she's just scratching the surface with '65 Rue d'Aubagne? does her play really address the root causes of these issues or is it more of a emotional release valve for the community? 
. And the fact that they used a fictional character to tell the story is genius – it makes it more relatable, I think?
Marseille needs so much help already and now they're still struggling with the aftermath of Grenfell? It's like, how many times do we have to see this stuff happen before we actually do something about it?! The fact that this play is being performed in France makes me think that even though it's not directly from their own history, people are still feeling the pain and wanting to address these issues. I love that Mathilde Aurier is using her art to bring attention to this cause 
, maybe it'll inspire some real change eventually... Fingers crossed, we need more voices like hers speaking out about social inequality and community resilience 
. But for real though, have you guys seen those building codes in France? Like, who needs 'em? 
On a serious note though, this play sounds super impactful and I'm definitely gonna have to check it out... but don't expect me to start wearing a beret anytime soon 
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It makes me think we need more arts like this to bring attention to urban inequality & social deprivation. Like, yeah, we've had some progress since the Grenfell disaster, but it feels like politics just shifted priorities and now we're stuck 
Still, I love how the playwright is using her art to capture the raw emotions & memories of those affected... it's really cathartic 
. Marseille just feels so...familiar? Like a cousin we haven't seen in years, but still got that same rough-around-the-edges vibe 
. And can we talk about how this play just highlights the power of theatre to bring people together? It's like, theater has always been my go-to way to process these kinds of emotions...and I feel so grateful that Aurier is using her platform to shed light on something so important 
, like 4k people homeless after Grenfell... what can we do tho? 
Still waiting for meaningful reform 
, not sure if politics will change soon 
. I feel like theatre is one of the best ways to express our emotions about it, and '65 Rue d'Aubagne' sounds super powerful 
, can't wait to watch it! 
. We need more of this kind of theatre that tackles the harder questions about power and social inequality 
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. The fact that it's based on real-life accounts makes it all the more impactful, you feel? And I love how the playwright is using her own emotions and memories to guide the storytelling – it's like she's putting herself into the shoes of those who lived through the tragedy 
"The only thing necessary for the triumph of evil is for good men to do nothing" - Edmund Burke 
I mean, I get that Mathilde Aurier is trying to expose the darker side of Marseille, but isn't it time for us to take responsibility and make actual change? 
I guess what's interesting is how she's using a fictional protagonist to convey the impact of the tragedy... but can we really separate fact from fiction when it comes to something like this? 
It feels like we're stuck in this cycle of outrage and reaction, rather than real progress. 
, you gotta feel for the people who lost everything to that building collapse 7 years ago 
, I love how she puts a face to the numbers, makes you care about Nina and her community