Saint-Tropez had decided to make culture an open-air affair. Thursday evening, despite a downpour that might have deterred even the most intrepid, the audience gathered in the gardens of the Château de la Moutte for the opening of the fourth edition of "Scènes du Château de la Moutte" (Scenes at the Château de la Moutte). And to launch this new edition, the City of Saint-Tropez had chosen a sure thing: Élie Semoun and his show "Cactus." It took some nerve! After the rain, the spectators settled into the magnificent green setting of La Moutte, as if the downpour had been nothing more than a bad intermission. The stage was ready, and so was the audience. And Élie Semoun quickly made everyone forget the dampness.
La Moutte, a cultural gem in the heart of Saint-Tropez
The Château de la Moutte – Domaine Émile Ollivier is one of those venues that instantly elevates a performance to another level. The City of Saint-Tropez develops a comprehensive summer cultural program there, transforming the estate and its gardens into an open-air theater. For this fourth edition of the " Scènes du Château de la Moutte" (Scenes at the Château de la Moutte) , the municipality has chosen a deliberately eclectic lineup. From comedy to music, from musical circus to theater, six events are on offer until August 26: Élie Semoun, The Opera Locos, The Black Blues Brothers, an Elvis tribute, Y'a d'la Joie (There's Joy) , and Cyrano de Bergerac . It's a way for Saint-Tropez to remind everyone that the town is more than just yachts, beaches, and glamorous parties. Behind the glamorous image, there's also a genuine commitment to bringing heritage and culture to life in the heart of summer. And on Thursday evening, La Moutte found its voice: a sharp, witty humor.
"Cactus": Elie Semoun refuses to walk on eggshells
The show's title says it all: "Cactus." It's bound to sting. For 30 years, Élie Semoun has built a reputation as a comedian who dares to go where many hesitate. For his eighth show, he gives more space to stand-up while retaining what has always made him unique: the characters, the voices, the absurd situations, and his ability to transform the little foibles of our society into uproarious laughter. The official presentation of "Cactus" in Saint-Tropez promises a show blending stand-up and characters, exploring taboos, intolerance, and the injustices of our society.
But behind the characters, there's also a genuine reflection on the profession of comedian today. Élie Semoun speaks of a time when, in his opinion, humor could play more freely with boundaries, with irony and subtlety. Today, he explains on stage, comedians must constantly consider what they can say, how they will say it, and above all, how their words might be interpreted. The problem is that a joke can now be taken out of context, misunderstood, spark controversy, and sometimes even lead to legal action. And it's precisely this difficulty that he transforms into comedic material. He has no intention of giving a moral lesson. He prefers to laugh at this new era, its contradictions, its taboos, its sensitivities, and the growing difficulty of achieving that famous subtlety.
And Semoun was… on fire
In Saint-Tropez, the result was incredible. The laughter was practically non-stop. Élie Semoun was on fire. He seamlessly transitioned between characters, facial expressions, voice changes, and absurd situations with remarkable precision. Behind the scenes, his partner Aude, a true partner in the show's unsung heroism, plays a vital role in its mechanics. She manages the lighting and sound, and doesn't hesitate to whisper a line to him when needed. This close collaboration adds to the show's vibrant and almost handcrafted feel. In this exceptional setting, under the trees of the estate, after a downpour that threatened to ruin everything, the audience was quickly swept away. And then there was a comeback that triggered a genuine wave of nostalgia.
Kevina is back!
Among the evening's most delightful moments was the return of Kevina, one of the iconic characters from Élie Semoun's universe. The French remember this caricatured teenager who appeared notably in the famous sketches with Franck Dubosc. Years later, Kevina has grown up. She's now 22. And of course, she hasn't really changed. Or rather, she has: she's become an adult, but still with that completely offbeat logic that made her so popular. In this new sketch, she finds herself with a man thirty years her senior. The audience immediately recognized the character. And they clearly took immense pleasure in seeing this grown-up Kevina again, like reconnecting with an old friend whose humor had been forgotten.
Laughter, especially laughter
Perhaps that's the best way to sum up this evening at La Moutte. In a time when humor is often scrutinized, when every word can be analyzed, dissected, and sometimes condemned, Élie Semoun once again chooses to do what he does best: take controversial subjects, look at them irreverently, and provoke laughter. And on Thursday evening in Saint-Tropez, it worked perfectly. The rain had tried to spoil the party. It only delayed the real storm of the evening by a few minutes. That storm came from the stage. And his name was Élie Semoun.
