Loges et coulisses

A vivid portrait unfolds of a young girl growing up in the bustling heart of Paris, where the streets between Porte Saint‑Martin and Place du Château‑d’Eau echo with parades and protests. Born to a mother who ran the buffet of the Ambigu and a father who once controlled a regional theatre, she spends her earliest years perched in the theater’s balcony, drinking in the drama of melodramas and the glow of the grand chandelier. The memoir weaves together the scent of orange baskets, the shine of mahogany counters, and the rustle of red velvet seats, immersing listeners in the backstage world that shaped her imagination.

These early impressions linger, prompting her to mimic the actors’ trembling sighs and flamboyant gestures even as a child clutching a handkerchief. She recalls the awe of stepping into Adèle Page’s private box, where the glimmer of silk and jewels seemed the very embodiment of theatrical grandeur. As the narrative unfolds, the listener senses a growing yearning to step beyond the audience and claim a place on the stage herself, hinting at the passions that will drive her future pursuits.