chantal lamarre is taking the stage alone for the first time: at 63 she will mount a solo cabaret-style show titled «gossé à la main» at the Centre culturel Berger this autumn, a project born after the pandemic as she returned to performing. It is framed as a handcrafted, memory-driven piece that nods to cabaret and 1950s sensibilities. The decision answers a long-held urge to create new theatrical work rather than transpose television material to the stage.
Chantal Lamarre brings cabaret, family and memory to one stage
The show is explicitly shaped around the cabaret era, with a set inspired by that period and a title that plays on a memory of Dominique Michel’s line “on a fait de la steppette. ” Chantal Lamarre has said the mix is both light and solemn: she added the word “cornemuse” to the concept to bring a grave, weighty counterpoint to the dance elements, while making clear she will not attempt to play the bagpipe herself. Around forty warm-up performances tied to Steppettes and bagpipe material have already been part of her preparation, and she drew on a long performing history including 75 shows with the troupe Les Nonnes.
Key collaborators and direct remarks
François Chénier signs the staging for the production and a small circle of friends assisted with the texts. Timothée Laperrière, her son, created the soundtrack for the show. “It’s an incomparable pleasure, ” Chantal Lamarre, collaborator on Infoman for 26 years, said of stepping out solo. “I did not feel strong enough to be entirely alone before, ” she added, noting that the pandemic reopening helped push the idea forward. She described the production as “like a family affair gossée à la main. “
Reactions, boundaries and artistic choices
Chantal Lamarre has been careful to set boundaries between her television work and this theatrical piece: after 26 years on Infoman she rejected recycling television segments for the stage, saying some ideas belong to the show and she prefers to offer theatre. She framed the project as “not a comedy routine” but a whimsical solo performance, mindful of a crowded humour scene yet positioning her work outside that competition. She expects audiences across ages and designed the piece to speak to contemporary sensibilities while slipping in references to how life was lived not long ago.
What’s next
The autumn run at Centre culturel Berger will mark chantal lamarre’s first official solo outing and she already imagines further projects afterwards — possibly collaborative rather than strictly solo. For March 8 she has also been involved in highlighting little-known heroines in a tribute framed like a paper-made homage, underscoring her interest in memory and unsung figures. Expect the show’s reception to shape whether chantal lamarre pursues another theatrical path or returns to ensemble formats.
