As an aperitif, Clément Viktorovitch chose tea because it makes “pay attention to his voice”. Valuable tool since his teaching duties at Sciences Po, author (Rhetorical Power, Seuil, 2021), columnist (Between the lines on Franceinfo), streamer (on Twitch), he added that of apprentice actor. Three evenings a week, this specialist in rhetoric and the analysis of political discourse plays at the Théâtre Lepic, in the heart of the Butte Montmartre in Paris, in The Art of Not Saying. His first creation. A one-off in the form of a conference in which this 39-year-old Parisian slips, wigged, into the skin of a communications advisor. After being thanked by the president he served (“while this prince, this king, it is I who created him”), the consultant takes revenge by revealing the behind the scenes and the processes of the conquest and exercise of power.
Without hesitation, the media politician arranged to meet us a stone’s throw from his new nighttime workplace, at the Eugène brasserie, Place du Tertre, his “canteen” – “good food and nice boss” –, where he goes after each performance. We settle in quietly, upstairs, far from the tourist hubbub. And right in the right place. “It is at the table where we are that the show and the friendship with my producer Gilles Mattana were partly sealed. It was he who introduced me to the author and director Ferdinand Barbet, who became my co-author. This is the miracle of dating. »
Doctor in political science, knowledgeable orator, Clément Viktorovitch does not hide his happiness in rubbing shoulders with ” vertigo “ from the scene. Especially since it’s a full house. “It’s an exciting prank, something ferociously joyful, because the show is joyful but tends towards a subject which is not. » As a seasoned teacher with precise language, he unfolds the “two reasons” carefully thought out ideas that pushed him onto the stage. A ” background ” : “The artistic form is richer than didactic or academic content, because it not only allows us to understand, but also, thanks to feeling, to raise awareness. » And an “personal” : “My first job is as a teacher, my first pleasure is speaking to a live audience. Being together for an hour and a half to reflect with the public is wonderful. »
The idea of creating a political communications advisor character was born ten years ago following a performance ofExoconference, by Alexandre Astier. In this well-documented show, the creator of the series Kaamelott became a professor of cosmogony. “I said to myself: I want to do the same thing as him with rhetoric, reveal the secrets. » Not those of the universe, but of political speeches.
You have 64.78% of this article left to read. The rest is reserved for subscribers.