Rodolphe de Neuchâtel is the hero of a new musical comedy produced by Elie Chouraqui (“The 10 commandments”). The sets are by John Howe and the Neuchâtel finalist of “The Voice”, Loris, is among the singers.
Neuchâtel, 12th century. Aged 18, Count Rodolphe goes on a crusade. At the port of Marseille, at night, he meets a troubadour troupe who sings, dances, laughs. Over the night, he understands that his departure on a crusade is pure madness and decides to sing regarding love rather than go to war. Rodolphe thus becomes one of the first “Minnesänger”, a German-speaking troubadour.
“He is a man who will choose poetry and peace rather than war”, indicates the producer of the musical, Elie Chouraqui, touched by the unusual fate of Count Rodolphe. However, nothing predestined this famous producer to drop anchor in Neuchâtel lands.
Un spectacle made in Neuchâtel
“They send me a lot of text and songs to listen to and give my point of view. Unfortunately in the last few years, I hadn’t seen anything that really hooked me. And then I heard talk regarding the Middle Ages, the crusades, I heard music that seduced me”, explains Elie Chouraqui to RTS.
A year ago, Elie Chouraqui therefore became the artistic director of this show born in the minds of two Neuchâtel residents, Alexandre Traube, medievalist and composer, and David Charles Haeberli, alias “MC Roger”, actor, rapper and dancer.
medieval texts
Particularity, the texts of the musical are those of the 12th century. “These are the real texts of Rodolphe, almost identical”, book David Charles Haeberli, who embodies the leader of the troubadours, Folquet de Marseille. We have modified them a little bit but really keeping 90% of the text. Love is timeless!”
“Rodolphe” mixes musical genres: classical, pop, medieval, rap and even hip-hop. “It’s the first French-language musical to really have hip-hop and at the same time the colors of great symphony orchestras and medieval instruments,” says Alexandre Traube.
Loris au casting
Rodolphe’s brother is played by a local star, Loris, the finalist from Neuchâtel on the show “The Voice”. The decorations are signed by John Howe, illustrator of the works of Tolkien, who has lived in Neuchâtel for a quarter of a century.
Rodolphe will be played six times in Neuchâtel. The troupe then intends to go on tour, in France and perhaps beyond.
TV subject: Matthieu Oppliger and Léa Jelmini
Radio Subject: Deborah Sohlbank
Adaptation web: Melissa Hartel
“Rodolphe”, to see until August 29 at the Théâtre du Passage in Neuchâtel