“My daughters sometimes ask me if Jean-Marc can come”

Since its debut in 2011 in The Biggest Cabaret in the World (which did not leave only good memories to Patrick Sébastien), Jeff Panacloc gave a second life to ventriloquism, becoming more broadly one of the favorite comedians of the French. After packed houses (La Cigale, L’Olympia, Le Casino de Paris, les Zéniths…), his first show, Jeff Panacloc loses control, brought together nearly 5 million viewers as a bonus on TF1. His second show (Jeff Panacloc strikes back) is also successful. With nearly 450,000 tickets sold between 2017 and 2019, he even became the number 1 comedian in France. Soon on tour throughout France, the artist takes viewers on a third amusement park-like show entitled Jeff Panacloc Adventure. A humorous show that is still just as raw, but also more tender, where his lifelong puppet, Jean-Marc, shares the stage with new characters. From this new show to his creative process, including his daughters, or his next project… Jeff Panacloc, moved during the 15 years of Do not forget the lyricsanswered without detours the questions of Tele-Leisure.

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Télé-Loisirs: The concept of this show revolves around the amusement park. How did you come to this idea?

Jeff Panacloc: I had trouble finding the red thread of the show. The basic idea came from my director, who knows that I am a fan of amusement parks. I wanted people to feel like they were riding in a roller coaster car so that I might take them into my world [pour l’introduction du spectacle, le public est équipé de lunettes 3D, ndlr].

You address themes such as Covid, disability or feminism. Is this show more serious or more personal than the previous ones?

When you look at the show as a whole, I’m not sure it’s more serious [Il rit.] On the other hand, I am getting older, I am maturing, so certain things affect me more than before. I also live with my time, with the news, so I can’t ignore certain themes. I also wanted to surprise people. I really liked the idea of ​​Jean-Marc going where he least expected.

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“Jean-Marc may be my evil double”Jeff Panacloc

Do you create the characters according to themes, or vice versa?

While writing, we realize that certain characters allow us to approach more themes, others less. I can, for example, evoke homosexuality with Jacky because I imagined that he had a homosexual son. Jean-Marc, he might have rather made a valve a little misplaced.

Is Jean-Marc sad to have a little less space in the show?

I think these new characters highlight him even more, they all revolve around him. He does the whole beginning and the whole end of the show. Only the sketch on the Covid is a little apart.

Are these characters puppets or extensions of you?

I don’t believe they are extensions of me. Jean-Marc may be my evil double. But I don’t see them as puppets either. I like to think they really exist. I don’t take them out of a suitcase and put them on my arm in front of everyone.

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Jeff Panacloc on his personal life: “I don’t like to mix everything up”

Do your 4 and 2 year old daughters understand what you are doing?

They understand, even if Jean-Marc doesn’t really exist at home, except as a stuffed animal. I don’t constantly joke with him in the living room. They sometimes ask me: “Could Jean-Marc come?” But I try not to do it too much. I don’t like to mix things up.

Is it sometimes heavy to be constantly a ventriloquist?

I have always experienced it very well. Today, I exist much more. When I started this job, my first producer told me: “You will have succeeded the day we speak to you directly, and not to Jean-Marc”. I think it does now.