Meet Frédéric Rey, a great Niçois talent with an almost unrivalled passion for theatre and performance.
I have known Frédéric Rey, aka Fred, for some time now. I have always been curious about his theatrical work, which I have been following with interest.
So it was a great pleasure when he said yes to an interview in English. I wish that I was brave enough to do one in French! It is obvious to anyone who meets Fred that he has the air of someone who can command attention, an essential attribute of being a performer. His commitment to theatre in all its aspects is clear and immediate.
Fred is much more than an actor based in Nice. He was actually born in Nice which in my book makes him a real Niçois. Surprisingly, he didn’t start out dreaming of a life in the world of acting, far from it, and came later in life when he was going down another path, studying law. Once he discovered the world of theatre from being involved, there was no holding him back. The rest, as they say, is history. Fred is very much immersed in the world of theatre, acting, writing and direction, but he also has a deep interest in teaching. He particularly enjoys developing young talent. A man torn between his multiple talents.
He is a devotee of the Commedia dell’arte, a popular theatre style from Italy. In this framework Fred is able to develop and improvise the dialogues and action so that the final play is brought to life in a way that working from a fixed script can never hope to achieve. This is a labour of love, it is hard though rewarding work. The result is a magical theatrical experience. Fred does love costume and can often be seen performing in the streets in full costume (and ignoring the heat!), bringing theatre to those who had never thought that they would enjoy live theatre. This very much reminds me of Shakespeare whose audience was drawn from the people, not a select group. In fact, and in my view, Fred’s ways are very reminiscent of how Shakespearean theatre worked.
Fred has staged many productions for La Semeuse in Nice and many touring productions. His recent Merlin Le Desenchateur was played in the open air, a real success. The list of plays in which he has been involved is very long! The Dissonanaces Jeanne d’Arc is still being performed. Fred is such a theatrical talent, it is so worthwhile checking out his website to find out more about him and also La Semeuse.
It is great to have someone like Fred steering new generations into the world of live theatre together, creating performances that people enjoy. He is definitely a very creative talent!
PHOTO CREDITS
- All photos courtesy Frédéric Rey
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