The Child and the Night

Darkness becomes an unstable realm, filled with fears, desires, and transformations, where the imagination takes hold.

In this disorienting night, Virgil makes a promise: to journey through the darkness to bring back the light and reassure his little sister. This rite-of-passage quest brings him face-to-face with Noctilia, a fascinating figure of the shadows—a disturbing double of his mother—who feeds on children’s pain and tears to preserve her eternal beauty. Along the way, ambiguous characters emerge—an unscrupulous scientist, a dream hunter, a tragic clown—all figures of surrogate fathers who attempt to divert the hero from his mission.

Between dream and nightmare, poetry and anxiety, *The Child and the Night* tells the story of an inner and spiritual struggle, where the fear of abandonment gradually transforms into strength. Through dreamlike imagery, laughter, and the power of the imagination, Virgile triumphs over the night and brings joy back to life. A luminous and deeply moving show for the whole family, celebrating childhood’s ability to transform darkness into the promise of light. *L’Enfant et la Nuit* is presented for the first time with an orchestra.

A lyrical tale in seven scenes and four tableaux by Franck Villard (2008)
Libretto by Olivier Balazuc - Editions Symétrie

Performed as part of the Festo Picho 2027 festival.

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