Ramatuelle Festival: Founder and President Jacqueline Franjou talks about this 41st edition

Taking a moment with Jacqueline Franjou to discuss the ^41st edition of the Ramatuelle Festival is also a journey through time through the thousand lives of the director and founder of this open-air theater event.

From the creation of the festival with Jean-Claude Brialy to his meetings with Aung San Suu Kyi, there are enough anecdotes to fill books.

In the meantime, we asked the hostess, who is happy to welcome all the artists into her home before the performances, to share with us the highlights of this edition, which begins on July 29 and runs until August 12.

Classic to start with with Dessay and Barbier

As usual, the hostilities begin with Les Nuits Classiques, under the direction of Jean-Michel Duez. Three evenings of music and dance take over the Théâtre de Verdure, opening with Carmen, by the Ballet Julien Lestel, also featuring Alexandra Cardinale.

"She's fantastic. We met at a Gérard Uféras exhibition at the Villa Tamaris. She danced in front of the photos, it was magnificent. She sees dance as a very important social connection. This is only the seventh time we've offered dance; we hadn't programmed any for three years because we hadn't found the show we needed. This is the case."

Second date: Natalie Dessay. "This is her third time here. She's accompanied by Yvan Cassar and Philippe Cassard. We blend classical and modern music; it's magnificent."

Finally, for the third and final evening, we find a well-known face in the media: Christophe Barbier. The journalist is passionate about classical music, particularly Offenbach. "He's crazy about Offenbach! This is also a show with his wife, soprano Pauline Courtin."

That's it for the classical side, even if Jacqueline Franjou does not hide her desire to push for four evenings in future editions, with the ambition of "bringing in more opera voices".

The surprise M, Dany Boon and the nod to Devos

The Ramatuelle Festival opens on August ^1st, with a date that has long remained a mystery. Matthieu Chedid will perform an acoustic concert, accompanied by his brother and sister.

"We had already booked 50% of the tickets without even announcing the artist. This is certainly a sign that people trust us," says a delighted Jacqueline Franjou.

If M's name was only revealed on July ^1st , it was because the artist was already committed to other dates in the region (notably in Toulon), with exclusivity clauses.

Another moment dear to the founder's heart: the adaptation of Dead Poets Society , directed by Olivier Solivérès. "It's fantastic, it's a troupe of 28 young people. It took Olivier nine years to obtain the rights to this great film. It's going to be fantastic. We're in line with what Jean-Claude loved: this transmission with young people."

In addition to shows by Éric Dupond-Moretti and Alex Lutz, Jacqueline Franjou also recommends Les Liaisons dangereuses . "Delphine Depardieu is fantastic. It's one of the most beautiful plays of the season."

Finally, the season will close with a major figure in the world of comedy: Dany Boon. In addition to presenting his new one-man show, the most famous of the Ch'tis will also be tasked with presenting the Devos Foundation Prize to Nicole Ferroni.

An award the comedian was supposed to receive last year, but due to illness, she was unable to attend. The prize is a bow tie sculpted by the Sèvres factory.

A wink all the more touching as Dany Boon considers Raymond Devos to be a spiritual father in humor.

Tribute to Jean-Claude Brialy

Artistic director of the festival from 1985 until his death in 2007, Jean-Claude Brialy still looms large over Ramatuelle. For years, Jacqueline Franjou had been looking for a symbolic way to pay tribute to him.

In agreement with the city, it was decided to install a plaque with his photo on the roundabout near the theater. Jean-Claude's brother, Jacques, will be present at the inauguration on August 2.

Full program and reservations at www.festivalderamatuelle.com Prices from 68 euros.