They dared to throw themselves into the den of the wolf, but good news! The amazed visitors came away without a bite. Positive feedback!
This Saturday, Luc Petit and his Nocturnales team presented for the first time the famous tale by Charles Perrault: “Little Red Riding Hood”. At the estate of the Princes de Ligne, in Beloeil, visitors let themselves be transported through this fantastic allegory dusted off for the occasion. Guided by this character in the red cape, the children also met the big bad wolf up close. Fear ? No, some even ran after him!
“A good first”
“It’s something we’ve dreamed of for months,” confides the Prince de Ligne. After two cancellations of his Féeries de Beloeil, the Tournaisian director is back at the castle, but this time for a new contemporary formula of a tale well known to the public. And we can say that the idea pleased the spectators since the three sessions (8 p.m., 8:30 p.m., 9 p.m.), limited to 300 people in order to respect the gauge, were sold out. “Yes, it’s a good first because we didn’t know at all how the public was going to react. It’s not just staging the show, but we also had to manage the movement of the audience. It’s a huge challenge. Everyone was disciplined, a sign that the show worked and that they wanted to discover what happened next,” says Luc Petit.
Eight paintings without the rain
For more than an hour and a half, young and old follow the story through eight scenic scenes, on a guided stroll. As soon as the bell rings, a page turns. As usual, the show designer collaborated with many talents: aerial acrobats, puppeteers, dancers, jugglers, fire players (Pyronix), horsemen (Iseulys Deslé), stilt walkers, etc. More than 35 artists immerse visitors in a phantasmagorical universe with a final musical twist (surprise!). Luc Petit also called on two well-known Tournaisian figures: Jean-Louis Godet, for the writing and Xavier Sourdeau, in the role of barker. “I will welcome the audience with magic tricks and then I provide the sales pitch, that is to say the introduction to the show, in a slightly offbeat way, but also mysterious and diabolical. The tale is of quality, which is why it has passed through the centuries. It takes a lot of courage to put on this show knowing that the weather remains uncertain and that we must follow the drastic laws linked to Covid,” explains the magician. A second chapter next year? The director thinks about it. In any case, “we will help him so that his events in Beloeil are successful. I’m waiting for you all at the castle,” rejoices Prince Michel de Ligne, who took part in the walk..
Infos pratiques
Stay on your guard! It seems that the big bad wolf is prowling in the woods of the princely domain until August 15. You can enjoy the show from July 31 to August 15, with three sessions: 8 p.m., 8:30 p.m., 9 p.m. (note that the last departure allows you to enjoy the numerous illuminations more fully).
Advancing slowly can be learned through the “lion dance”
One in front for handling the head and one at the back for carrying. Who is hiding under the animal?
In the Jl of the revisited tale, several artists play the role of Little Riding Hood and the big bad wolf. During the third scene, spectators meet this funny, hairy beast for the first time. Under the costume of a good 5kg made for the show by the Nocturnales team, Romain Halboister and Sébastien Gérard coordinate. “We have to be careful because people must not hear us talking. We therefore have to adopt facial expressions underneath the costume to know what we should do and when,” explains Romain. The two men are part of the “Wulong Wushu Team” academy, based in Liège. “Our main sport is Kung Fu of which Wushu is a derivative. We specialize in lion dance, a traditional Chinese dance. We were inspired by many videos of the wolf to adopt its facial expressions. We are there to coax and charm the chaperone,” indicate Romain and Sébastien. But will they get there?
