Location
Théâtre Varia
Duration
1 hour
Languages
Français
Prices
Public
Ages 14 and over
Accessibility
pmr accompagnant
pmr
30.03—02.04.2027

The Human Voice

Salvatore Calcagno &
garçongarçon

Artiste partenaire
Theater

A poignant portrait of a woman who refuses to accept the inevitability of loss and fights to keep the memory of a love alive.

Dates and Times

Tickets
Tickets
Tickets
Tickets
Tickets

Summary

The plot of *La voix humaine* can be summed up in a single sentence: a woman speaks on the telephone with a loved one who is leaving her. In this one-act play, everything hinges on this moment, capturing the very heart of her heartbreak, her thwarted desire, and her determination to believe in love despite everything. We hear only this woman’s voice, never that of the person on the other end of the line. Caught in a whirlwind of emotions and conflicting feelings – dependence, anger, hope, lucidity – the voice hesitates, lies, corrects itself and then reveals itself, in a final struggle against loss and abandonment.  

Written by Jean Cocteau in 1930, the play caused a scandal: the fact that a woman should express her passion and despair so unreservedly was considered offensive to the sensibilities of the time. Salvatore Calcagno revisits this iconic text, having staged it ten years ago with the actress Sophia Leboutte. In this revival, it is the actress, cabaret performer and photographic icon Mina Serrano who, accompanied by a string ensemble, will bring to life a sensitive and resolutely contemporary interpretation. What if taking the risk of loving were, today more than ever, an act of resistance?  

Between *Ancora tu*, staged at the Varia two seasons ago, and *La voix humaine*, echoes of romantic grief and the staging of absence surface. After a break-up, what do we reveal of ourselves? What do we invent to convince ourselves that the story isn’t over, that the other person still loves us? With infinite subtlety, Salvatore Calcagno explores the dramatic dynamics of human relationships and reminds us, through a performance where the personal embraces the universal, that beauty also lies in our vulnerabilities. 

Cast





Text by Jean Cocteau
Adaptation, artistic direction and staging by Salvatore Calcagno
Performed by Mina Serrano Live music throughout Technical adaptation and lighting by Angela Massoni Artistic collaboration by Pablo-Antoine Neufmars
Production by Valentina Masi – garçongarçon
Revival 2027 based on the original production (2017)
-- Original production (2017), produced by the Théâtre de Liège, developed with
Sébastien Monfè (dramaturgy)
Amélie Géhin (lighting)
Edwina Calcagno (make-up)
François Deppe (musical accompaniment)
Sofie Kokaj (artistic collaboration)
With the participation of the Théâtre de Liège Workshops (costume and set design) 

Credits



Revival 2027
A garçongarçon production With the support of Théâtre Varia
Premiere 2017
A Théâtre de Liège production, DC&J CREATION with the support of the Belgian Federal Government’s Tax Shelter With the support of the Royal Conservatoire of Liège, Music Department, and Théâtre Les Tanneurs
With artistic and technical collaboration from Sophia Leboutte, Amélie Géhin, Louise Wauters, Edwina Calcagno, Sébastien Monfé, Sofie Kokaj, the Théâtre de Liège Workshops, Lidia Kocharyan, Audrey Gallez, Clara Larrauri, Nathalie Angélique, Clotilde Leroy, Ambre Tamagna and Petronella Torin 

You may also like

Theater
Performance

Rodéo

Léa Drouet & Vaisseau
17—25.09.2026
Rodéo / Léa Drouet
17—25.09.2026
Création
Théâtre Varia
Léa Drouet and Camille Louis find in burning forests and inflamed bodies a tangible expression of a world set ablaze.
Theater

What cannot be seen does not mean it does not exist

Venedig Meer
13—17.10.2026
L’invisible n’est pas inexistant / Venedig Meer
13—17.10.2026
Revoir
Théâtre Varia
Venedig Meer continues its exploration of reality and draws upon the invisible as a powerful source of imagination. By breaking down the boundaries of art, Florence Minder puts technique at the service of poetry; thus, gravity creates light in a humorous tale about the transmission of possibilities.
Danse
CRUSH

Empty Orchestra, Longing for You

Habib Ben Tanfous & FiNEK
09—11.12.2026
Orchestre vide, Longing for you / Habib Ben Tanfous
09—11.12.2026
Revoir
Théâtre Varia
A dance-filled journey through the world of karaoke, ranging from exuberant emotions to self-reinvention.
Theater

The Three Sisters (Android version)

Oriza Hirata
Jasmina Douieb & Entre Chiens et Loups
22—29.01.2027
Les Trois soeurs (version androïde) / Oriza Hirata, Jasmina Douieb
22—29.01.2027
Revoir
Théâtre Varia
In a country house, time is a long wait. The only escape for its inhabitants is to imagine elsewhere. We follow the course of a life, much like that of conversations. Yet, whilst we talk about everything, it is to better stifle what really matters. Jasmina Douieb examines a family dynamic, undermined by secrecy.