Maldoror

Based on Roberto Bolaño, Lautréamont  

  • Show
  • Theatre

Julien Gosselin

France / Creation Festival d'Avignon 2026

Avertissement Some scenes may be distressing to viewers.

What is the “secret of evil”? Connecting the works of Roberto Bolaño and Lautréamont, Julien Gosselin follows in the footsteps of these writers who, each in their own way, plumbed the depths of human violence. 

Maldoror, Julien Gosselin © Simon Gosselin

Presentation

Ten years after his adaptation of 2666 at the Festival d’Avignon, Julien Gosselin returns to Roberto Bolaño and stages a dialogue between the Chilean writer and a great 19th-century poet: Lautréamont. Both ceaselessly explored human violence, its origins, and its hidden corners. 
In a show that stands at the crossroads between theatre, cinema, and performance, the director continues his work on literature. Rooted in Latin America in the 1970s, Maldoror explores the works of writers and artists who were able to approach absolute evil as close as possible. 

'악의 비밀' 이란 무엇인가? 로베르토 볼라뇨와 로트레아몽의 작품들을 연결 지으며, 줄리앙 고슬랭은 각자의 방식으로 인간의 폭력을 탐색해 온 두 작가의 발자취를 이어간다. 

Distribution

With Guillaume Bachelé, Rita Benmannana, Joseph Drouet, Denis Eyriey, Carine Goron, Jeremy Lewin, Jeanne Louis-Calixte, Cyril Metzger, Victoria Quesnel, Achille Reggiani, Lucile Rose, Maxence Vandevelde and Jérémie Bernaert et Baudouin Rencurel
Adaptation and direction Julien Gosselin
Set design Lisetta Buccellato
Lighting design Nicolas Joubert
Video Jérémie Bernaert, Pierre Martin Oriol
Music Guillaume Bachelé, Maxence Vandevelde
Dramaturgy Eddy D’aranjo, Marie-José Malis
Costumes Caroline Tavernier
Sound Théo Jonval
Script Antoine Hespel
Color grading Laurent Ripoll
Costume Design Assistant Géraldine Ingremeau
ssistant Directors Lucile Rose, Zoé Benguigui
Translation and Supertitles Zoé Benguigui
Set, costumes and props workshops Ateliers de l’Odéon Théâtre de l’Europe
and tecnical team of Odéon Théâtre de l’Europe

Production

Production Odéon Théâtre de l’Europe (Paris) 
Coproduction Festival d’Avignon, Comédie de Genève, Maison de la Culture d’Amiens, Onassis Stegi Athènes  
Support Fondation Odéon Théâtre de l’Europe and for the 80th Festival d’Avignon : Spedidam
The works of Roberto Bolaño are represented by the Wylie Agency.

Ammodo Art promotes and supports the development of the visual and performing arts on an international scale. It is part of the Ammodo Foundation, which supports the development of the arts, architecture and science. As part of the 2026 Avignon Festival, Ammodo Art is supporting the creation of two new productions : Maldoror by Julien Gosselin and Chapter III, Una luz cordial by Carolina Bianchi.

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As a European public service cultural broadcaster, ARTE brings Europeans together through culture. Fully in tune with the times, the channel, its arte.tv platform and its social media channels prioritise creativity, innovation and investigative journalism, offering a rich and diverse range of content and increasingly innovative original formats. Now available in seven languages, ARTE is a unique cultural brand in Europe. As a long-standing partner of the Festival d’Avignon, ARTE is supporting this 80th edition with a programme of screenings and talks at the Maison Jean Vilar and the Utopia cinema, as well as a listening room at the Collection Lambert. ARTE also invites you to tune in to its channel, visit its website and follow its social media channels to keep up with the latest festival news and discover Maldoror, Julien Gosselin’s production in the main courtyard of the Palais des Papes.

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Practical infos

Pictures

Audiovisual

And…

La matinale – 4 July

  • Café des idées
With Julien Gosselin, Kyung-Sung Lee, Rebecca Chaillon et Jaha Koo, Lia Rodrigues

Free entrance

Les Midis de Culture #2

Partition en mouvement et abîmes de l'écriture
  • Café des idées
  • Radio show
With France Culture

Free entrance

13e Rencontres Recherche et Création

What haunts us, what binds us: how can we express the inexpressible?
  • Café des idées
With the Agence nationale de la recherche and Julien Gosselin

Free entrance