Enfant

Ça va, ça va le monde !

Gad Bensalem

  • Reading
  • How’s it going, world?

With RFI

Madagascar

This poetic, punctuation-free text follows the journey of a truck driver crossing Madagascar in search of the father he never knew. A road movie along Route Nationale 44, carried by words that flow like slam poetry in open water.

Ça va, ça va le monde ! © Christophe Raynaud de Lage

Presentation

In a world haunted by wars, crises, and violence, the literatures of the world —and theatre in particular— cannot remain silent. Since 2013, Ça va, ça va le monde ! has given voice to French-language dramatic writings from Africa, the Caribbean, and the Arab world. Through RFI’s cycle of readings, these texts, deeply rooted in the social and political realities of their regions, find a space for resonance and sharing.

تامزلأاو بورحلا هدوست ملاع يف ةصاخو ،يلماعلا بدلأل نكمي لا ،فنعلاو ماع ذنم .اتماص ىقبي نأ ،حرسلما Ça va, ça va le جمانرب حنم ،2013 ةيحرسلما تاباتكلل اتوص !monde يبيراكلاو ايقيرفإ نم ةيسنرفلا ةغللاب تاءارق ةرود للاخ نم .يبرعلا ملاعلاو هذه دجت ،(RFI) ةيلودلا اسنرف ويدار عقاولا يف ةقيمعلا روذجلا ،صوصنلا ةحاسم ،اهقطانلم يسايسلاو يعامتجلاا .اهادص ددرتي ثيح ةكراشملل

Enfant

by Gad Bensalem – Madagascar

Written as a long monologue, Enfant follows Doda’s quest. A truck driver on Route Nationale 44 in Madagascar, he has been searching for his father for years, burdened by his absence. This road movie across a country nicknamed “Nowhere” brings him into contact with Claudette, the owner of the Épi-bar, a level crossing guard, and an umbrella repairman.

Enfant was awarded the 2024 RFI Théâtre Prize.

Gad Bensalem, whose real name is Rakotomanga Tokiniaina, is a playwright, slam poet, stage director, and actor. He began his career in 2009 at the École Normale Supérieure in Antananarivo (Madagascar) and quickly emerged as a deeply Malagasy francophone writer. Working between Antananarivo and Réunion Island, he collaborates with Miangaly Théâtre and Karanbolaz companies, creating seven original works since 2016. A prominent figure in the francophone theatre network, he develops his projects both regionally (Africa and the Indian Ocean) and internationally (France, Switzerland, Belgium, among others).

Distribution

Reading directed by Armel Roussel
The Ça va, ça va le monde ! series is created and coordinated by Pascal Paradou

Production

Co-production by RFI and Compagnie [e]utopia
With the support of the Institut français, SACD for its cultural radio initiatives, and Wallonie-Bruxelles International
In partnership with the École du Nord, Higher Professional School of Dramatic Arts

Practical infos