French Literature Reviews - 2026

A.-Fr. Benhamou, Koltès the Playwright
Theatre and Performance

Anne-Françoise Benhamou, Koltès the Playwright
Besançon: Les Solitaires Intempestifs, coll. "Du désavantage du vent", 2013.

EAN 9782846814034

240 pp.

Publisher's description:

To consider Koltès as a playwright is not to downplay the significance of a body of work shaped as much by literature and cinema as by theatre. Rather, it means paying close attention to how his writing was nourished by the stage—by a dream of the stage as much as by its reality. The essays collected in this book examine how Koltès sought to respond to contemporary reality through theatre, paying particular attention to the role of enigma and secrecy in his work.

The volume consists of a series of essays on the theatre and writing of Bernard-Marie Koltès: on the significance of the theme of shadow and light, on Koltès's invention of the "locations" of his plays in relation to the art of Chéreau, on the relationship of these locations to theatrical space, on the central place of childhood from Amertumes to Roberto Zucco, on Koltès's relevance or "untimeliness" in his era, on hidden motifs in Combat de nègre et de chiens… It is expanded with a synthesis-style introduction reflecting on twenty-five years of critical and theatrical engagement with this work, and a chapter on the representation of the foreigner on stage, inspired by Michael Thalheimer's staging of Combat de nègre and the controversy at the Comédie-Française regarding Aziz in Le Retour au désert.

Anne-Françoise Benhamou, an academic and dramaturg, works and publishes primarily on stage direction, dramaturgy, and the actor's craft. She was one of the first to write on Koltès's theatre, and has continuously re-examined his work over the years and through various stage productions, questioning above all its impact on the stage and its contemporary relevance.

Bernard-Marie Koltès remains a towering figure in contemporary French drama, celebrated for plays like Combat de nègre et de chiens and Roberto Zucco. His writing uniquely bridges literary ambition and cinematic vision, constantly interrogating the relationship between text and physical performance. This volume situates his dramatic output within broader modern traditions, examining how his texts engage with political reality, marginality, and the figure of the foreigner. By analyzing the interplay of shadow, light, and theatrical space, the collection illuminates the rigorous formal architecture underlying his seemingly raw narratives and poetic urgency.

Authored by academic and dramaturg Anne-Françoise Benhamou, the book offers a sustained critical engagement drawing on decades of scholarship and practical stage collaboration. It will prove especially valuable for theatre practitioners, researchers in modern French drama, and students of contemporary stage direction. By addressing pivotal productions and enduring controversies associated with his work, the essays help readers navigate the complexities of staging Koltès today, shedding light on why his singular voice retains its provocative power and untime-ly resonance on the modern stage.