Le retour de la très vieille dame

Imagine 10 colorful—and quite tall—characters (thanks to the 2,337-meter altitude; they’re staying at the Weisshorn Hotel) gathered to observe the return of Halley’s Comet (the very old lady) on May 18, 1910. What could be better than perching atop Têta Fayaz to welcome this celestial body from the far reaches of the solar system?But then some terrifying news disrupts the group: the comet’s tail—which Earth will pass through on the night of May 18—is laden with cyanogen, a deadly gas! As festive circumstances go, there are better ones! Not even the landlady’s génépi can dispel the apocalyptic atmosphere that’s settling in… Fortunately, all hope is not lost (and not just because of the génépi). The night might not be as tragic as expected. While awaiting the uncertain outcome, romantic intrigues, invocations of spirits (of wine and fortune-tellers), and conspiracies are brewing. What if, in the end, thanks to a secret trick, the hotel guests turned out to be the only survivors on the entire Earth? Can you imagine a world, after the cataclysm, repopulated solely by people from Anniviers! A raclette civilization stretching from Cape Horn to the Faroe Islands? This burlesque and gently off-the-wall play, which has no other pretensions than to entertain the audience, is a tribute to Halley’s Comet. It was, in fact, its return in 1986—76 years after its 1910 appearance—that sparked astronomical activities in Saint-Luc. Behind the telescope set up for the occasion in Tignousa, people had to line up to see the wedding gown—quite discreet, to be honest—of the long-awaited celestial body, but still! It was beautiful, poetic, and moving to be reunited with this companion of humanity, who has the good taste to come back and visit us every 76 years.This year, in 2026—40 years later—the Compagnons de la Navizence will bring to life ten whimsical, curious, and surprising characters, sprung from the imaginations of Georges Meynet and Javier Garcia Nombela, who co-wrote this play especially for this anniversary. The local actors and actresses—all amateurs—directed by Cédric Jossen, the set designer and director, will unfold before your eyes a story full of twists and turns, mysteries, and, hopefully, laughter!

Note: This text was translated by machine translation software and not by a human translator. It may contain translation errors.