Faust

Comment Toone did it happen to Gounod? At the time when La Monnaie, now Opéra National, had overwhelming privileges compared to the other theaters of Brussels, Tôône-Dufeys (another dynasty of puppeteers) regularly went to the Opera to copy as faithfully as possible these great shows inaccessible to the people of the Marolles and then present them in his theater. Traditional puppets were then the only means of popular education for an audience always ready to be enthusiastic about the greatest works. Toone VII in his turn looked into the opera of Gounod to make a parodic adaptation of it. “... While Doctor Faust drinks a last gueuze in the hope of a sudden death, a disturbing character, the “Deuvel”, comes to offer him packets of thousand-franc notes and a beautiful “mokske” with the sweet name of Marguerite, in exchange for his soul. We take a tour of the Midi fair, we spend (backstage) an enchanting night and… it is love at first sight. With a consequence for Marguerite: “Dresses that are going to become too short in the front”... Anyone who ventures into the vast universe that this subject represents will understand, through humor, the feeling of inner peace that drives it. One can easily guess what melodies such as Salut, demeure chaste et pure or Anges purs, anges radieux can give when prepared with a Brussels twist...” (La Lanterne) Faithful to tradition, Toone does all the voices and does not hesitate to belt out the great jewel aria on par with our famous Castafiore. The sets and costumes of Raymond Renard give Marguerite every reason to see herself so beautiful in this mirror.