La Peur

By

François Hien

Direction

Arthur Fourcade, François Hien / Compagnie L’Harmonie Communale

Performed by

Estelle Clément-Bealem, Arthur Fourcade, Marc Jeancourt, Ryan Larras, Pascal Césari

Theatre company L’Harmonie Communale loves to tell stories based on current affairs. After a 2020 production inspired by the Vincent Lambert case, this is the story of a priest who is worried about his homosexuality and who finds himself testifying against a bishop accused of having covered up the actions of a paedophile.

Father Guérin loses his parish after his relationship with another man is discovered. He becomes a confessor for men of the Church, and when he finds out about father Grésieux’s paedophilia in a confession, he informs the police. He could also report the bishop – who knew but had kept it secret – but he convinces father Guérin not to pursue the matter.
In return for his silence, father Guérin is allowed to return to pastoral work. However, a young man comes to see him – a former victim of father Grésiex, come to persuade him to testify. The conversation that follows will have a profound effect on both men.
“Despite the difficult themes it addresses, La Peur is a piece that leads us towards the light” – François Hien. Taking inspiration from the Barbarin affair and the testimony of victims of paedophile priests, as well as the story of a priest who was suspended from the church after coming out as a homosexual, this new play shines a light on the fear that leads to silence and secrecy. Fear of seeing our secrets revealed, fear of losing a loved one, fear of loneliness, fear of scandal… This performance from L’Harmonie Communale depicts a system cemented in lies; yet it is also a story of liberation. The liberation of a priest who overcomes his fears to accomplish something courageous: placing himself on the side of the truth in order to move on and open the way to healing.