Pierre Cardin is a free spirit. For 50 years he has lived by and for the projects he pursues, come what may and against all odds, in haute couture and theatre alike. He's prepared a spectacular programme for the 15th edition of the Festival Lacoste.
Up on the Luberon stand the ruins of the castle where the Marquis de Sade once lived. Every year, in the quarries to the west of the castle, Pierre Cardin stages a magnificent programme of music, theatre and dance, featuring numerous top artistes. The 2015 season (9-24 July) starts with a focus on Italy: Emma Re sings the finest songs in the Italian repertoire and the Comédie Italienne offers an evening extravaganza with Goldoni's Le Jardin des amours enchantés. Later comes Chopin, L'Ame déchirée with Jean-Philippe Collard on piano and Patrick Poivre d'Arvor reading poetry. Chopin's name instantly summons that of George Sand, of course, and she is the subject of a one-woman show on 20 July.
Great women
Also on the theme of great women, Eve Ruggieri focuses on Maria
Callas with song, spoken word and film extracts, and Véronique Sanson sings the repertoire from her American years. And the blue angel is back: Cyrielle Clair and Gérard Chambre spotlight the incredible Marlene Dietrich, she who quit the cabarets of Berlin for Hollywood and sang a German love song to encourage American troops. The emotionally richly 2015 season closes with a sensitive performance of Schubert Lieder by the Accentus choir and pianist Vanessa Wagner, presented by Les Musicales du Luberon (a partner of the Festival Lacoste ever since it began, 15 years ago).
Nearby
The old railway station in Bonnieux, now a centre for art and cinema, gets busy as soon as the fine weather arrives. On 20 June there's an evening to celebrate the 120th anniversary of the birth of writer and film-maker Marcel Pagnol, organised by his grandson Nicolas. On Saturday 18 July there's an auction sale organised by Maître Caroline Tillie-Chauchard (Dame Marteau); it covers painting, sculpture, photography and design, with works by some key French artists such as Robert Combas, Ben and Jean-Marie Périer.
Par Dominique Juan
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