INFORMAL: INTERVIEW WITH MATHIEU GEFFRÉ

INFORMAL - AN INTERVIEW SERIES

MATHIEU GEFFRÉ

Mathieu Geffré is more than just a choreographer; he is a storyteller of the soul. Since founding Rendez-Vous Dance in 2021, the French-born visionary has transformed the UK stage into a sanctuary for the LGBTQIA+ experience. His work doesn't just move; it breathes with a physical virtuosity that is as tender as it is breathtaking.

By weaving queer narratives into the very fabric of his choreography, Mathieu invites us into a world where every gesture is an act of reclamation and every performance is a celebration of our collective heartbeat.

Mathieu is about to bring his critically-acclaimed work The Monocle back to London. This is not merely a dance piece; it's a shimmering, visceral resurrection of Le Monocle, the legendary Parisian sanctuary where queer women first dared to define themselves.

The upcoming London run marks the final ever performances of this piece, offering a last chance to witness this exquisite act of remembrance. This is a final opportunity to experience the production before the lights dim on this extraordinary artistic chapter. It is a sublime farewell to a performance that has truly captured an essential emotional resonance.

I recently chatted to Mathieu ahead of his London return.

Having seen The Monocle a couple of times before, and absolutely falling in love with the piece, I am happy that it is coming back to London for its grand finale: "We've finished the UK tour, and we're just having these conclusion shows at Wilton's Music Hall. This will be the last time we're ever doing it."

There's a lot of thought that goes into making a decision like this: "It's gone through three tours, and it's an expensive show to put together. It's also an expensive show when it's not touring as well because there's a lot of maintenance around keeping the set, so we made the decision that this would be the last tour. This means that we can also work on a new production."

And for anyone who hasn't seen the show, I asked Mathieu what it's actually about: "The Monocle is a contemporary dance production that tells the story of Le Monocle, which was a lesbian cabaret bar that existed in Paris in the 1930s, in between the two wars. It was a very secret and protected space for lesbian women, and a haven for the expression of their identity. It was closed in 1942 during the occupation of Paris by Nazi Germany."

"This production basically tells the story of this space, through an invitation to the audience to spend one night in Le Monocle with us."

I wondered what had inspired Mathieu to want to create this piece: "The company's identity from a production perspective is about creating spaces and performances that tell something about the LGBTQIA+ community. It's about engaging with those voices and those spaces."

"On the back of creating What Songs May Do... I was interested in exploring a story which belonged to the lesbian community. When we started to think about this work, the shootings had just happened in Orlando at the Pulse nightclub, so for me it was important to start talking about what a safe space is."

"One of my hobbies, when I'm not being a choreographer, is to look into the cracks of history in order to understand more about the roots of the community that I belong to. During my research I discovered this incredible space, Le Monocle, which only existed for ten years, and for me there was some sort of sad acknowledgement that the vulnerability of a space that is being closed because of a lack of understanding and tolerance, it mirrors similar problems today. Realising the lack of social evolution made it important for me to create this piece, because although it's a story of a different time, it also reflects on today."

There's a lot of representation of gay men on stage, but it's rare to actually see lesbian stories like this told: "That's why it was important for me to look at all categories of the community I belong to. Although I don't like to categorise and separate, they do have isolated stories, and they are part of and inform the tapestry of what our community is."

"I acknowledge the privilege of being a white gay cis man within our community, because of the amount of representation I get. So the role of the creator was something I had to approach with care and sensitivity, because it wasn't about applying a male gaze to a female story, but about gathering such an acute understanding about what this story was by having conversations with people who have a lived experience of the lesbian spaces, in order to almost become a documentarist and resist editorial input."

"Of course that does come in to a certain degree, but it was created in collaboration with the people I am talking to and working with, so outside of me the team is female identifying, and they are my first source of inspiration and creation."

What I felt when I saw it was that as a gay man it's not my personal story, it resonates with anyone that's ever felt like an outsider, or anyone who needs a safe space: "We really try to make our shows universal, and hope that it resonates with audiences whether they consider a sense of belonging to the story or not. Because allyship is important, and when we talk about a safe space, we're talking about safe spaces for everyone, beyond the niche story that we're telling"

Without giving too much of the story away, I wanted to know about the oppressive character that appears in the show: "We know that Le Monocle was closed because of the Nazi Germany occupation, but there is very little documentation on exactly how the space was closed. For me as a creator that means that there is some freedom to think about the ways that it happened."

"Because we wanted to represent not just that time, but also now, we needed to construct an element that was more universal, and more contemporary. This figure of what we call 'the outsider' had to become some sort of shadow that is both threatening and timeless."

"It's a commentary on not taking safe spaces for granted, and creating an awareness of vulnerability which is still very much relevant today."

One of the elements I adore about this production is the inclusion of Imogen Banks, a live jazz singer, on the stage: "Contemporary dance has a reputation that it can be difficult to read for someone who's not used to the style and for me it was important for this piece to create bridges between contemporary dance and other artforms, to make it more relatable and to give it room to breathe."

"It's history relevant, but also gives narrative hooks for the audience. The story is articulated through the presence of the singer, who, through three songs and a full interval concert, allows an audience that isn't acquainted with contemporary dance to feel welcomed. It underlines the narrative and the message that we're trying to carry and allows everyone to feel comfortable."

I wondered whether the songs she performs are originals: "There are three songs in the show, which are all original and have been composed for the show, and then in the interval we have a mini concert of four or five songs which are classics of the 1930s, mostly composed and sung by female jazz singers, and these were curated in collaboration with Imogen."

As The Monocle prepares to close its doors for the final time, I asked Mathieu about how audiences have responded to the piece: "For me the most beautiful experiences have been to have further conversations with lesbian women who have come to see the work, and the general consensus is that they feel that there are no spaces like this for them anymore. Nowhere for them to be together or to feel safe."

"Groups of women have travelled to see the show because of the lack of representation of their community, and they have been vocal in their support and thanks for the fact that someone is telling their stories."

There's something about this piece that, no matter where you're sitting in the audience, feels very immersive: "The Monocle is not a piece you come to see, but a piece you come to experience. We've tried to find technical and performative ways to include the audience in the experience. For example, an important element is the lighting starting from the stage and continuing over the heads of the audience, because what it does is create a feeling of a shared space."

"We also spray a fragrance in the auditorium before the audience enters, and it's the same fragrance worn by all of the performers. When you enter the theatre there is a certain smell, which calls upon the senses. We're essentially all sharing the same air, and all sharing the same sky."

This all helps to create a welcoming atmosphere and I can say from personal experience that you really get drawn in to the story. When the club is closed down, even as an onlooker, it feels personal: "One of the first things we ask ourselves when we put a piece together is "Why should an audience care?" To hear that audiences do care about the space and the performers means that we have done our job."

It's been two years since I last saw this production, and I was interested whether it had changed over this time: "It's evolved because for me the art is a living thing. It's chunkier, more virtuosic, more daring. It goes one step further from a dance technique perspective, and from technical, intentional, and passion perspectives."

I have always said that for me, no matter what genre of theatre I am watching, the most important part of any performance is the central story. The fact that Mathieu has worked closely with a dramaturg on this piece really shines through: "I work with Andrew Gardiner, who is also the associate director, which is a very important collaboration for me. There is something so precious in the conversations we have surrounding the development of the work, and making sure that the drama happens. The work is not linear, but we want it to be readable."

So why should people come and see The Monocle?: "Well first of all it's a bloody good night out! It has an element of jumping back in time and spending a night in 1930s Paris which was one of the most magical periods of the French capital. But also because it is such an important piece of work because of the message it carries, which is still relevent today."

"We need to keep shining a light on our community and show allyship, and show that we can have fun while addressing important things."

It's actually incredible that stories such as this are still so relevant today. This makes The Monocle a must-see piece of theatre. Believe me, you don't want to miss this.

THE MONOCLE

Wilton's Music Hall

Friday 15th - Saturday 16th May

>>> CLICK HERE FOR TICKETS <<<

You can find out more about Mathieu and his work with Rendez-Vous Dance HERE

You can find my 2024 review of The Monocle HERE, and Rosie's review of the same performance HERE.

Interview conducted by Neill Kovacic-Clarke for Pink Prince Theatre on 10/04/26

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