La Contrebasse

This tragic and funny monologue, Patrick Süskind’s The Double Bass, tells of a double bass player’s plunge into loneliness and madness as he passionately describes his bond with his instrument.

But soon the pompous praise lets the frustrations and resentments of the musician and the man show through. Scene by scene we discover that behind this absolute fascination lies a hatred of this cumbersome, invasive double bass.

And little by little this hatred, at first repressed, finds expression, breaks loose and explodes into madness…

“Fred Tournaire, alone on stage with his double bass, gives the audience an unforgettable moment. His monologue never lets up for a second. It is powerful, very funny, but above all disarming and touching.” – L’Arche

“Fred Tournaire is masterful as this poignant, ridiculous and tragic orchestral musician.” – Le Parisien