“The joy of living and loving in a world in distress”, this is Auden's paradox, accompanied by the humor and derision necessary to give to his

clinical approach to life just the right kindness. Auden's poetic work that I chose to show on stage is that of lack.

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Of lack, and therefore of desire.

Lack in the quest for satisfaction.

From lack in loss.

Of the lack and the joyful impatience it causes.

Of the lack and the painful expectation it implies.

Of lack and disappearance.

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Representing this lack, its emotion and its humanity is the key to the scenic incarnation of what we want to offer.

Britten's music, spoken and sung voices will respond to each other without seeing each other, like a presence of absence, a memory or a hope. A first part mainly spoken to which will respond, on the other side of the door, the sung voice. Plunge the viewer too into absence, into lack. Make him hear without seeing, make him guess, hope that these two monologues are finally found.

Inspired by poetic imagery of everyday life, in particular by photographer Gilbert Garcin ,  we want to make people discover Auden's work, from the most universal to the most intimate. Auden with himself and with his reader. Give the audience to "read" inside the man by hearing the words of the author.

To invite him to shudder with the universal threat of lack, loss and death, which thunders at every moment, "like the distant rumble of thunder at a picnic".