Champollion - Egypte mon Amour

The first and most brilliant of Egyptologists, the man who built his entire existence around the quest to decipher hieroglyphs, this researcher driven by an extraordinary passion and determination, who made a considerable discovery without which we would not have had access to the millennia-old civilisation of the ancient Egyptians, is today, in France, becoming increasingly unknown to younger generations. When Christian Jacq published his novel “Champollion, l’Égyptien” in 1987, he ignited a passion for ancient Egypt in millions of readers. Ancient Egypt still fascinates today, but the contribution of the man who was instrumental in its in-depth understanding seems increasingly forgotten. It is therefore welcome that JOËLLE FOSSIER AUGUSTE is once again taking up his extraordinary story to bring “CHAMPOLLION, Égypte mon Amour” to the stage, the play she wrote and in which she directs a promising young actor: RAFAËL VANISTER. After her tribute to OLYMPE DE GOUGES, “plus vivante que jamais” (more alive than ever), which captivated a large audience in 2025, a tribute to CHAMPOLLION became essential for her. We will embark on the most fabulous of journeys with this exemplary man, confronted with a gigantic challenge, and who will persist with unwavering determination until it costs him his health. A UNIQUE theatrical journey into Ancient Egypt, with its immutable beauty, and an immersion into Jean-François Champollion's passion to vibrate with him, suffer a thousand deaths with him, before the grace of appeasement operates…

Text and direction: JOËLLE FOSSIER AUGUSTE

Performance (Solo show): RAFAËL VANISTER

Artistic collaboration - sound and video editing: Elisabeth SCHWEITZER

Voice-over of Jacques-Joseph Champollion (the elder brother): Gilles DUMENIL

Production: LE PAN THÉÂTRE