Louis-José Houde gives birth to a fifth solo show without downtime which will delight his many fans, already accustomed to his anecdotes and his observations on the banalities of everyday life. A relatively consensual tone, which the famous humorist has always sprinkled in his previous shows with more personal stories, even darker. It’s even more true this time around, as he takes confidence to another level.
And for good reason, “A Thousand Bad Choices” is premised on the rupture between the star comedian and the actress Magalie Lépine-Blondeau, in the winter of 2019. Louis-José Houde has the decency not to name it or to let some flow. crisp details to fuel gossip sites. But it is still her that it is when the star comedian jokes about his heartache.
The public could have felt a certain uneasiness in interpreting this as a settling of scores, but it did not, with proof of the hilarious crowd Tuesday night during the media premiere of “Thousand Bad Choices” at the Lion d’Or.
Because Louis-José Houde is not only endowed with an exceptional talent as a storyteller, able to transform every detail of everyday life into tasty anecdotes. He also knows how to talk about the ugliness and sadness of everyday life with skill.
This is why he has the intelligence to slow down, and even to impose a few silences, when he tackles heavier topics, such as his consumption of antidepressants. By virtue of his accuracy, the 44-year-old comedian manages not to break the rhythm of his monologue lasting more than an hour without an intermission. For this, it is also necessary to underline his qualities of author, like those of François Avard with the script-edition.
Already a success
We laugh, we laugh a lot during this new one-man show, especially when Louis-José Houde confides his disappointment at not yet having known the joys of fatherhood, while worrying about what it would be like to become a father in his forties. advanced. A subject which is omnipresent during the show, and which is aimed right considering the age of its target audience.
But Louis-José Houde casts an even wider net, as evidenced by the sale of tickets. The tour is sold out until February, as the industry struggles to recover from the pandemic.
It must be said that in a desire of proximity with the public, the comedian chose to fill smaller rooms than what he was used to. However, the size of the room has little to explain the almost family atmosphere that permeates during the show. Louis-José Houde’s charisma and good nature play a large part in this area.
We would still take him sometimes a little more squeaky, he who does more in self-mockery rather than in mockery for “A thousand bad choices”. However, the one who has been at the helm of ADISQ galas for 16 years has proven during his opening numbers that he also knows occasionally to be more corrosive. He also recalled the rare times he flayed public figures during this show.
For the rest, Louis-José Houde has achieved the feat of not having mentioned either the pandemic or the thorny debate surrounding the concept of systemic racism, two themes almost worn out so much the comedians have captured them during the last two years. Comedian Neev has made it the heart of his number in the first part. We will forgive him for his lack of originality, however: the emerging comedian has charmed the public with his very effective jokes and his contagious energy. Definitely a talent to watch.