Zouc

Zouc , of its true name Isabelle Von Allmen , born the April 29th 1950 with Saignelégier, in the Canton of the Jura, is a Humoriste Suisse.

Biography

At 16 years, Zouc makes a stay in a psychiatric hospital. It observes the medium greedily and many future characters draw some: patients, elderly, doctors, nurses, visitors… In 1966, it follows courses to the academies of Neuchâtel then of Lausanne. In 1968 and 1969, it presents its first numbers in the cabarets of summer of the Arts center of Neuchâtel. One year later, it is registered in Paris during Tania Balachova, which formed inter alia Sylvie Jolly, Josiane Balasko, Jean-Claude Dreyfus and well of others.

In September 1970, it plays several parts in Jeux of massacre of Eugene Ionesco, in a setting in scene of Jorge Lavelli with the Montparnasse Theater. Engaged by Maurice Alezra with the Old Grid, it gives in this Café-théâtre the first version of what will become its spectacle Alboum de Zouc , continuation of sketches put in scene by Marika Hodjis, which will reveal it with the general public. Roger Montandon, Swiss painter friendly of Giacometti, which it had met in Switzerland during its adolescence, appreciates his spectacles and will be his Director thereafter.

In 1971, Zouc joined the opera of Lyon to interpret there the Crested one in the Opera of the birds , collective creation inspired very freely of the Oiseaux of Aristophane.

In 1972, it presents its Alboum to the Théâtre of the Workshop and the following year with the Old Dovecote. In 1974, it adapts its spectacle for television then for the theater. Between 1976 and 1979, Zouc presents its new spectacle R' alboum played to the Théâtre of the City to Paris, then in round through the France, the Belgium, the Suisse, the Morocco and the Canada. In 1984, she plays sides of Pierre Dux in " Mr Abel" of Jacques Doillon, his more beautiful role with the cinema.

She will play then Zouc at the school of the women to the Théâtre of Paris more than two hundred times in 1984 and 1985, then in 1987 Zouc in Bataclan , series of sketches which make the good share with the MIME. Its career with the cinema is marked by roles in films of Michel Drach ( Parlez me about love , 1975), William Klein ( the pilot Couple , 1975), Fabrice Cazeneuve ( Three years , 1990).

In 1987, it holds the role of the Magician in the video clip of Mylène Farmer Without counterfeit , realized by Laurent Boutonnat. Its last cinematographic appearance, in 1993, will be for the film King Blanc Rams Red of Sergueï Bodrov. Since, it did not go up any more on scene.

Indeed, in 1997, Zouc is operated of a cancer of the sternum. Unfortunately, it contracts on this occasion a Infection nosocomiale (gilded staphilococca multirésistants) at the hospital Marie Lannelongue of the Plessis-Robinson where it is operated with nine recoveries. It will be finally saved after an ultimate intervention, at the hospital of the Cross-Saint-Simon (Paris) but will remain handicapped with life. The night under respiratory assistance, the day under morphine, hardly being able to go, it then is very decreased physically. She relearns to slowly live, harnessed of a breathing apparatus. She resides from now on with her companion, Michel Rauch, ex- manager of theater, between the Latin Quarter, with Paris, and Neuchâtel.

In September 2006, it remains close to La Chaux-de-Fonds, to deal with the spectacle of Nathalie Baye with Lausanne and in the landscapes of sound the native Jura.

The humor of Zouc

It is difficult to describe, which is already in oneself one of its originalities. Based on an acute sense of the observation, it combines the comic appearance of the humorist with an extraordinarily precise MIME and texts underlining with the envi the situations - often embarrassing where the character gradually seems enliser. Let us add to that its phrased Jurassic, its face framed by stiff hair which falls quickly on its eyes, its black dress which roves it and its chair, locates fixes around which it goes, comes, transfers, perches themselves or falls down finally. Its imitation of the infant who cries and agitates the arms, which finds finally the center, then which recovers to cry when it lost it, is seizing of truth (sketch " The accouchement"). One also admires it as a mother retained on the telephone by importunate inexhaustible at the time to pass to table, and multiplying supported approvals, to try to close the quiet conversation, and asides with his children and her husband, to make them have patience…

In turn chafouine, rascal, exténuée, cruel, naive, merry, apathetic, this observant relentless puts in scene its characters with a photographic precision and without the least concession, often causing the laughter and sometimes it Malayan. Being too ugly and too gross when it was young, it succeeded in transposing in spectacle its tragicomédie human to collect the attention of its entourage, then of its public, until fascinating them.

Zouc by Zouc

From October in December 2006, Nathalie Baye interprets “Zouc by Zouc” with the Theater of the Roundabout. The spectacle, which will continue in round in 2007-2008, put in scene by Gilles Cohen, is based on a text of Herve Guibert, collection of talks written after eight afternoon passed to listen to the humorist (ED. Balland, 1978 - republished in October 2006, ED. the Crossbow/Gallimard) whereas they were both old of a score of years.

Catalog of films

Television

  • Mr Abel (Jacques Doillon, 1983)… Gervaise

  • Sandra, it is the life (Dominique Othenin-Girard, 1993)… The voice of Sandra
  • the alboum of Zouc (1974)

Distinctions

Molière of the best comic spectacle in 1988 for its spectacle with the Bataclan.

To note

Its patronymic name “von Allmen” means “Alpine pastures”. The first von Allmen in the canton of Bern indeed seem to have lived the mountains above Lauterbrunnen.

Bonds

  • Official site of Zouc

Sources

Gates cinemas

  • Card on imdb.com
  • Card on Cinemotions.com
  • Card on hollywood.com

Swiss genealogy

  • Site generalogy of Von Allmen

Random links:Large-Rosen | Amédée-Domenech stage | Shooting with the arc with the Olympic Games of 1980 | Pierre-Denis, Count de Peyronnet | Tunnel of the Wearing of Dublin | Église_de_Charlotte