Le Diable par la queue

• 1986
• France

Le Diable par la Queue started life as a family theatre troupe. Solange and Gérard Chabert and their children Agläé, Igor, Thaïs, Sariha, Nana-Cerise and Alizé travelled the length and breadth of France in their caravans, drawn by seventeen horses and putting on shows in their own big top designed and built by Gérard.
Since 1988 the troupe has been based in Dordogne, where they put on in situ performances between tours. Gérard Chabert directs these many and varied creations, and also creates the monumental sets. The shows are inspired by an unflagging curiosity about the body, aesthetics and the imagination.
Ultimately, Le Diable par la Queue is a visual arts company with a slightly unusual back story. Their commitment to street performance stems from a belief that presenting original artistic forms to a variety of audiences is a powerful way of reappropriating the political, urban and rural landscape (in the best possible sense, i.e. participating actively in community life) and opening people’s minds through culture.