About this Event
We invite you to embark on a once-in-a-lifetime adventure at Alliance Française with a show that breaks all boundaries – a theatre experience like no other!
Introducing "Ismaël in Paris" – A Journey of Discovery, Freedom, and Magic!
This play tells the story of Ismaël, a young teenager on the brink of escaping the tight grip of his family's rules. Seeking freedom, he ventures into the heart of Paris, where he uncovers the unexpected magic of his family’s cabaret legacy. Guided by the spirits of his grandparents, Ismaël unlocks the mysteries of a magical Paris, and through this journey, he discovers what it truly means to be free.
The Babel Tour Theater is more than just a play—it's an odyssey spanning 28 countries, 50,000 km, and 12 months, bringing theatre to places where it's often difficult to access. The adventure continues here at Alliance Française, and we're giving you the chance to experience it firsthand before the artists head off on their next destination!
- A Truly Unique Performance: Watch an immersive show created by a family of artists: Estelle, Mansour, and their 12-year-old son, Ismaël.
- A Magical Paris: Travel through Ismaël’s eyes, discovering the charms of Paris, its history, and the vibrant culture that surrounds us.
- An Invitation to Participate: After the performance, share your thoughts and experiences with the cast. Be part of a conversation that transcends borders and cultures.
Admission is FREE – This isn’t just about watching a play; it’s about being part of something bigger!
The Babel Tour promises to unite people from different backgrounds, those who have never been able to experience theatre and those who think of it as part of their everyday life.
Date: May 6, 2025
Location: Alliance Française SF
Time: 6pm
Who are the artists?
Estelle BONNIER BEL HADJ Born in Paris, she completed an MA in modern literature. Alongside her studies she joined the Florent Drama School in Paris which she has not left ever since as she was recruited as a teacher in 2000. After a long experience as a comedian, she co-wrote Saltimbanque with her favourite writer Dominique Chryssoulis, it is a solo performance she has played throughout France. Estelle directed several young audience plays with the Compagnie du Brin d'herbe. She also directed in China excerpts of P. Dorin’s play They married and had many... at Beijing drama school. In 2015; at the Comédie Française, in Paris, she directed a reading of 18th century works. With ElleEstEnRéunionProductions, she worked with Pierre Etaix, Michel Fau and Nabilla Talbi on the production of the event c’ETAIXaltant. After writing and playing the Scuola itinerant show, she creates, in partnership with La Ligue de l’enseignement, the play Little Red Red Riding Hood and Mr Wolf which she has been playing in Paris schools since 2019. She completed her MASTER II in Theatre with her memoir on L’école de comédiens de Nanterre-Amandiers (the Nanterre-Amandiers Comedians’ School.).
Mansour BEL HADJ After completing a 4-year-course in real estate law, he decided to move to Paris to work in property management. He soon left this career to devote himself to the theatre, and he then enrolled in a course at the Florent Drama School. At the end of the course he co-founded the Tutti Quanti company.They created shows that they played in France and abroad. Concurrently, since 2011, Mansour has benefited from its dual enterprise-theatre expertise to give training classes in enterprises in personal development and behavioural skills. He regularly works as an art educator in schools and high schools within the cultural actions framework carried out by the Tutti Quanti company. He also teaches improvisation classes in various associations and in prisons for anti-recidivism programs. After writing the SCUOLA itinerant show From Paris to Tehran and playing it for 8 months in 22 countries, he comes back to Paris and joins the theatre company L’Heure avant l’Aube to play in La Réunification des deux Corées by Joël Pommerat in 2019.From September 2020 to April 2023, he played the part of Oreste in Andromaque, by Racine at the Guichet Montparnasse Theatre and at the Théâtre de Nesle.
Ismaël BEL HADJ Born in 2012, he will be 12 when we hit the road. He has loads of happy memories of our SCUOLA project. He played in every performance, with professionalism, a mere six-year-old child. Today, he is involved in our project more than ever. He likes tennis, sailing, scuba-diving in order to tame the octopuses, he also likes soccer, the piano, manga, scorpions, video-games consoles, Harry Potter, and above all, he loves his friends and his family. He will be in 5e in his French “Collège” (French middle school /year 8 in GB). His parents will take care of his schooling and his school will be a partner in the adventure.
Come, see the world through Ismaël's eyes, and witness a performance that will stay with you forever.
Reserve your seat for an extraordinary journey of theatre, culture, and connection.
We can't wait to see you there!
Event Venue & Nearby Stays
Alliance Française de San Francisco, 1345 Bush Street, San Francisco, United States
USD 0.00