Interview with our Theatre students before going on stage!
Lights, Backstage… Action!
It’s 1:30 pm on June 15, 2025. Down the long service corridor of Apolline School, a contagious buzz fills the air. Five students—James (10), Arthur (12), Arturo (12¾), Pénélope (11) and Chloé (9½)—slip into orange tunics speckled with black and trade prehistoric jokes: this afternoon, they’re Sapiens determined to… eat their neighbors. Laughter ricochets between makeup cases and props; joy and camaraderie are palpable.
A Play That Dares to Do It All
Onstage, their Cro‑Magnon tribe reimagines the human comedy—right down to a “meat” set piece that lets out a cheeky toot‑toot when the audience least expects it. Absurdity meets homemade ingenuity: the kids stitched these squishy slabs themselves to trigger a delicious shudder of disgust. Total freedom of expression, unfiltered creativity, and the shared thrill of pushing imagination one notch further.
Two Roles, Zero Downtime
The show also demands serious technical chops. Pénélope, toggling between a terrified neighbor and a Cro‑Magnon huntress, has barely thirty seconds to sprint backstage, swap outfits, adjust wig and shoes, and pop back out stage left. “I can’t afford to be late,” she says, laser‑focused. Arturo waits behind a cracked door; at the first scream from the stage, he leaps in, cardboard machete raised. The same passion fuels the troupe: collective precision where each actor watches the other’s cue.
“The Audience Is Life!”
Stage fright? “None at all,” Arthur boasts. His secret: stay tuned to everything, not just his own lines, ready to catch any wobbling reply. Quieter Chloé silently reviews tricky passages in the car while her friends rehearse entrance cues. Together they flip yesterday’s nerves into a positive energy that propels them under the lights—living proof that at Apolline you learn as much about yourself as about acting.
Mirko Rochat, the Comic Whisperer of Budding Artists
In the reassuring shadows of the wings, a knowing smile oversees the final tweaks: Mirko Rochat. A Swiss stand‑up star (Supermâle, En toute discrétion) and Montreux Comedy regular since 2012, Mirko has been nurturing another stage in recent years: teaching. In Apolline’s classrooms, the comedian passes on his taste for multifaceted characters, audience awareness, and kindhearted daring. “You’ve got this,” he murmurs to the kids before pulling back the curtain. From his lips, it’s a badge of confidence. Their shoulders square; their eyes sparkle. No pep talk needed for pride to bloom.
Paths Converging
James has been staging mini‑shows for his mom for three years; Arthur discovered clowning to beat classroom shyness; Arturo dreams of making movies; Pénélope switched schools to find more freedom; Chloé is fulfilling a childhood wish. Five different stories, one creative home: proof that Apolline welcomes every personality and feeds its flame.
Curtain Up, Promise Kept
2:00 pm sharp. House lights drop, a primal scream pierces the dark, and the Sapiens storm in full throttle. In the audience, parents, friends, neighbors, and curious onlookers witness a troupe of kids capable of pitch‑black humor and moments of poetry, split‑second synchronization and delightful improvisation. Beyond the show, they see confidence blossom—the certainty that the stage is a playground where you learn to be your biggest self.
See You Every Week
Missed Apolline Fest? No worries. Weekly theater classes (ages 7 and up, all levels) start again in September. Two hours a week to explore acting, voice, movement, write your own scenes, and above all share a collective joy that spans generations. Whether your child dreams of film, wants to beat shyness, or simply craves laughter and creativity with others, the door is open.
Info & registration. Limited spots.
