The premise: a witty, melancholy pursuit of daily choices
In Tergiversations of a Man with an Empty Belly, Julien Doquin de Saint Preux offers more than a string of punchlines. The one‑man show is a thoughtful, funny, and surprisingly intimate meditation on the everyday decisions that shape our lives. From what to eat to whom to love, the performance asks a basic question we all wrestle with: what do we truly want at this stage of life? Premiered in November 2024 at Théâtre Boulimie in Lausanne, the piece is already reaching wider audiences in Suisse Romande with dates starting October 4, 2025, and continuing into 2026. The title itself signals a playful yet earnest examination of the uncertainties that accompany adulthood.
From stand‑up fragments to a coherent stage dispatch
The material began as small text fragments the performer planned to test in Comedy Clubs. But as the show evolved, it turned into a unified exploration of doubt, directed by Frédéric Recrosio. Doquin de Saint Preux recalls how the process shifted: what started as light, anecdotal snippets gradually revealed a consistent thread—the sense of ongoing hesitation that accompanies life choices. The result is a narrative that feels both crafted and candid, a blend of crafted humor and unguarded sincerity.
The universal theme: doubt as a shared human condition
While rooted in the artist’s personal life, the piece speaks to a broad audience. A striking thread is the question asked by life itself: what do we truly want when the calendar shows midlife? The artist shares elements drawn from his private life—the kind of question that can haunt a relationship and alter daily rhythm—yet the resonance is universal. The show becomes less about a single answer and more about recognizing the doubt as a common human experience that invites empathy and laughter in equal measure.
Autobiography and the art of digression
One of the show’s defining strengths is its willingness to digress. Doquin de Saint Preux describes digression not as a lapse but as a creative engine: a stray thought, a single word, or a remembered anecdote can propel the performance into a new, revelatory orbit. This narrative habit mirrors real life—where conversations drift, only to circle back with renewed clarity. The result is a lively, ongoing conversation with the audience, anchored by observable truths and generous pauses that invite reflection as well as laughs.
Writing for radio versus stage: truth over trend
Speaking about his approach to different mediums, the artist notes that the core exercise remains similar, but the intent shifts. “When I write a joke for the radio, the humor often echoes current events,” he explains. “For a stage show, it has to be true and sincere, rooted in something I’ve lived or am currently experiencing.” This distinction helps explain the show’s intimate tone: the humor is grounded in lived reality, not merely in topical cleverness, and the melancholy never feels inert or dour but earned through genuine introspection.
A tour that broadens the conversation
After its Lausanne debut, the solo travels back into Suisse Romande, with performances planned across the region from October 2025 and into 2026. The show’s mobility reflects its core appeal: a conversation starter about daily decisions, love, parenthood, and mortality that thrives in intimate theatres where the audience can lean in and weigh the questions together with the performer.
Why this show resonates
Audiences connect with the blend of humor and honesty. The piece communicates a midlife sensibility—an awareness of time slipping by—without surrendering to despair. It invites viewers to recognize their own hesitations as part of the human condition, making the experience both comforting and clarifying. The performance is propelled by a strong sense of truth, a willingness to digress, and a relentless curiosity about what we truly want when dinner is before us and the future remains unwritten.
About the creative team
Adapted for the stage through collaboration with director Frédéric Recrosio, the work blends personal testimony with reflective storytelling. The production notes credit Pierre Philippe Cadert for interview material and Sarah Clément for web adaptation, underscoring the collaborative nature of this intimate, reflective comedy. A recent appearance on the Vertigo program (September 29) underscored the show’s themes and the artist’s stance on creativity: the line between doubt and dialogue is where the performance thrives.
