Monsieur Belleville

'Monsieur Belleville' is a likeable, if slight, tribute to one of the most vibrant neighbourhoods of Paris by one of its most interesting theatres. Writer-actor Thibault Amorfini plays our titular guide; over the course of four extended scenes, each set in a different season, he takes us on a garrulous tour of the melting pot of classes, ethnicities and fashions that is the Rue de Belleville. It's a very pared down piece: moments of audience interaction notwithstanding, this is essentially a one-man show, with only two large screens serving as the décor. Yet Amorfini's performance is funny, poetic and trenchant in equal measure, and well suited to the intimate venue.