We laughed every single minute, we held back our tears after 1 hour 15 minutes of the show. Here's the incredible power of Antoine Heuillet when he takes the stage: the ability to captivate you and take you on a real emotional rollercoaster. A power that few actors master with such precision, especially not in such an intimate solo show. But with him, it works wonderfully. From the very first moments, from the very first jokes — we're never quite sure if they're improvised or scripted — this 30-year-old opens up with complete honesty, captivating us as much as he touches our hearts. Until December 1st, 2026, it's at the Théâtre du Petit Saint-Martin that he shares a piece of his story, with Running Toward Disaster, a show he wrote, directed, and performs in. And if you need more, here are three reasons to
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1) The authenticity of a life journey told on stage
Antoine Heuillet doesn't beat around the bush. He doesn't pretend. And with this show, he plays no other role than that of his own life. No, the real impression you get from the very first mminutes of Running to Disaster, it's about being face to face with a friend who shares their story with us. That of a young high school student discovering his attraction to boys, going clubbing for the first time. Then that of a young adult taking his first steps in theater, who has a distant relationship with his father, who dreams of revealing to the world who he truly is but runs into a wall built solid by family preconceptions and stereotypes, who discovers the stunning violence this world is capable of.
The subject matter is powerful. So powerful it could have been difficult to hear as an audience member. But Antoine Heuillet dares an ambitiously successful bet: evoking his wounds through the lens of perfectly measured humor that applies like a healing balm.
© Marina Viguier
2) Minimalist scenography in service of the actor and the story
Two chairs, a broom, a fur coat and, shining on him, a spotlight. When it comes to set and costumes, things have been kept simple, and it works wonderfully well. Why? Because the writing of this play is so precise and striking that it's the words far more than the objects on stage that really matter. The actor's charisma and sparkle fill the room as he unveils fragments of his intimacy and steps into the skin of different characters: his quirky therapist, his problematic aunt, his moved mother, or his uncle whom he was very close to.
© Marina Viguier
3) Reminding us that as long as we're running, there's life
In the midst of this deeply personal narrative, a much more universal message finds its way through: we're all running, all the time, after everything. Ultimately, daily life is nothing but a frantic race through desires, joys, failures, small and big catastrophes. With poetry and resilience, Antoine Heuillet reminds us of the beauty in this effervescence. As long as we move forward, as long as we try, as long as we stumble, as long as we rush ahead, it means there's life. And what we recommend to you is to run at full speed to Petit Saint-Martin to discover this play,
until December 1st !
© Marina Viguier
Running Toward Disaster
Théâtre du Petit Saint-Martin
10, rue René Boulanger – Paris 10
Until December 1st, 2026
Monday and Tuesday at 8 p.m.
More info