After 3 years, Brisbane French Theatre is back on stage with a new production, a play called Du Foie Gras sous le Sapin (Eat your heart out), written by their own Thomas Smith. We chat with Isabelle and Thomas about this new production.
It’s been a while since we last spoke. Why has it been 3 years since your last show? We’ve missed you!
ISABELLE : 2 and a half years ago Thomas and I had a child! So we’ve been quite occupied. Fun fact : I was on stage in our last show and my character discovered she was pregnant, yet I was pregnant myself and didn’t know yet!
The play Du foie gras sous le sapin (“Eat your heart out”) is an original creation written by your own Thomas Smith, and directed by both him and you, Isabelle Johnson. I imagine from his surname that French is not Thomas’ first language. What are the challenges in writing a play in French? How is it that you speak French?
THOMAS : Although I bear an English surname (my father is British), I was born and raised in France, more specifically in the Pas de Calais. My only difficulty with the language comes when my brain is tempted to put anglicisms into expressions; a deformation acquired after 15 years living in Australia.
What was it like working together on the writing and directing? Do you each bring different strengths to the project?
ISABELLE: Tom is the real creative mind behind our projects, and my role is to do everything I can to support his artistic vision and bring the stories he writes to life. During the writing process Tom often tests his material with me, and sometimes I’ll give a few ideas or suggestions, but the vast majority of the time I’m just in awe of his talent and beautiful writing (and having a great time watching the plot progress). We then share the work of directing and directing the actors. This is where my ideas, experience and hindsight can occasionally add something funny, solve a positioning problem for example, simply give Tom a breather, or allow him to concentrate on another aspect of the production such as sound, lighting, sets or subtitles. As everything starts from the script, I ask Tom a lot of questions to understand how he imagined the scenes in the first place, and when in doubt I rely on his advice because I trust his artistic intuition 100%. We’ve been working together on plays for 8 years now and it’s one of the most fun activities we share.
THOMAS: Isabelle is my driving force: it was her who encouraged me to write my first play in 2018 when we were struggling to find material in the existing repertoire that would suit our style and our actors. Once again, after three years without writing, she found the words to convince me to get back to it. Writing is a solitary task that requires a lot of time, and she let me take it but was also there when I needed her: listening to the first drafts, etc. She had a big influence on the ending of the play, which was originally much darker and more fatalistic. When it comes to directing, we share the task and we’re a bit good cop bad cop: I’m a perfectionist who sometimes lacks manners, while Isabelle knows how to smooth things over and puts the fun and cohesion of the cast first.
What was the inspiration for the story told in the play? Is it something you’ve experienced yourself?
THOMAS: There’s always a lot of me in every play I write. For example, I lived in an all-male flat-share that was a bit detached from the world for 3 years, I had a major bout of depression about ten years ago, and so on. The rest of the story is fictional, but it draws on my reflections on current events and the question that has been nagging at me: is the human race as a whole capable of humanity?
Tell us about the characters, particularly the trio of misfits.
THOMAS: One of them is vulnerable and empathetic, while the other two reflect the worst aspects of our society: they are cynical, selfish and cruel. The ethical battle between them is a mirror of what I’m seeing in many ways in 2025, particularly with what’s happening in the United States at the moment.
Were the roles written for particular actors in your troupe or without specific people in mind?
THOMAS: It’s always tailor-made for actors that we know and that I’ve been able to observe closely. I make sure that the character is age-appropriate, obviously, but I also draw on their natural energy and imagine them delivering their lines while I’m writing, which helps.
The play has been described as a black comedy and a brutally honest look at our anxious times. There is an existential question at the heart of the plot: are we becoming like the world that is dehumanising us? Do your characters respond differently to this question at the end of the play? Is there a message you want to convey to the audience?
THOMAS: Our characters do answer this question in very different ways throughout the play, and that’s what drives the plot. Without wanting to give away the ending, people will probably be able to guess my own feelings about the issues of our time, but there isn’t necessarily a message. Above all, I hope that our viewers will identify with the themes and the human issues that are addressed. In 2021, a lot of people connected well with our play “Les uns contre les autres”, not only about our collective experience of COVID, but above all around the existential problems and questions about love and couples.
The play deals with serious themes such as economic insecurity and the dehumanization of society – how do you manage to balance humor and seriousness without compromising either?
THOMAS: We’re living in a time when we have to remember to laugh, to retain our ability to turn serious themes into derision; otherwise we just give in to darkness and fatalism. Gravity doesn’t preclude humor and vice-versa, but bringing them together without falling into caricature, mockery or easy judgments is a balancing act. Some of my favorite films (Muriel’s Wedding, Little Miss Sunshine, Sideways) are textbook cases in this respect, so I try in my own way to follow in their footsteps.
Which audience would most appreciate this piece?
ISABELLE: We hope to reach as many people as possible, of course, but it’s clear that to appreciate the play you have to be willing to laugh at the subjects it deals with. We don’t check the age of our audience, but the play is recommended for ages 15 and over because of its flowery language and sometimes saucy jokes.
Why should people come and see it?
THOMAS: Despite the themes, it’s above all a comedy: there are a lot of very funny lines and situations. As a playwright, I don’t want to get too dramatic or take myself too seriously: above all, theatre should be entertaining and fast-paced. You can never predict 100% how a play will originate.
Pourquoi les gens devraient-ils venir la voir ?
THOMAS : En dépit des thèmes abordés, c’est avant tout une comédie : il y a beaucoup de répliques et de situations très drôles. En tant qu’auteur, j’évite de verser dans le drame et de me prendre au sérieux : le théâtre se doit avant tout d’être divertissant et rythmé. You can never predict 100% how an original piece will be received as a whole, but I’m sure people will laugh and not be bored. It’s also a great opportunity for Brisbane’s Francophone and Francophile community to get together for an evening.
Is there anything else you’d like to add?
ISABELLE: Thank you for this interview! And a big thank you to all our actors and volunteers who make this wonderful adventure possible.
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We thank Isabelle and Thomas for this interview.
KEY INFO FOR DU FOIE GRAS SOUS LE SAPIN
WHAT: Du foie gras sous le sapin, a new production by Brisbane French Theatre
WHERE: Ron Hurley Theatre, SEVEN HILLS
WHEN : Thursday 19, Friday 20 and Saturday 21 June at 7:30pm, plus an extra performance at 1:30pm on Saturday 21 June
HOW: Buy your tickets via this link
HOW MUCH: Ticket prices are as follows:
- Standard ticket: $26
- Student/Concession/Member/Groups of 6+ : $21
