“This event marked a significant moment for Marseille, shedding light on the underlying political dynamics of France’s second largest city. There are many layers yet to be uncovered, many of them not very flattering. However, it also initiated a chain of actions,” said Mathilde Aurier, a playwright and director.
Aurier is reflecting on what has come to be known as France’s equivalent to the Grenfell disaster: the tragic collapse of two rundown buildings on November 5, 2018, on Rue d’Aubagne in the Noailles area, a short distance from the iconic Old Port. The incident claimed eight lives and sparked a nationwide debate over urban poverty and social neglect.
“Every disaster has two sides, as it presents an opportunity for resilience during times of immense fracture and difficulty,” Aurier elaborates. “What truly surprised me was the community’s ability to unify and advance their cause independently of governmental aid, driven by a profound sense of solidarity and affection.”
Speaking via Zoom from her residence in Marseille, the 29-year-old Aurier becomes visibly moved when she mentions the word “love.” She references initiatives like the November 5 Collective, which mobilized 8,000 demonstrators just two days following the catastrophe, and the town criers who broadcast the details of the subsequent trials in 2024 throughout the streets of Marseille.
Her play, “65 Rue d’Aubagne,” is Aurier’s artistic response to this vigorous community reaction. Centered around Nina, a fictional character who fortuitously wasn’t home on the night of the collapse, the play weaves through a myriad of local voices, exploring various facets of the disaster. The storyline navigates through the initial shock, the evacuation of over 4,000 residents from similar dilapidated accommodations, the challenges with inflexible bureaucracies, and the disruption of an idyllic Mediterranean life.
Having grown up in Marseille, Aurier is intimately familiar with Rue d’Aubagne; her grandfather still resides just a few doors away from where the buildings once stood. A pivotal moment came in 2022 when she met the real-life inspiration for Nina on a local beach, whose survivor’s guilt encapsulated the city’s broader struggle to come to terms with the tragedy. “Hearing her story, the psychological impact was what struck me the most,” Aurier notes. “I aimed for the play to reflect this journey towards healing.”
To deepen her understanding, Aurier spent eight months researching, navigating a network of survivors and other individuals impacted by the disaster. Her methodology was more interpretative than purely documentary, allowing her to blend factual content with her personal artistic flair. This includes lyrical interludes where Nina interacts with her deceased Italian friend, Chiara, and surrealist elements like the inflatable crocodile symbolizing Jean-Claude Gaudin, the long-serving mayor at the time, whose policies were seen as obstructive to necessary infrastructural reforms in Marseille.
Aurier describes the play’s structure as notably fragmented, shifting between various perspectives and timelines, segmented into five parts that echo the phases of a breaking wave. “This is the most chaotic piece I’ve ever created, inspired by the prelude, the event, and its aftermath,” she explains. “I thought it would be compelling if the play’s form and narrative seemed to disintegrate, mirroring the physical collapse of the buildings.”
As she speaks, her webcam adjusts its angle and zoom intermittently, mirroring her search for the perfect perspective on the topic. The play, despite its turmoil, holds a disquieting stillness at its core: the limbo of dealing with apathetic authorities, clinging to memories of those lost, and the struggle to find meaning after the disaster.
In exploring themes of trauma, Aurier draws unexpected inspiration from British playwright Howard Barker, known for his “theatre of catastrophe” that delves into questions of power, violence, and societal structures, often within historical contexts. Having focused her university thesis on Barker, Aurier views him as an influence on her dramatic style. “His writing possesses a certain harshness, yet it’s distinctly British—cynical, sharp, and deeply satisfying, especially in how it portrays strong women and addresses complex themes around the female body and other issues,” she states.
“65 Rue d’Aubagne” marks her third theatrical production, following her debut which explored the relationship between Salvador Dalí and his muse Gala, and a subsequent piece set in a youth care home about transitioning from adolescence. Aurier identifies a recurring theme of catastrophe across her works. When asked if a particular incident had cemented this focus, she prefers not to pinpoint a single event. “Being a woman,” she responds with a radiant smile, “and everything that entails.”
‘It’s the most chaotic thing I’ve written’ … Mathilde Aurier. Photograph: (no credit)
A TV series based on “65 Rue d’Aubagne” is currently in the works, intended to broaden the narrative to include the court trials that occurred after the play’s completion. Aurier expressed disappointment with the trial outcomes, noting the leniency of the sentences, with many offenders receiving house arrest or minimal fines, despite the severity of the negligence by landlords and building inspectors.
The state and local measures announced to evaluate the housing conditions in Marseille following the disaster are moving at a sluggish pace, hardly keeping up with the widening social disparities in this rapidly gentrifying city. Aurier points out that political focus shifts over time. “Our next mayoral election is in March,” she mentions. “And it seems housing isn’t as pivotal as it once was, overshadowed by other emerging issues.”
While Aurier admits her expertise does not extend to urban planning, the emotional and psychological effects of the city’s unfulfilled promises are clearly within her realm of interest. “I have always gravitated towards tragic narratives, and I suspect that will continue to be my path,” she concludes.
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65 Rue d’Aubagne is showing at Théatre de la Criée, Marseille, until 18 January
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Fatima Clarke is a seasoned health reporter who bridges medical science with human stories. She writes with compassion, precision, and a drive to inform.
