Hundreds gathered outside the theatre in Castres, a town in southern France, on a sweltering Saturday not to see a show but to protest its cancellation. The controversy pits the newly elected far-right mayor, Florian Azéma, against one of France's most celebrated playwrights, Alexis Michalik.
On 10 June, Michalik announced on Instagram that a February 2027 performance of his play Passeport had been cancelled at the last minute, he said, at the request of officials from the National Rally (RN), France's far-right party. The play, first staged in 2024, follows Issa, a young Eritrean man with amnesia in a refugee camp in northern France, as he seeks a residence permit. It explores themes of exile, identity, integration, and exchange—themes that did not sit well with Azéma.
Mayor Defends Cancellation as Right to Choose
Azéma, who won the mayoralty in the 2026 municipal elections, defended his decision, telling AFP that he had “every right” to reverse cultural programming set by the previous administration. He denounced the play for what he called promoting illegal immigrants and presenting a “peculiar portrayal of the police,” which he said did not reflect his campaign platform.
The cancellation comes amid broader concerns about the far-right's growing influence over culture in France. In recent months, figures in publishing and film have spoken out against conservative billionaire Vincent Bolloré's increasing control over media and cultural institutions. Musicians also voiced alarm, with an op-ed in the magazine Politis defending creative freedom and calling for resistance against the far-right.
The 2026 municipal elections saw the RN and its allies gain 63 additional cities, including Castres, intensifying local scrutiny of cultural policy. Michalik expressed his fears on Instagram: “I’m not just worried about Passeport. I’m worried about all the works, all the artists and all the programme curators who might face the same fate tomorrow.”
Wide Support for Playwright
Michalik has received broad backing, including from Culture Minister Catherine Pégard, who called artistic freedom “a cornerstone of our democratic society.” She condemned the cancellation before the National Assembly on 16 June, stating it was based solely on the play's subject matter not aligning with the mayor's political views. Tiago Rodrigues, director of the prestigious Festival d'Avignon, expressed solidarity and reiterated that he would not work with an RN elected representative.
While Passeport will not be performed in Castres, its run at the Théâtre de la Renaissance in Paris continues, with the theatre offering a 50% discount for people born or living in Castres. The socialist mayor of Lomme, in northern France, has offered to host the play in December, and a special performance is scheduled for January in the south. Christophe Ramond, socialist president of the Tarn department, posted on X: “The role of an elected representative is not to decide what the people are allowed to see or think. Culture must never be held hostage by politicians.”
This incident reflects a wider European debate about the far-right's impact on cultural expression, echoing similar tensions in other EU member states. As the continent grapples with migration and identity, the fate of a single play in a small French town has become a symbol of larger democratic concerns.
