The Scorpion-Fish

What if we extended the enchantment of The Way of the World, performed to packed houses more than 70 times in our small hall? Nicolas Bouvier wrote thousands of pages on his relationship with the world – but he lived it, too, down to the bone. In 1953, he set off from Geneva with his friend Thierry Vernet, traversed the Balkans, ventured solo to Afghanistan and India, and finally reached Ceylon (now Sri Lanka) in 1955.
But the « Island of a Thousand Smiles » didn’t smile back. Bouvier the wanderer falls ill, sinking into the feverish haze of this tropical purgatory, where solitude weighs just as heavily as the sweltering heat. Trapped in the sticky confines of his room, he swaps human company for exotic insects and hypnotic hallucinations. Bouvier would wait nearly 25 years before publishing The Scorpion-Fish, a form of exorcism and a mesmerising tale where humour weaves through the strange and the sublime.
It takes a born performer to capture both the excess and the beauty of these aimless travels. Under the direction of Catherine Schaub, actor Samuel Labarthe enhances the musical cadence of this motionless voyage with the precision of a miniaturist. In this performance, Labarthe becomes one with the language, turning Bouvier’s lyrical flow into a rejuvenating, vivid elixir you can almost touch.

By Nicolas Bouvier
Directed by Catherine Schaub
Based on an original idea by Samuel Labarthe

From 4 November 2025
To 1 February 2026

Small Room
Duration 1h15 (in creation)
From 12 years old

No performances from 22 December 2025 to 12 January 2026

Showtimes
Tuesday – Friday at 8 pm
Saturday – Sunday at 5.30 pm

Subtitles available on tablet in French and English on 29 Novembre and 13 January

Book ▶︎

Distribution and credits

By Nicolas Bouvier
Directed by Catherine Schaub
Based on an original idea and performed by Samuel Labarthe
Adaptation Anne Rotenberg, Gérald Stehr and Samuel Labarthe
Scenography James Brandily
Lights César Godefroy
Sound design Aldo Gilbert
Video Mathias Delfau
Touring stage management Fouad Souaker
Touring lights management Alexandre Milcent
Touring video management Zita Cochet
Production Agnès Harel
Diffusion Marie Barbet-Cymbler

Technique team from Théâtre de Carouge
General stage management during rehearsals William Fournier
Sound, lights and video management Gautier Janin et Adrien Grandjean en alternance
Couture Cécile Vercaemer-Ingles
Costumes care Anne-Laure Futin
Construction Grégoire de Saint Sauveur et Chingo Bensong
Installation Emma Dupanloup (stagiaire techniscéniste), Noé Stehlé, Ferat Ukshini
And all the team from Théâtre de Carouge

Coproductions 42 Production, Théâtre de Carouge
Diffusion 42-production.com
Greetings to Bibliothèque de Genève and Mrs Barbara Prout for documents and audio archives, to the heirs of Nicolas Bouvier, Sirs Thomas and Manuel Bouvier

Created on 4 November 2025 at Théâtre de Carouge

Subtitles

On 29 November and 22 January, the Theatre offers a performance with subtitles in French and English.

Subtitles are available on tablets on loan free of charge.

They’re very easy to use, and you can read the surtitles from any seat in the theater.

How to reserve a tablet:

> Reserve your seat for a performance with surtitles.
> When you make your reservation, tell the box office that you need a tablet.
By e-mail: billetterie@theatredecarouge.ch
By phone: +41 22 343 43 43
On site: Rue Ancienne 37 A, Carouge
Tuesday to Friday 12h-18h
Saturday 10h14h
> 30 minutes before the show, ask for the tablet at the reception desk, in exchange for your ID.
> After the show, return the tablet to reception and collect your ID

By Nicolas Bouvier
Directed by Catherine Schaub
Based on an original idea by Samuel Labarthe

From 4 November 2025
To 1 February 2026

Small Room
Duration 1h15 (in creation)
From 12 years old

Book ▶︎