Alain Choquette announced a few years ago that his tour for The memory of time would be his last in his career. But the 61-year-old illusionist has changed his mind. In autumn 2024 he will present a new retrospective, Between stories and illusionswho will look back on the great moments of his career.
When Alain Choquette released The Memory of Time in 2019, he was convinced it was his last hurray. “I wanted this tour to leave me with a fond memory,” he told the Journal. I really wanted to visit all the theaters I’ve been to in my career and experience it to the fullest.”
But the various pitfalls did not take long to appear. In France, the yellow vest movement initially cleared the theaters and shortened the tour. Then Alain Choquette suffered a heart attack in early 2020. And a few weeks later the pandemic broke out.
“We started and stopped the tour three times,” says the illusionist. It was very restless. I didn’t experience what I wanted to experience as my last tour.”
Career anecdotes
A few weeks ago he went for coffee with his former director Bertrand Petit. “He did all my shows except the last one,” says Alain. Together, the two long-time friends remembered several acts of arms from the illusionist’s more than 30-year career. And this is where the idea for the show Between Stories and Illusions came from.
Alain Choquette’s new show will be directed by Bertrand Petit. Courtesy of Entourage
“I started in 1992. All sorts of things have happened to me. I want to share a little about what happened by listing numbers I did 30 years ago that people don’t remember anymore. There will be little anecdotes. It will be a mix of Barrette and Copperfield [rires]!”
In shape
The illusionist will begin his new tour in September 2024. He will spend the first few months of the year fine-tuning the show’s writing with Bertrand Petit. Despite his recent heart attack, he didn’t ask his producers at Entourage to stay on schedule.
“I am in better shape than before this event. I just asked not to go to remote regions of Quebec in the winter. It’s my only whim!”
For the rest of 2023, Alain Choquette will give the last performances of La mémoire du temps in France. “I will play in the Mogador Theater [à Paris] on December 11th. It is a magnificent theater with 1800 seats. Here I helped the Beauty and the Beast team create the finale of their show. Going back there is like closing the book.”
Alain Choquette’s show, Between stories and illusions, will be presented on September 27, 2024 in Sainte-Agathe. Media premieres will take place in winter 2025. For information: alainchoquette.ca.