Toulouse is reckoning with its past through the lens of a child’s memory. This week, the Théâtre du Grand Rond hosts “Tout va bien AZF,” a new solo performance by Sas Lassoued that confronts the lingering trauma of the 2001 AZF factory explosion, one of the deadliest industrial disasters in French history. The play, opening Saturday, isn’t a detached investigation, but a deeply personal account of that day—September 21, 2001—as experienced by a 10-year-vintage boy living in the nearby La Reynerie neighborhood.
Lassoued’s recollection is visceral. He remembers a school strike keeping him home alone when the explosion ripped through the AZF fertilizer plant. “The TV went off, and when I tried to turn it back on, I heard a boom, then I saw white smoke through the window, a window that no longer had glass,” he recounts in a recent interview. “I took refuge under the blanket on the sofa. The roof collapsed. I went outside and walked to find a neighbor, and I called my father to tell him a bomb had exploded.” The immediacy of that childhood perception—mistaking the industrial catastrophe for an act of terrorism—forms the emotional core of the production. The AZF explosion, which occurred at the Grande Paroisse factory, a subsidiary of Total, resulted in 31 deaths and over 2,500 injuries, according to Wikipedia.
A Silence Broken
The play emerges from a long silence, a frustration Lassoued felt growing up in the shadow of the disaster. “I decided to do this indicate because, as a child, you don’t have a voice,” he explains. “I’m telling the story that we couldn’t express at the time, those of us who lived near the catastrophe, the people from working-class neighborhoods. It’s a tribute to everyone who lived through it and to those who died.” The AZF plant stored approximately 300 tonnes of ammonium nitrate at the time of the explosion, though it had a maximum capacity of 2,000 tonnes, as detailed in the Wikipedia entry.
Lassoued’s work isn’t simply a retelling of events; it’s an attempt to hold the responsible parties accountable. According to Canal Sud, Lassoued faced significant obstacles in securing funding for the project, encountering resistance from local and regional authorities, even going so far as to appeal directly to officials at the regional council and representatives from Total. “I pushed doors, I used a crowbar, I gave them my best puppy-dog eyes,” he told Canal Sud. “Despite everything, no institution set in a single cent. There’s a real unease on their part. And that says a lot about what we choose to craft visible in culture.”
Reconstructing a Shattered Reality
The production, described as evolving between reality and a “marvelous” quality, aims to reconstruct the experience of the disaster for a community deeply affected. It’s a “reparative spectacle,” as described by La Dépêche du Midi, offering a platform for voices often marginalized in the aftermath of such events. Lassoued, acting as both author, director, and performer, intends to deliver a “bitter indictment” of the circumstances surrounding the explosion and to honor those who suffered.
The play’s resonance extends beyond the immediate victims. As La Dépêche notes, the explosion remains a potent memory for anyone who lived through September 21, 2001, in Toulouse, particularly for the children who grew up with the trauma of that day. “Tout va bien AZF” seeks to give voice to that often-unheard perspective.
“Tout va bien AZF” will be performed at the Théâtre du Grand Rond (23, rue des Potiers) in Toulouse on Saturday, March 7th at 5:00 PM and Sunday, March 22nd at 6:00 PM. Tickets, priced between 7 and 14 euros, are available at www.grand-rond.org. The performance is recommended for audiences aged 7 and up.
As Toulouse confronts the enduring legacy of the AZF explosion, “Tout va bien AZF” offers a powerful and necessary space for remembrance, reflection, and a demand for accountability. The production’s run at the Théâtre du Grand Rond marks a crucial step in a long process of healing and ensuring that the voices of those affected are finally heard. Further information about the theater’s programming and upcoming events can be found on their website.
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