Les Imitatueurs

Les Imitatueurs at Espace Gerson: a close-up celebration of voices and parody

At Espace Gerson, we treasure shows that feel tailor-made for our intimate room, and Les Imitatueurs is exactly that kind of encounter. In our brick-and-wood setting in the heart of Vieux Lyon, the duo’s rapid-fire transformations, musical pastiches, and character-driven gags land with a clarity and warmth you can only get at close range. The premise is simple and irresistible: two performers switch personas at breakneck speed, moving from politicians to pop stars, from sports commentators to film legends, while weaving in sharp observations about the week’s news and our digital age. The acoustics of Espace Gerson highlight the precision of their vocal work—tone, breath, pacing—so every micro-inflection carries, and every punchline rings out. Expect a spirited, communal atmosphere: the artists play off the front rows, ride the waves of laughter, and keep the energy high with quick musical cues and cheeky callbacks that thrive in an intimate venue like ours.

What’s buzzing now: new sketches, fresh formats, and a show that evolves in real time

Les Imitatueurs arrive at Espace Gerson with a flourish of new material and the creative surge that comes from months of writing and testing bits on stages across France and online. Their recent sketch drops—Le Répondeur des Présidents, Conf Call de l’Élysée, and Coach des Pop Stars—have showcased a knack for capturing the rhythms of public speech and tweaking them into absurdity. They also lean into cultural touchstones audiences love to dissect, skewering the cadences of nightly talk staples such as Quotidien and C à vous, and remixing the breathless tone of breaking-news specials. On social clips, mash-ups like Commentateur Sportif au Musée and GPS à Voix Célèbre have been audience favorites, blending everyday scenarios with voices you never expected to hear in them. That digital momentum feeds directly into the stage show at Espace Gerson: punchlines sharpened by online feedback, high-tempo transitions honed in club conditions, and a shared vocabulary with fans who discovered them via bite-size sketches before seeking the full theatrical experience.

In the room, the format is playful and elastic. A headline might ignite an improvised volley of impressions; a piano sting can turn the set into a mini-musical; and a single audience suggestion often sparks a chain reaction of callbacks that becomes the spine of the evening. Signature segments include Journal Télé en 60 Voix, a whiplash montage of anchors, pundits, and “experts,” and Tapis Rouge Express, where red-carpet chatter devolves into a symphony of starry voices. Musical parodies sit alongside micro-sketches—just long enough to land the gag, then on to the next surprise. Our team at Espace Gerson supports the momentum with crisp sound and nimble lighting cues, keeping the stage clean so the voices and timing do the heavy lifting. The show runs at club pace—no lull, no filler—yet makes room for those delightful silences where you can feel the audience lean in before the next eruption. Arrive early, settle in with a drink, and let the performers pull you into their universe: a live, ever-updating collage of characters, current events, and joyful mischief that feels purpose-built for the close quarters and convivial spirit that define a night out at Espace Gerson.