Mikael Chirinian Stars in ‘La Liste De Mes Envies’

Award-nominated actor Mikael Chirinian takes to the stage in the French play La Liste De Mes Envies (The List of My Desires) on May 28 at Centrepoint Theatre in the Dubai Community Theatre Arts Centre. The play tells the story of Jocelyne, a housewife who won the lottery and explores the question of what average citizens might do if they found themselves a millionaire suddenly overnight.

There’s certainly no question that all of that money will change the winner’s life forever, but it’s what the winner does with the money that speaks volumes about her. In Jocelyne’s case, she hides the check and decides that she doesn’t want to change anything about her life because she is happy, but her husband steals the check and runs off to Switzerland. Alone and miserable, he later writes an apology letter to her, only to discover that it’s too late because she has died.

Mikael Chirinian during a performance of La Liste De Mes Envies, which opens May 28 at Centrepoint Theatre in the Dubai Community Theatre Arts Centre.
Mikael Chirinian during a performance of La Liste De Mes Envies, which can be seen on May 28, 2015, at Centrepoint Theatre in the Dubai Community Theatre Arts Centre.

Photo Credit: http://www.halleauxgrains.com

The play is based on Gregoire Delacourt’s well-known novel, which is available in multiple languages in over 27 countries and was first published in 2012. Within months of the book’s release, it had sold nearly 440,000 copies. The play version of the popular novel has received rave reviews on TheatreOnline.com, with many praising Mikael Chirinian’s performance. The media also raved about the play. The JDD called it “the nice surprise earlier this year,” while L’Express called Chirinian’s performance “amazing.” Time Out Paris called the play “a true theatrical success knitted with care and imagination.”

One of the most interesting elements of the play is that Chirinian plays both a man and a woman—Jocelyne and her husband. Reviewers also said the story is faithful to the book, which can’t be said about every play or film adaptation of a popular book.

Mikael Chirinian he was in the second season of the TV series So They May, which is currently in its second season. He plays Inspector Zouhak in the series. He has also played roles in at least seven other TV shows and made-for-TV movies, including The Slayer of Rodolphe Tissot, The Prophecy of Avignon, and Gears. A prolific actor, he has also played in at least 16 plays spanning back to 1996, including Romeo and Juliet in 2006. Chirinian was nominated for the Molieres award in 2014 for the best one-man show category.

La Liste De Mes Envies is scheduled for May 28 at Centrepoint Theatre in the Dubai Community Theatre Arts Centre. Tickets are priced at AED275.