A new stage production, “Les Crapauds” (The Toads), explores the complex dynamics of startup culture and the inherent contradictions within the pursuit of rapid growth. The play, conceived by Noham Selcer and directed by Jérémie Lebreton, delves into the moral and ethical challenges faced by entrepreneurs navigating a fast-paced market. This production arrives as the tech industry continues to grapple with questions of sustainability and responsible innovation.
The narrative centers on two young entrepreneurs who launch a food delivery startup focused on organic and plastic-free products within the burgeoning quick commerce sector. As the company experiences rapid expansion and attracts significant investment, the play examines the pressures and paradoxes that arise. The story highlights the tension between idealistic goals and the often-brutal realities of the market.
According to Lebreton’s note of intention, the play aims to portray the forces of power, ambition, and morality as drivers of transformation, but also of illusion. Two central characters embody this conflict: Nesrine, who represents a commitment to ethical practices, and Thaïs, who embodies a more pragmatic and even cynical approach to achieving success.
Thaïs, described as lucid, realistic, and seductive, understands and exploits the market’s mechanisms, achieving success through her pragmatism. “She is the ‘pharmakon’ of this story: remedy and poison at the same time,” Lebreton explains. “Without her, the startup cannot develop. But with her, the fall becomes inevitable.” Her character draws parallels to figures from theater and literature known for both inspiration and destruction, such as Macbeth, Platonov, and Medea.
In contrast, Nesrine embodies the hope for a more just and sustainable world, advocating for new production models to address ecological and social challenges. She is presented as a Brechtian heroine, navigating the compromises between ideals and reality although maintaining a degree of inner resistance.
Surrounding these two leads are supporting characters who further enrich the narrative. Arthur, the investor, provides the capital needed to realize the dream, while Moussa, the bicycle delivery driver, represents the human cost of the company’s economic choices. Axel, Thaïs’s companion, is portrayed as manipulative and self-serving, exploiting the situation for personal gain. These characters are not merely peripheral, but actively shift the balance of the story and embody the economic, social, and personal forces at play.
“This tension between the figures is what fascinates me,” Lebreton states. “We are all caught between Nesrine and Thaïs, but also traversed by these other faces of the capitalist system, each of whom composes us.” The play explores the contradictions inherent in contemporary life and the dilemmas individuals face when confronted with conflicting values.
The production, which will be performed at the Cité de l’économie in Paris on February 12th, 13th, and 14th, 2026, aims to examine the limits of hope for change within a system that often demands compromise. Despite the darkness of the themes, Lebreton emphasizes the importance of persistence and the search for renewal, even in the midst of ruin. As Victor Hugo wrote in “The Toad,” “Perhaps the cursed felt blessed; No beast that does not have a reflection of infinity.”
Les Crapauds
Conception et mise en scène : Jérémie Lebreton
Texte : Noham Selcer
Avec : Lina Alsayed, Teddy Chawa, Zakariya Gouram, Héloïse Janjaud
Scénographie et costumes : Marjolaine Mansot
Création Lumière : Henri Coueignoux
Composition Musicale : Aurélien Noiret
Création vidéo : Thyphaine Steiner
Stagiaire en mise en scène : Maud Nguyen Huynh
Régisseur général & lumière : Romain Baronnet
Régisseur son : Gabriel Torres
Diffusion : Pauline Crépin
Administration : Valerie Moy
Production : Citéco – Capza 12 février à 11h (scolaire)
13 et 14 février 2026
à 19h
Cité de l’économie, Paris
