Les Contrées Ordinaires
Festival of spoken word and storytelling in La Chapelle-au-Riboul
2026
About Les Contrées Ordinaires
Les Contrées Ordinaires — edition 2026
The 7th edition of Les Contrées Ordinaires takes place on Friday, October 16th and Saturday, October 17th, 2026, in La Chapelle-au-Riboul, following eight decentralized events across Mayenne from September 14th to October 15th. The weekend features around fifteen performances: storytelling hikes, street theater, tales for toddlers, music, a mini disco, and a Storytelling Night that lasts until the last voice fades. Saturday is pay-what-you-want, and most performances are signed or translated into French Sign Language.
7th Edition — October 16th and 17th, 2026
Compagnie Oh ! is organizing the 7th edition of Les Contrées Ordinaires on Friday, October 16th and Saturday, October 17th, 2026, in La Chapelle-au-Riboul. The weekend program includes around fifteen shows, plus eight decentralized events starting September 14th throughout Mayenne, in partnership with the Departmental Library and Le Kiosque.
Friday, October 16th, kicks off at 8:15 PM with the "Cabaret conte mais pas que…" at the village hall: artists from this year's edition will perform previews, hosted by Matao Rollo and Eva Fogelgesang, accompanied by a meal from chef Olivier Bourdon. Booking mandatory before October 7th, 20 €.
Saturday, October 17th, runs from 9:30 AM to 3:00 AM, from the morning storytelling hike to the 11:15 PM Storytelling Night. Performances take place in the village hall, the sports hall, and throughout the village streets, starting from the ticket office. Pay-what-you-want access all day.
Accessibility
Most performances are accessible to deaf and hard-of-hearing individuals, either in French Sign Language or translated. Lise Moulin and Vincent Veugeois are hosting an introductory LSF theater workshop on Saturday at 5:30 PM, and Vincent Veugeois is holding an LSF introductory course on October 10th. DJ Sonido El Nino’s mini disco is equipped with Subpacs, vibrating backpacks that allow you to feel the bass.
On-site
Food, drinks, and camping available on-site, featuring seasonal, local cuisine by Olivier Bourdon, De cocottes en acier. Volunteers can sign up at [email protected].
Highlights Les Contrées Ordinaires 2026
- "Cabaret conte mais pas que…", opening dinner-show — Friday 16th at 8:15 PM, village hall, booking required before October 7th
- "Traverser la forêt", 3-hour storytelling hike with Marie Plainfossé — Saturday 17th at 9:30 AM
- Albaricate, "Chante Anne Sylvestre" — Saturday 17th at 8:30 PM, village hall, featuring guitar and sign-singing
- Armelle & Peppo Audigane, "Au début du monde" — Saturday 17th at 9:45 PM, village hall
- Nuit du conte, open mic for oral storytelling — Saturday 17th at 11:15 PM, until voices give out
Programme Les Contrées Ordinaires 2026
Festival Preview — September 14th to October 15th, 2026
Eight decentralized events across Mayenne, in partnership with the Mayenne Departmental Library. Free, but booking via the libraries is required.
- Monday, September 14th · 2:00 PM — "Comment je suis devenue entendante" (How I became hearing), Lise Moulin and Sabine Rouy · LADAPT in Pontmain · ages 9+, 20 min · short version of a work-in-progress, followed by a Q&A with the artists · register at 02 43 00 31 76
- Tuesday, September 29th · 2:30 PM — "Dans ta tour", Matao Rollo · Albert Legendre Library in Laval · all ages, 1h20 · register at 02 43 49 47 48
- Friday, October 2nd · 8:00 PM — "Carte blanche", Julia Alimasi · Grand Nord Auditorium in Mayenne · all ages · showcase of workshops held with FJT residents · register at 02 43 11 19 71
- Thursday, October 8th · 2:30 PM — "Dans ta tour", Matao Rollo · Mont Rochard Nursing Home in Bais · register at 02 43 37 96 13
- Thursday, October 8th · 8:00 PM — "Comment je suis devenue entendante", Lise Moulin and Sabine Rouy · Meslay-du-Maine Media Library · register at 02 43 02 59 56
- Friday, October 9th · 8:00 PM — "Carte blanche", Julia Alimasi · FJT Nymphéa in Évron · register at 02 43 37 25 40
Workshops — Saturday, October 10th, 9:30 AM to 5:30 PM, in La Chapelle-au-Riboul
- Introductory French Sign Language (LSF) workshop with Vincent Veugeois from the "Les mains ont la parole" association · free, register via the ticketing site
- "Raconter aux petites oreilles" training day, for storytelling to young children · open to all · free, register via the ticketing site
With our other partners
- Tuesday, October 13th · 8:15 PM — Mayenne Storytellers Collective, open mic for oral storytelling · Storyteller space at FJT Copainville in Mayenne · first part
- Tuesday, October 13th · 9:30 PM — "Tu parles Charles", Karine Mazel · FJT Copainville in Mayenne · all ages, 1h · second part · in partnership with Mental Health Week, the Copainville association, and the rap collective Good Good Moods
- Thursday, October 15th · 8:30 PM — "Contes pour rire", Colette Migné · Mayenne village hall · ages 7+, 75 min · opening of the Kiosque cultural season
School sessions in La Chapelle-au-Riboul — Thursday, October 15th
- 9:45 AM and 2:00 PM — "Pas de pépin", Véronique Pétel · sports hall · ages 1+, 20 min
- 9:45 AM and 2:00 PM — "Poudre d’escampette", Nicolas Bourdon · village hall · ages 6+, 1h
Friday, October 16th, 2026
- 8:15 PM — "Cabaret conte mais pas que…" (Storytelling cabaret and more) · village hall · all ages · booking mandatory before October 7th. Evening hosted by storyteller Matao Rollo (alias Hortense Beruchet) and singer/musician Eva Fogelgesang (alias Marcel Rossignolet). Featuring Véronique Pétel, Nicolas Bourdon, Cécile Blaizot Genvrin, Armelle Audigane, Peppo Audigane, Marie Plainfossé, Lise Moulin, and surprise guests. Dinner by chef Olivier Bourdon, "De cocotte en acier".
Saturday, October 17th, 2026 — Morning
- 9:30 AM — "Traverser la forêt" storytelling hike, Marie Plainfossé · meet at the village hall · all ages, 3h · tales from the Morvan
- 11:15 AM — "Hissez-eau", Véronique Pétel · village hall · ages 3-7, 45 min
- 11:15 AM — "Sucre-page", Confiture mitaine · sports hall · ages 3+, 45 min · signed performance
Saturday, October 17th, 2026 — Afternoon
- 1:00 PM, 1:30 PM, 2:00 PM, 2:30 PM, 3:00 PM, 3:30 PM, 4:00 PM and 4:30 PM — "Les greeters", local youth · street performance, meet at the ticket office · all ages · a quirky guided tour of the village
- 1:45 PM, 2:45 PM, 4:15 PM and 5:15 PM — "Les visiteurs", CréatureS compagnie · street performance, meet at the ticket office · ages 8+, 40 min · musical and audio-narrated trail following the traces of mysterious visitors
- 2:00 PM and 4:30 PM — "Comment je suis devenue entendante", Lise Moulin and Sabine Rouy · sports hall · all ages, 20 min · signed performance
- 3:00 PM — "J[a]NE la PISTEUSE à LUNETTES", Cécile Blaizot Genvrin · village hall · ages 8+, 55 min · signed performance
- 5:00 PM to 7:30 PM — "La grande carte des petits lieux" café-meeting space, with the Bourgeons collective · discussion lounge · map of small Mayenne venues hosting performances
- 5:30 PM — French Sign Language theater workshop, Lise Moulin and Vincent Veugeois · sports hall · all ages, 1h · book via HelloAsso or on-site
- 5:30 PM — "Conteurs en herbe", local schoolchildren · street performance, meet at the ticket office · all ages, 1h · show created during 7 weeks of workshops with storyteller Olivier Hédin
- 6:30 PM — DJ Sonido El Nino · mini disco · listening experience equipped with Subpacs (vibrating backpacks to feel the bass)
- 6:45 PM — Batucada from the Mayenne Conservatory
Saturday, October 17th, 2026 — Evening
- 8:30 PM — "Chante Anne Sylvestre", Albaricate · village hall · all ages, 45 min · signed performance, guitar and sign-singing
- 8:30 PM — "Road trip 1934 Londres / Cape Town : 2 femmes à moto", Véronique Pétel and Nicolas Bourdon · sports hall · ages 10+, 45 min
- 9:45 PM — "Au début du monde", Armelle & Peppo Audigane · village hall · all ages, 60 min · Gypsy cosmogony
- 10:00 PM — "La plus petite discothèque du monde", DJ Sonido El Nino · mini disco · Afro-Latin tunes
- 11:15 PM — "Nuit du conte" (Storytelling Night), open mic for oral storytelling · village hall · until everyone falls asleep or voices give out
Ongoing
- Food, drinks, and camping on-site. Seasonal, local cuisine by Olivier Bourdon, De cocottes en acier.
- Partnership with Oui’dire, the app dedicated to storytellers: one month of free listening with code OH26.
Prices Les Contrées Ordinaires 2026
Friday, October 16th: storytelling cabaret show + meal (starter, main, dessert) 20 €, booking mandatory before October 7th via HelloAsso or at the village grocery store.
Workshops on Saturday, October 10th: free, registration required via the ticketing site.
Booking recommended for Saturday performances.
Practical information — Les Contrées Ordinaires
Practical Information
Location
The festival takes place across several venues in the village of La Chapelle-au-Riboul (53440), in the northern part of the Mayenne department: the village hall, the sports hall, the talk salon, and through street performances starting from the ticket office.
Dates
The festival is held every two years in October, over a weekend (Friday evening and Saturday), preceded by a tour of performances in libraries throughout the department.
Getting There
By car: La Chapelle-au-Riboul is located 20 km north of Mayenne and is accessible via the D23. Free parking is available in the village.
Pricing
Saturday performances are pay-what-you-wish. The Friday evening cabaret dinner-show is €20, and booking is mandatory. Tickets are available online via HelloAsso.
On-site
Food, drinks, and camping are available. All performances are held indoors.
Contact
Compagnie Oh ! — Olivier Hédin
2, rue de la Mairie, 53440 La Chapelle-au-Riboul
Phone: 06 07 23 31 70
Email: [email protected]
Production: Stéphanie Lallemant — 06 12 26 49 90 — [email protected]
Distribution and Press: Elodie Loureiro — 06 84 49 56 29 — [email protected]
Volunteering: [email protected]
Website: olivierhedin.net
Les Contrées Ordinaires: Storytelling in All Its Forms
Created in 2013 by storyteller Olivier Hédin and his Compagnie Oh!, the Les Contrées Ordinaires festival is a biennial celebration of the spoken word and oral tradition. Every two years, the small village of La Chapelle-au-Riboul, perched atop the Mayenne department with its 500 inhabitants, transforms into the capital of storytelling for a weekend in October.
Unusual Venues for Extraordinary Stories
One of the festival's unique features is its choice of performance venues. Performances take place in unusual village locations: a disused former cinema, a former girls' school, village halls, and other atypical spaces that offer an intimacy and atmosphere conducive to listening and imagination. This wandering through the village is an integral part of the festival experience.
A Rich and Varied Program
The festival offers an eclectic program combining traditional and contemporary storytelling performances, musical performances, a cappella singing, theater, comedy shows, and immersive sound experiences. The Storytelling Night, a highlight of each edition, invites the public to an evening of tales until the heart of the night. Guided tours of the village by young performers and practical workshops complete the artistic offerings.
A Strong Commitment to Accessibility
Compagnie Oh! places accessibility at the heart of its project. Since the 6th edition, each performance has been translated into French Sign Language (LSF), making the festival an event particularly open to deaf and hard-of-hearing people. This inclusive approach is praised by the public and industry professionals.
A Local Project
Rooted in the life of La Chapelle-au-Riboul, the festival actively involves the village residents, some of whom contribute to the company's activities throughout the year. Les Contrées Ordinaires thus participates in the cultural vitality of a rural area, proving that culture can shine everywhere, even in the most "ordinary" regions.
Where does it take place — Les Contrées Ordinaires
Les Contrées Ordinaires in brief
History of Les Contrées Ordinaires
Edition 2024 Oct 2024Other festivals near La Chapelle-au-Riboul
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