Christophe Honoré’s new play tells the story of Emma Bovary and her fervent quest for freedom. In spite of her joyless marriage in a small provincial town, she relentlessly follows her romantic aspirations, and has sometimes been portrayed as irresponsible or inconsistent. But is she really? Hemmed in by literary analyses and adaptations, do we still know how to listen to her? What does our interpretation of this woman’s story say about us? Christophe Honoré brings circus and cinema to the stage to give voice to the “provincial mores” described by Flaubert. By recreating them in the style of a pantomime, the men around Emma re-enact the most illustrious episodes of her life. Then, as the play progresses, Emma reclaims her voice, asserting her subjectivity, sensuality and freedom. Ludivine Sagnier stars as this renowned and mysterious woman whose aspiration to forge her own destiny remains a poignant scandal.