The Cleansing of Constance Brown opens tonight in the elegant surroundings of the Domaine d’O, Montpellier.

Director Christopher Crimes specialises in the development and establishing of new venues/programmes. He first booked Stan for a European version of the rice at the impressive Theatre le Quai, in Angers, 2 years ago. Here in Montpellier he is rewriting the theatre programming manual. The programme here follows a lunar calendar. I’ve still to get my head round this one, but in simple terms the shows all open on a lunedi and Constance is perfoming in the first phase of the moon’s cycle.

This is the start of a 3-year relationship with the venue and James has been speccing out the wealth of spaces at the Domaine d’O, indoors and out, that may provide a future backdrop to a Stan’s Cafe offering. A rice team of Stan’s finest Francophones – Chris Dugrenier, Jack Trow, Jake Oldershaw, Charlotte Gregory and Bharti -“je parle un petit pois”- Patel have already been here a week, installing Of All the People in All the World (France) within the chateau itself. We spent yesterday working Constance Brown back up to speed (with Ray back in the Andy/Gareth/Tigg role) and later joined the remaining rice crew for a Mauritian meal in a little place beneath the City walls, followed by a wander through Old Town: A myriad of tiny mediaevel streets, opening out to sophisticated squares and boulevards. I left the others at a bar and tried to lose myself in the backstreets. We’ve got a 2-shows per day schedule and have the tough task of working Chris Corcoran in as the new Craig by the end of the week, but let’s face it, spending time here will be no hardship  (…pics).