Marseille, its patchwork of characters, its quick wit and its tempo, have become her credo. Observing and capturing detail, appropriating without betraying, she has cultivated this skill with precision since childhood. “As a little girl, I would imitate family members, I’ve always loved mimicking and making people laugh,” recounts Gabrielle Giraud, a rising figure in Marseille’s stand-up scene.
It was natural, after high school, for her to pursue studies in cinema, a world she experienced through her mother, a head wigmaker on film sets. She began her career as a making-of director and then became an assistant director on television series, a profession she recently left to fully dedicate herself to what drives her: performing on stage and making people laugh.
Stand-up, a revelation for comedian Gabrielle Giraud
The real turning point came during the confinement. She spent her days filming humorous videos with Snapchat filters. Encouraged by her friends, captivated by her jokes – “especially my friend Iris” – she shared her account publicly, and the formula took off.
When life returned to normal, Gabrielle Giraud took a new artistic turn, “in search of more meaning.” She initially enrolled at the Théâtre de l’Art Dû, but found it “too formal,” and was more captivated by the class of Bedou, a stand-up comedian. “I was immediately drawn to the introspective aspect of the discipline and the freedom to tell my own stories rather than follow an imposed text,” admits the comedian who grew up with the sketches of Elie Semoun and Elie Kakou.
After a few months of classes, she took the stage for the first time. A memory tinged with adrenaline that will remain etched in her mind. December 26, 2021. She recounted the story of her Aunt Fred, a Marseillaise with a strong voice, being arrested by the police. An anecdote that became “a banger.”
Everything fell into place. Gabrielle was noticed by the programmer of the Garage Comedy Club, a stage that galvanized her, fueled by “an electric atmosphere.” “At that moment, I realized there might really be something to do in this field,” recalls the comedian with 120,000 followers on Instagram. Her trademark? Deconstructing the cliché of the Southerner, imitating, and stringing together act-outs with finesse. She finds inspiration everywhere, takes notes, listens, but above all, observes “constantly.”
To test her jokes on a different audience, she went to Paris and performed in bars in Montmartre, “in difficult conditions, without a microphone, with very few people.” A crucial step in her career where she trained outside her comfort zone. “The Parisian stand-up scene is a bit of a school of humility. You break your teeth there, you learn,” admits Gabrielle, who then realized she could “export her humor beyond Marseille.”
A successful first show for Gabrielle Giraud
Upon her return, she continued to juggle her job as an assistant director and stand-up for a while, but exhausted, she eventually dedicated herself solely to her passion for the stage.
Supported by her family, especially her mother, whom she calls “mamageuse,” Gabrielle launched her first full-length show. Moving from ten minutes on stage in a comedy club to 1 hour and 10 minutes of sketches was a success. She addresses more intimate and activist subjects, her coming out, her identity as a queer woman, the relationship with the body, and social injustices. Gabrielle uses humor as a powerful tool “to entertain but also to plant seeds in people’s minds.” For her, laughing at an absurd or unfair situation marks a fundamental agreement, opens up debate, and can change perspectives.
Her show, which has already attracted nearly 3,500 people across France, she wants to maximize its impact but is already working on the second. Determined and rigorous, the comedian imposes a strict discipline on herself. Between performances, she lets off steam with boxing “essential to my mental balance” and gets involved with the association Les Petits Frères des Pauvres (Little Brothers of the Poor).
Funny, sensitive, committed, and a unique parodist, Gabrielle Giraud has already made a name for herself in the booming Marseille stand-up scene.
The Marseille supplement:
A restaurant in Marseille?
Le Partenope, a small trattoria in Le Panier.
A spot to recharge?
I like to go to the Bains des dames. I need the sea to recharge and calm down.
A Marseillaise expression?
“Quésecé.”
A venue to play?
I would say the Garage Comedy Club and the Vig’s.
