Noëlle Perna

Noelle Perna, born on 31 July 1954 in Philippeville (now Skikda, then in French Algeria), is a French humorist and comedian. She is notably known for the portrayal of her character "Mado la Nicoise". Of Pieds-Noirs background of Neapolitan and Parmesan origin, her parents owned a bar-restaurant in Algeria. Having arrived in France, in Nice, they took over the "Bar des Oiseaux" located in the old town. At the age of twenty, Noelle Perna took over from them, and, passionate about the artistic world, she performed behind her counter.

She then opened a small theatre next to her bar in 1999, where she gave performances also inviting regional artists. Her growing success led her to tour the venues of the south of France. In 2002 she appeared for the first time in a national line-up, with Gad Elmaleh and Jean-Marie Bigard, among others. She sold the "Bar des Oiseaux" in 2015. In 2003 she created Mado la Nicoise, a one-woman-show directed by Alain Sachs, performing her first show in Paris at the Theatre de 10 heures; the show was a certain success and she filled many Parisian venues including the Palais des Glaces, Bobino, La Cigale and the Olympia.

In 2007 she returned to the stage for Mado fait son show, which drew more than 300,000 spectators and had many extensions. Her later shows include Mado prend Racine (2012), Super Mado, and Certifie Mado (touring in France from October 2018). In 2010 she became a societaire of the radio program Les Grosses Tetes. Several of her shows were released on DVD by Sony, with Mado la Nicoise receiving a platinum DVD in 2005 and a diamond DVD in 2006.