Traverse Theatre Presents New Writing from Quebec, Nov. 18-20

This November, the Traverse Theatre is delighted to welcome Jean-Denis Leduc, Théâtre La Licorne Artistic Director, Phillipe Lambert, Théâtre La Licorne Associate Director and three Québécois writers Fabien Cloutier, Catherine-Anne Toupin and François Archambault.

Three plays will be performed in Traverse 2 over three nights as script-in-hand readings as part of an exciting ongoing cultural exchange between the two theatres.

In September, Orla O'Loughlin, Traverse Theatre Artistic Director and Linda Crooks, Traverse Theatre Executive Producer, travelled to Montreal with writers Rob Drummond, Douglas Maxwell and Morna Pearson. Four Traverse plays were performed in Quebecois at Théâtre La Licorne as script-in-hand readings to packed-out houses.

Traverse Artistic Director, Orla comments: "It was a deeply significant visit. We landed in Montreal exactly one week after the referendum here. We saw a Saltire hanging from a balcony on the walk into rehearsal on our first day. The subject of independence was in the air and informed so much of our creative conversation and cultural understanding."

La Licorne is the home of La Manufacture Theatre Company in Montreal, founded in 1975. It mirrors some of the key passions of the Traverse Theatre, commissioning and producing some of the best new writing from Québec and beyond, presenting a significant number of Traverse plays in translation. Over the last few years, Orla has worked closely with Jean-Denis Leduc and this exchange is part of a long term relationship between these two pioneering theatres.

"Like the Traverse, La Licorne embraces an international perspective," Orla continues, "The La Licorne team are regular visitors to the Traverse, both in and out of festival and have a huge audience for the work we commission and that they subsequently produce. It was a privilege to be welcomed so warmly by the Montreal artistic community and to experience such overwhelming appreciation for the work we do."

The three pieces being performed at the Traverse Theatre have been translated from Québécois and will be performed in English, some for the first time. Billy (The Days of Howling) by Fabien Cloutier and translated by Nadine Desrochers is a beautifully rhythmic piece questioning the reliability of narrators and the complexities of living up to the high standards we often set for ourselves and others. Right Here, Right Now by Catherine-Anne Toupin and translated by Christopher Campbell is a richly drawn portrait of a family coming to terms with their unremitting grief. You Will Remember Me by François Archambault and translated by Bobby Theodore is a vividly honest and emotionally engaging depiction of a modern family under pressure, exploring our personal regrets and searches for the succour of redemption.

Orla comments: "These are compelling pieces of work. This stage of the exchange offers our Traverse audience a chance to experience some fantastic Québécois theatre and the chance to immerse themselves in a culture that chimes in both familiar and surprising ways with our own."

Booking at www.traverse.co.uk | 0044 (0) 131 228 1404

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