Leading contemporary francophone playwright Marin Bellemare has yet to have his work translated to English language. Vancouver’s Western Gold Theatre’s unique mandate to give agency to senior voices and artists is the perfect partner for Matrin’s deeply moving to English language translation.
LE CHANT DE GEORGES BOIVIN
By Martin Bellemare | Translated by Jack Paterson
1 hr 15 | 1 Actor
At 77, Georges Boivin decides “gives the dice a roll”. Georges just lost his wife, you see, the “centre of his universe”. He’s terrified “he’s no longer exists for anyone”. But there is life after 70 and it must continue even after great loss. With his three friends, all the same age as he, he sets out on road trip from Québec to Vancouver, in search of his first love who he hasn’t seen in 50 years.
In 2009, Le chant de Georges Boivin received the renown Le Prix Gratien-Gélinas. The play has been presented at Théâtre du Rideau vert (Montréal, 2010), Théâtre de la Huchette (Paris, 2011), and la Maison-des-Arts (Laval, 2011) with Théâtre Bluff.
2013/14, the production directed by Mario Borges and featuring well known francophone actor Pierre Collin, was selected by le Conseil des arts de Montréal and le comité de sélection de la Bourse RIDEAU 2013. This production was seen across Quebec and francophone communities across Canada including the National Arts Centre (Ottawa). But has yet to make it to Vancouver.
“Admirably well-constructed, Le chant de Georges Boivin intimately reveals the experiences of an elderly person with great finesse and delicacy.” – Jury of Prix Gratien-Gélinas 2009
“Le Chant de Georges Boivin is a precious gift. A “beautiful adventure” for an older actor…”– Isabelle Houde, Le Soleil
“…a theatrical road-movie brimming with vulnerability…the play destroys any prejudice that older people are devoid of passionate. Even after great loss, love is possible.” – Alix Forgeot, L-Express.ca
With his work described as “dazzling formal mastery” and “virtuoso inventiveness” by the Prix Michel-Tremblay jury, Martin Bellemare is a leading new voice in Quebecois theatre whose work has yet to be translated to English.
A graduate of the National Theatre School of Canada French Language Playwrighting program. He received NTC’s Creation Award for La Liberté (2012) and Moule Robert (2017). In 2018, he received the Prix SACD de la dramaturgie francophone for Maître Karim la perdrix and the Prix Michel-Tremblay for Moule Robert.
He has been writer in residence at Théâtre de l’Aquarium (Cartoucherie/Paris), La Chartreuse, Centre National des Écritures du Spectacle (Villeneuve-lès Avignon), La Maison des Auteurs (Limoges), the Domaine de Mariemont (CED-WB/Wallonie), Théâtre du Bic (Québec). His work for young audiences is published by Lansman and have been presented in Montréal, Paris and Poznan (Poland). Recently, Des pieds et des mains, was created at Centre National des Arts (Ottawa, 2016), and presented at Tarmac (Paris, 2017).
His work has been produced in Quebec, France, Poland and Switzerland and translated into German, Italian and Lithuanian.
This translation is made possible by a commission from Western Gold Theatre and a grant from Canada Council.
This translation was workshopped in London (UK), with British Equity WSW London Office and BoucheWHACKED! Theatre Collective featuring Micheal Grinter & Charles Roe.
