This March, Bouche was kindly invited by the British Equity WSW London Office to lead some new play development activities. Taking advantage of this opportunity to introduce British artists to francophone Canadian works, we workshopped three translations. Special thank you to actors Micheal Grinter and Charles Roe.
WESTERN GOLD: THE BALLAD OF GEORGES BOIVIN
By Martin Bellemare | Translated by Jack Paterson
with WSW British Equity London Branch
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 no longer exists for anyone”. But there is life after your 70s 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. Recipient of Le Prix Gratien-Gélinas 2009
ABOUT THE PLAYWRIGHT: MARTIN BELLEMARE
Martin Bellemare is a graduate of the National Theatre School of Canada French Language Playwrighting department. He is the recipient of the Prix Gratien-Gélinas for Le Chant de Georges Boivin (Dramaturges Publishers, 2011). Chant was produced in Quebec, across Canada and France. He received the NTC’s Creation Award for La Liberté (2012) and Moule Robert (2017). La Liberté was selected Le Bureau des Lecteurs de la Comédie-Française (Dramaturges Publishers, 2013). In 2018, he received the Prix SACD de la dramaturgie francophone for Maître Karim la perdrix and the Prix Michel-Tremblay for Moule Robert. His work has been produced in Quebec, France, Switzerland, Germany, Italy and Lithuania.
This translation made possible by a commission from Western Gold Theatre (Vancouver) and a grant from Canada Council for the Arts.
