Philippe and Camille love each other with true love and they love their son Louis just as much. But when the latter becomes the victim of his school because of the Petite Pouliche backpack he carries on his shoulder, the family unit cracks.
Published at 8:00 a.m.
Written by the Spaniard Paco Bezera, the play My little filly is inspired by two true stories, those of boys who were victims of bullying in the United States in 2014. The subject upset the director Louis-Karl Tremblay. “I read the summary of this play on a German site and I was already intrigued,” says the man who directs the production presented at La Licorne.
After a first translation tinkered with artificial intelligence (the play is presented in a translation by Stéphanie Cardi subsequently), he felt the urgency to present in Quebec – and for the first time in French – this “social thriller » hot news. “The more I read, the more I wondered how parents would resolve this dilemma between freedom and security. I recognized myself immediately in this child. »
I found it touching that it was the father who pleaded for his son’s freedom. This is not the male model I had. This piece sparked several discussions in me.
Louis-Karl Tremblay
To embody the parental tandem, he chose two performers who are themselves parents: Évelyne Rompré and Bruno Marcil. The first depicts a mother for whom nothing is more important than joining the ranks. “Camille is a discreet woman, who does not want to make waves,” explains Évelyne Rompré. For her, what’s good is normality. She wants her child to be out of danger, to no longer be threatened. If the source of the problem is a backpack, well, take it off and that’s it! »
The father, Philippe, is made of different wood. “A priori, he seems to listen more to his son,” indicates Bruno Marcil. He wants his son to emancipate himself as he is. This father is ready to fight for people to accept his son’s difference, ready to make those who want to silence his child pay through their lack of openness or their rectitude. »
Thin line
Between the father and the mother, the clash of values will be great. Both characters will quickly discover the limits – and dangers – of their respective positions. In My little fillyimpossible to choose a side. No one is all black or all white.
This, according to Louis-Karl Tremblay, is the great interest of this text which was the subject of a film in Germany. “This text does not invalidate any position. It is not moralizing or educational. It gives no answers, but raises several questions. He walks a fine line and leaves the viewer wondering how he himself would have reacted to such a situation. »
PHOTO HUGO-SÉBASTIEN AUBERT, THE PRESS
Evelyne Rompré and Bruno Marcil
The thing is also true for the character of Louis, this 10-year-old child at the heart of the story, but who we never see. “We know he’s different, but we don’t know in what way,” says the director. Is it a physical difference, a difference in origin or sexual orientation? The public will make up their minds, probably based on their unconscious biases. »
Drywall and nails
To serve as a backdrop for this couple who are torn apart over the course of action to follow to ensure the well-being of their son, Louis-Karl Tremblay imagined a room under construction. In the middle of bare gypsum walls, the protagonists will become two islands that no bridge can connect.
As a mother, this text really resonated with me. These two parents have a child who is very different from themselves. What does the parent do with this? We accept the being we have given birth to and we support him in what he is or try to make him fit into a certain mold… for his own good?
Évelyne Rompré
“It’s a text that is mentally very fun for an actor to play,” adds Bruno Marcil. He could have remained in a certain realism, which would not have been interesting, but we open wider. Theatricality gives another breath, to bring out the real issues. »
“The play is not only aimed at parents,” says Louis-Karl Tremblay. It raises questions about our relationship to difference and our level of tolerance towards things that confront us. »
My little filly is presented at La Licorne from December 3 to 21.
Consult the part page My little filly
A director and his muse
PHOTO HUGO-SÉBASTIEN AUBERT, THE PRESS
Louis-Karl Tremblay and Évelyne Rompré
In addition to My little fillyLouis-Karl Tremblay and Évelyne Rompré are collaborating on a project which will see the light of day in January at the Théâtre de Quat’sous. Its title: All that. “It’s a very acrobatic score that I sent to Évelyne,” says the director. Within an hour, she called me back to say, “This is terrifying! I accept!” » The play written by Briton Alistair McDowall surveys the life of an ordinary woman, from her birth to her death, all in the form of a linguistic exploration. The director explains: “At the beginning, there are just words, then little by little, the words become concepts, which become sentences, which become experiences. And suddenly, life unfolds. And it’s amazing, because the small becomes universal. And it goes by quickly. »
All that is presented at the Théâtre de Quat’Sous from January 22 to February 15.
Consult the part page All that
