The Montreal media premiere of the play took place on Thursday, October 31. FIRES at the Jean-Duceppe Theater at Place des Arts. This immense piece by Wajdi Mouawad, which inspired Denis Villeneuve to make a grandiose film, has been completely revisited by sisters Elkhana and Inès Talbi. A new creation, modern and feminist, which promises to be a great theatrical success.
Created at the theater in 2003, the play Fires has since shone throughout the world, both in its theatrical form and thanks to the film adaptation of Denis Villeneuve. And the figures for this immense success are staggering: the play was presented in around forty countries and the text was translated into eight languages. Director Denis Villeneuve produced a film that propelled his career, screened in around fifty countries, winner of 9 Jutra awards in 2011 and selected in the category of best foreign language film at the 83e Oscar ceremony, no less!
The story ofFires as described by the theater company
“When Nawal died, his twins, Jeanne and Simon, met in the office of notary Lebel for the reading of the will. The brother and sister then learn that their father is still alive and that their siblings include an unknown brother. Shaken, incredulous, Jeanne and Simon set out in the footsteps of their past and retrace the story of the one who gave them life, to discover an unsuspected and tragic destiny, marked by war, hatred, anger. , the irreparable… and the courage of a woman. »
A revisited version
The sisters Elkhana et Inès Talbi, directors, were approached by Duceppe's co-artistic directors in order to take a new look at this jewel of Quebec dramaturgy. The fact of offering the direction to women allows us to offer a different perspective from that of the author, the play having been written and originally directed by a man.
The bet is successful, because while respecting the original work, this new reading is an ode to the strength of women. First of all by offering an exceptional place to Dominique Pétin in the role of Nawal, whose remarkable performance earned her a long standing ovation. She is at the center of the story and tells us her story from start to finish, through the horrors of war and the healing power of love.
She is surrounded by strong female characters, like Nawal's grandmother, Nazira, who forces her to break the thread of anger, to leave the village in order to learn to read, write, and count. To succeed in speaking and making your voice heard, so as not to fall.
Performers of incredible talent
The directors allowed themselves to make a few cuts in the text (with the author's blessing), in order to make the text more fluid and to perform the play in a single act, without intermission. This new version implies that fewer performers than originally, i.e. seven artists, play around twenty characters.
The cast is mainly composed of actors of Arab origin, with the exception of Denis Bernard who plays the role of the family notary and friend of Nawal. The latter, always excellent, brings a certain refreshing dose of humor to this show whose backstory is rather tragic.
Switching from one character to another is not easy, and the performers manage to make their different roles very credible, helped by relevant costumes and makeup. Despite the tragic subject, because the story combines both the horrors of war and the violence that humans can demonstrate, the actors succeed both in moving us and above all, in transmitting to us the most important message of this piece: that through the courage of a woman and the incredible power of love, we can overcome everything and manage to find forgiveness if we want to continue living… A truly striking piece that you absolutely must see!
The play “INCENDIES” is presented at Duceppe until November 30, 2024. Tickets on sale: https://duceppe.com/incendies/
On tour of February 7 to April 16, 2025 In 25 Quebec municipalities: https://duceppe.com/tournees/
DETAILS :
- Text – Wajdi Mouawad
- Staging – Elkahna and Ines Talbi
- Interpretation – Sabrina Bégin Tejeda, Denis Bernard, Ariane Castellanos, Neil Elias, Reda Guerinik, Dominique Pétin and Antoine Yared
- Scenography – Anick La Bissonnière
- Costumes – Sophie El-Assaad
- Musique – Ilyaa Ghafouri and Radwan Ghazi Moumneh
- Movement – Jr. Maddripp and Ines Talbi
Josée Laberge | Journalist
Passionate about music since a young age and trained as a pianist, Josée has very eclectic musical tastes. Devouring culture in all its forms, she loves attending shows or events of all kinds, in order to share her passion for the richness of Quebec culture and its many talented artists.
Photo credit: Danny Taillon
