IThere are these pieces which mark entire generations with their accuracy, the depth of their words, and their great poetry. This is the case of “Incendies” by Wajdi Mouawad. While the show is being revived these days at Duceppe by directors Inès and Elkahna Talbi, it is an opportunity for the Quebec public to reconnect with this disturbing story which has inhabited our collective imagination for more than two decades.
When she died, Nawal Marwan had not spoken for five years. For her two 22-year-old children, Jeanne and Simon, she remains a great mystery. Who was this woman? Why did she choose to remain silent and shut herself into silence?
His death is the start of an infinitely complex and perilous quest that will forever change the destiny of the two twins.
From the first scenes, the Talbi sisters capture the essence of the original text, while bringing a unique sensitivity to it.
Photo: Danny Taillon
Minimalist decor – a series of detachable blocks that can transform into a mountain, a house, a hospital bed or even a court –used with great intelligence, allows the emotions of the characters to take center stage.
The subtle and impactful play of light accentuates moments of tension and revelation, creating an atmosphere that is both intimate and universal.
Costumes that say it all
It is a disturbingly true Dominique Pétin who plays the role of Nawal, as does all Nawals in history, from 14 to 65 years old. By placing it at the heart of the story, the directors tell us a story that combines the horror of war and the unalterable cycle of violence with the incredible power of love.
This unforgettable character transports us directly to Lebanon, then torn apart by war. This woman of light condemned to darkness is dressed in traditional clothing and draped in fabrics with inscriptions written in Arabic that we can imagine are heavy with meaning.
Jeanne (Sabrina Bégin-Tejeda) and Simon (Neil Elias), for their part, are always dressed very soberly, often dressed in black and white. Jeanne is a gifted young person, lecturer in pure mathematics at the university. Simon is an amateur boxer who transposes all his anger towards his mother by devoting himself to a sport and throwing insults that he masters to perfection.
When notary Hermile Lebel (Denis Bernard) tells them that their mother's last wish is for the twins to reunite with their father and brother, the lives of the two young adults are completely turned upside down.
Photo: Danny Taillon
The work on the costumes, very often cut from vaporous fabrics which give a spectral appearance to the female characters in the story, is masterful. The use of red fabrics to symbolize in turn fetuses, blood, tears and water, in a staging where black and white take precedence, captures the viewer's attention in the same way as the famous “red cape” of Schindler's List.
The pain of grief, war, death and incest will never go unnoticed. It jumps out at us like a clown's nose in the middle of his face.
This clown nose which, moreover, is the only thing that Nawal could have left to the child that was taken from her when she was still a teenager. This bright red nose that will haunt her until the end of her life.
A particular context
The current socio-political context of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, which has extended to Lebanon in recent months, has had a considerable impact on the scenographic choices of the play.
At the entrance of spectators to Duceppe, there is a wonderful exhibition, Break the silencehighlighting the work of a young Palestinian visual artist, Bayan Abu Nahla, who uses her art to denounce the political situation in her country.
These drawings, made over the past two years in the Gaza Strip, are absolutely gripping and force us to see the world through the eyes of this brilliant young woman who, at present, still lives in exile due to the conflicts that persist in his native country.
Photo: Danny Taillon
