October 14, 2003 -

"Isn't it better to be master of one's life than to look at it in a mirror?"

Michel Fréchette, director

Ottawa, Ontario -- Having a double, coming face to face with an exact replica of yourself—what a shock! Presenting the world premiere of the 29th and latest creation of the Théâtre de l'Avant-Pays—what an honour! That honour belongs to the National Arts Centre (NAC) French Theatre and its premiere presentation of À nous deux!, a puppet play written by Joël da Silva and directed by Michel Fréchette and Michel P. Ranger.

Drawing on traditional Japanese bunraku, a sophisticated form of puppetry where the puppeteers remain in full sight of the audience, À nous deux! blends suspense, philosophy and humour in three delightful stories about lookalikes that will make you see… double! In this fanciful work where imagination reigns and every part has its counterpart, puppets—traditional theatrical devices for the alter ego—give poetic voice to the human soul.

Recommended for ages 4 to 7, À nous deux! will be presented in the NAC Studio on Saturday, October 18 at 13:30 and Sunday, October 19 at 13:30 and 15:30. Adults (and their doubles) are also welcome, subject to seating availability.

Three stories about doubles

It's already late in the evening and Nicolas, a young writer, must absolutely deliver three stories to his editor the next morning. Under the indulgent gaze of his elderly cat, Nicolas struggles to come up with an idea for the first story. Nicolas squirms, sighs and twitches, but still can't think of a thing. Then the clock strikes midnight, and suddenly Nicolas's double slips into the apartment, gliding through the mirror as if it were a door. He brings inspiration, but also doubt, and Nicolas faces the challenges of writing three stories around the theme of doubles. Nicolas starts scribbling, and at last, just as dawn is breaking, he finishes the last story and scrawls "The End" with a flourish.

In L'histoire de Marcel, Marcel Morel, a scrupulously honest security guard at the central bank, falls under the influence of his double and breaks into the safe he's been guarding for 20 years. The Double is the Other we carry within us, often without knowing it. In L'histoire de Paul et Clara we meet Paul, a conniving young student who sends away for a Build-It-Yourself Double who will do everything Paul can't face doing. Things go swimmingly until one day the Double, who has no idea about his origins, falls in love… and discovers the truth. Paul thought he could fool the world, but he becomes trapped in his own web of lies. The Double is a façade that can protect us, but can also suffocate us. L'histoire de Lili-Rose is about a bubbly, charming heroine who can split herself in two to become two separate people, Rose and Lili. Thanks to this unusual ability, Lili-Rose has never had to choose: she can always have things both ways. However, she comes to realize that sometimes being able to make a decision is a good thing. The Double is also our wonderful ability to fantasize about our dream life.

What's behind l'Avant-Pays

Since it was founded in 1976, the Théâtre de l'Avant-Pays has given some 3,000 performances across Quebec and in Ontario, New Brunswick, France, Belgium, Germany and the United States, sharing the wonderful language of puppetry with audiences of all ages and establishing itself as one of Canada's leading touring puppet theatre troupes. The company's professional standards, its extensive research, experimentation and discussion into each and every production, its strong presence in the international theatre community, its wide popular appeal, its commitment to promoting the art of puppet theatre, and its unique training programmes have made a vital contribution to the diversity and legitimacy of puppet theatre. Renowned for artistic excellence and professionalism, the Théâtre de l'Avant-Pays creates puppet theatre that is lively, diverse and accessible. The company has made several previous visits to the NAC with such popular productions as Le Petit bon à rien, Château sans roi and Les Gardiens du feu by Joël da Silva, and Charlotte Sicotte.

The National Arts Centre French Theatre gratefully acknowledges the support of Radio-Canada (La Première Chaîne and La Chaîne culturelle), Radio-Canada Television, CIMF Rock Détente and Le Droit.

Information:
Guy Warin
Communications Officer
National Arts Centre French Theatre
(613) 947-7000 or 1 866 850-2787, ext. 759
gwarin@nac-cna.ca