Right Now. Catherine-Anne Toupin
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La Manufacture Theatre Company, in Montréal. It was then presented in a week of preview performances at the Traverse in May 2015.
The Traverse would like to thank all those involved in the development of Right Now on its journey to full UK production this year.
Special thanks to:
Québec Government Office in London
British Council Canada
Jean-Denis Leduc and all at Théâtre La Licorne
Emma Callander
Foreword From Translator, Chris Campbell
Most people in the UK who know anything about Québec theatre will be familiar with either Michel Tremblay, the bard of working-class Montreal, or the world-conquering phenomenon that is Robert Lepage.
When I first went there, ten years ago, I was thrilled to discover one of the most vital and particular theatre cultures I’ve come across. Québec is a francophone island in the middle of an English-speaking ocean and the pride with which they defend their culture is an inspiration. As well as the pressure from the surrounding English Canadians, not to mention the USA to the South, there’s a far from straightforward relationship with the French; or the “French French” as they’re sometimes referred to. Until recently, French-Canadian plays were “translated” into French French for productions in France.
This double isolation creates a pretty much perfect situation for an artist: resentment and resilience; defensiveness and defiance. You can see why there’s been such a strong instinctive bond with Scotland …
The things that sometimes frustrate me about French theatre – its elitism, literariness, self-obsession and general indifference to the lives of its audience – don’t seem to apply in Québec. At the same time, the occasional tendency of British theatre towards anti-intellectualism, unthinking naturalism and an aspiration towards the condition of soap-opera – none of that seems to apply either.
The writers whose work I’ve come to know in Montreal and Québec City have a freshness, an audacity and a strangeness that never fails to fascinate me. There are so many names I’d like you to get to know: Evelyne de la Chenelière, Isabelle Hubert, Olivier Choinière, Serge Boucher, Fanny Britt, the amazing and prolific Carole Fréchette, Frédéric Blanchette, François Archambault and many others grouped around the beating heart of Québec contemporary theatre, Le Théâtre de la Licorne, whose founding artistic director Jean-Denis Leduc is the George Devine of French-Canadian theatre and one of the most inspiring people I’ve ever met.
I hope that translation and production of these writers will continue and, if it does, I’ve no doubt that UK audiences will fall under the spell of this unique blend of the familiar and the strange; at once recognisable and uncanny.
And that’s a description that perfectly fits Catherine-Anne Toupin’s play.
Traverse Theatre Company
The Traverse is Scotland’s new writing theatre.
Formed in 1963 by a group of passionate theatre enthusiasts, the Traverse was founded to extend the spirit of the Edinburgh festivals throughout the year. Today, under Artistic Director Orla O’Loughlin, the Traverse nurtures emerging talent, produces award-winning new plays and offers a curated programme of the best work from the UK and beyond, spanning theatre, dance, performance, music and spoken word.
The Traverse has launched the careers of some of the UK’s most celebrated writers – David Greig, David Harrower and Zinnie Harris – and continues to discover and support new voices – Stef Smith, Morna Pearson, Gary McNair and Rob Drummond.
With two custom-built and versatile theatre spaces, the Traverse’s home in Edinburgh’s city centre is a powerhouse of vibrant new work for, and of, our time. Every August, it holds an iconic status as the theatrical heart of the Edinburgh Festival Fringe.
Outside the theatre walls, it runs an extensive engagement programme, offering audiences of all ages and backgrounds the opportunity to explore, create and develop. Further afield, the Traverse frequently tours internationally and engages in exchanges and partnerships – most recently in Quebec, Turkey and South Korea.
“The Traverse remains the best new writing theatre in Britain.”
The Guardian
For more information about the Traverse please visit:
With thanks
The Traverse Theatre extends grateful thanks to all those who generously support our work, including those who prefer their support to remain anonymous.
Traverse Theatre Supporters
Diamond – Alan & Penny Barr, Katie Bradford
Platinum – Angus McLeod, Iain Millar
Gold – Carola Bronte-Stewart, Helen Pitkethly
Silver – Judy & Steve, Diane Stephen
Trusts and Foundations
Edinburgh Airport Community Board
The Andrew Lloyd Webber Foundation
The Binks Trust
The Cross Trust
The Dr David Summers Charitable Trust
The James Menzies-Kitchin Memorial Trust
Traverse Theatre Production Supporters
Cotterell & Co
Paterson SA Hairdressing
Signarama
Grant Funders
Traverse Theatre (Scotland) is a Limited Company (SC076037) and a Scottish Charity (SC002368) with its Registered Office at 10 Cambridge Street, Edinburgh, Scotland, EH1 2ED.
Traverse Theatre
The Company
| Amy Cloonan | Coffee Shop Senior Supervisor |
| Linda Crooks | Executive Producer & Joint Chief Executive |
| David Drummond | General Manager |
| Claire Elliot | Deputy Electrician |
| Ellen Gledhill | Development Manager |
| Tom Grayson | Box Office Manager |
| Zinnie Harris | Associate Director |
| Rosie Kellagher | Literary Associate |
| Michelle Kelso | Bar Café Manager |
| Rebecca Kirby | Deputy Box Office Manager |
| Rebecca Leary | Receptionist/Administrator |
| Kath Lowe | Front of House Manager |
| Catherine Makin | Artistic Administrator |
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Kevin McCallum
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