Melanie’s son Benoit, age 8, has a pain that won’t go away, so she takes him to the dentist. Naturally, this results in an epic meltdown. You see, with Benoit, nothing is ever simple. The proof: once in the dentist’s chair, Benoit turns out to have a lot more than cavities inside his mouth… In the end, Melanie – with the help of a kindly alcoholic receptionist, and a dentist who prefers plants to people – must face the fact that her son’s problems are much larger than a simple toothache.
Le Soulier is a bipolar comedy, full of touching and relatable characters trying so very hard to be happy. David Paquet, who won the Governor-General’s Award for Literature in 2010 and the Prix auteur dramatique du Centre du Théâtre d’Aujourd’hui in 2017, has written a hilarious and unsettling play in which empathy triumphs over illness.
JESSIES
Awards won (Category: Grands Théâtres)
Outstanding direction : Esther Duquette & Gilles Poulin-Denis
Outstanding performance in a leading role : Félix Beauchamp
Outstanding sound design : Malcolm Dow
Special Award
Outstanding script : David Paquet
Nominations (Category: Grands Théâtres)
Outstanding production : Théâtre la Seizième
Outstanding in a leading role : Joey Lespérance
Outstanding in a leading role : France Perras
Outstanding lighting design : Itail Erdal
Production Théâtre la Seizième
Text David Paquet
Direction Esther Duquette, Gilles Poulin-Denis
Cast Félix Beauchamp, Annie Lefebvre, Joey Lespérance, France Perras
Set, costumes and props Drew Facey
Music Malcolm Dow
Lighting Itai Erdal
Movement Noam Gagnon
Stage Manager Aidan Hammond
Technical Direction Jeremy Baxter
Surtitles Emma Luna Davis
Surtitles translation Leanna Brodie
Props assistant Tegan Klancnik