Arctic Tall Tales

CREDITS

ARCTIC TALL TALES is a production of the collective La ruée vers l’or, in coproduction with Théâtre de la Pire Espèce.

Original text : Jørn Riel
Adaptation : Anne Lalancette (with the collaboration of Francis Monty, Jérémie Desbiens, Simon Landry-Desy & Alexandre Harvey)
English translation : Kristina Troske
Direction : Anne Lalancette & Francis Monty (with the collaboration of Jérémie Desbiens, Simon Landry-Desy & Alexandre Harvey)
Cast : Jérémie Desbiens, Jean-François Beauvais & Anne Lalancette
Live music and foley : Alexandre Harvey
Stage management : Miguel Angel Gutiérrez
Puppets design : Sophie Deslauriers (from the original drawings of Hervé Tanquerelle)
Puppets building : Sophie Deslauriers & Claudine Rivest
Sets and props design : Corinne Merrell
Sets and props building : Corinne Merrell & Nancy Belzile
Music and sound design : Alexandre Harvey
Light design : Nancy Longchamp

La ruée vers l’or would like to thank the Conseil des arts et des lettres du Québec, the
Canada Council for the Arts, Théâtre de la Pire Espèce, Théâtre Aux Écuries and Maison de la culture Marie-Uguay for their financial support, as well as éditions Gaïa and Sarbacane for making the adaptation of this work possible.

SYNOPSIS

At the dawn of the 1950s, a handful of intrepid hunters is scattered across the north-east coast of Greenland. Confinement, solitude, rationing, harsh weather… Not always easy to keep a cool head under such conditions. And yet, the vast wilderness, the majestic snow-covered expanse and the unlikely tales of our trusty comrades leave us longing for adventure and freedom. Are they truths, lies or myths? Who knows? One thing is certain: these extraordinary escapades will most certainly charm you!

Arctic Tall Tales are originally a collection of short stories brimming with humour and
humanity, as well as a series of delightfully addictive graphic novels. But here we present you with a larger than life version, unlike you’ve ever seen, where puppetry, storytelling, live music and sound are blended to create a universe both uproarious and poetic.

Biography

LA RUÉE VERS L’OR is an artistic collective that was born from the collaboration of two old friends. Alexandre Harvey is a composer and multi-instrumentalist. He also uses sound effects and sampling techniques to enhance his compositions. Anne Lalancette has been a puppeteer for 20 years. She is working in theatre, television and film productions. Together, they share a wild sense of humor and a particularly sharp sense of rhythm. They are mainly inspired by the universe of graphic novels and repertory films. The collective specializes in the production of table puppets and live music and sound shows, for adult and teen audiences. Their performances are dynamic, contagious, with a great aesthetic sensibility and in collusion with the audience.