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Théâtre Parminou

Company founded in Quebec City, Quebec, in 1974 by students of the National Theatre School of Canada and the Conservatoire d'Art Dramatique de Québec (including Martine Beaulne and Normand Canac-Marquis). The company's name is a play on words meaning Theatre Among Us.

They performed in and around Quebec City before moving to the small town of Victoriaville in the centre of the province in 1976.

From the start the group dedicated itself to the concept of collective creation and socialist culture, often creating works at the request of a community or labour group. Their work is characterized by use of clowns and music and very little dialogue.

Their work Toujours plus gros toured to France in 1977. The company has created plays which address the plight of the homeless such as Des miettes pour les pigeons (May, 1999), and violence against women, in collaboration with Senegal's Bamtaare troupe. Recent productions include: Encore (2005), Les vendredis de Sophie (2005), Deux poids, deux mesures (2006), Les contes de la richesse (2007), Femmes de mèche (2008).

Théâtre Parminou has twice attended the "Festival pour le développement" at Ouagadougou in Burkina Faso, and worked on the creation of Planète pauvre (1996) with Manila's Théâtre Peta in the Philippines. Since 1996 it has collaborated with Belgium's Théâtre-Action, and invited to play several regions of Belgium and France in presentations of Mon paradis d'enfer and Mondialissimo, a joint creation with the Compagnie du Campus (Belgique), the Acteurs de l'Ombre (Belgique), the Théâtre du Levant (France) and, more recently in Revenez Lundi a joint production with the Théâtre du Campus in Belgium.

Co-Artistic Directors are Hélène Desperrier and Jean-Francois Gascon.

Further Reading: Maureen Martineau. "The Théâtre Parminou: Thirty Years of History. A Test of Commitment." Canadian Theatre Review 117 (2004): 5-9.

Website: www.parminou.com

Last updated 2021-12-14