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Gilles Jean leaves his comfortable existence as a Montreal lawyer to return to Benevolence, the small town where he grew up. Grappling with a difficult case and surrounded by his outspoken Union-building mother, his childhood best friend, and a host of familial ghosts, Gilles Jean finds himself at the centre of a moral morass from which no amount of legalese can extract him.
Originally performed in French, Fanny Britt's Benevolence won the Governor General's award for Drama in 2013. Presented here for the first time in English with a translation by Leanna Brodie, the play explores the morality of friendship, generational responsibility, and what it means to walk away from something you love. The translation was commissioned by Ruby Slippers Theatre, part of a company-wide mission to encourage increased exposure to Québecois work in Vancouver. Ruby Slippers produces the show in partnership with Pacific Theatre, helmed by director and Ruby Slippers' Artistic Director, Diane Brown.
Said Brown: "Ruby Slippers Theatre has been commissioning and producing English translations of compelling Québec works for years. I chose this play because, poetic and raw, this spectacle of intimacy deftly explores our capacity for love and self-loathing, for clarity and delusion. Britt's world is uncomfortably personal, blending the surreal with the banal, moral queasiness with jet black humour, culminating in a challenge to act - to do the right thing - in a society that is morally and spiritually bankrupt."
The cast includes Charlie Gallant (Noises Off (Arts Club), Shakespeare In Love (Bard On The Beach)) as Gilles Jean, and Pacific Theatre favourite Chris Lam (A Prayer For Owen Meany (PT), We The Same (RST)) as his childhood friend Bruno; Paul Moniz De Sá, Stephanie Wong, and Beatrice Zeilinger.
Benevolence opens Friday, Sept 30th and runs until Oct 15th at Pacific Theatre.
About Ruby Slippers: Ruby Slippers Theatre imagines an inclusive world where diversity is celebrated through a deeper understanding of each other. To realize this vision, RST illuminates under-represented perspectives by giving voice and opportunities to diverse artists from across the country including Québec works in English translation.
Featuring Charlie Gallant, Chris Lam, Paul Moniz de Sá, Stephanie Wong, and Beatrice Zeilinger.
Directed by Diane Brown. Sound Design by Rick Colhoun. Set and Lighting Design by John Webber. Costume Design by Jessica Oostergo. Properties by Monica Emme. Stage Management by Nico Dicecco. Apprentice Stage Management by Dayna Horn. Technical Direction by Daniel O'Shea.
Written by Fanny Britt. Translated from French by Leanna Brodie.
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