At night, Margaret Shakespeare, William’s sister, writes in secret. At the age of thirteen, she remedies all the injustices she encounters by creating stories of remarkable power. But in 1577, in her small village in England, a girl’s place is in the home. Those who can read and write are accused of witchcraft and doomed to a tragic fate. When William discovers the extent of his sister’s talent, he finds himself torn between his desires to protect her and to share the power of her words with the rest of the world.
Weaving a whimsical journey through the sixteenth-century, author Rébecca Déraspe revisits the myth of the illustrious playwright from a feminist lense. With music and humour aplenty, this enlightened play holds up a magnifying mirror to our times. Are we so far removed from this past society that imposed the path to be followed by boys and girls?
- Prix Louise LaHaye 2019 for best text for young audiences by CEAD, the organisation of Québec playwrights
- Best Play for Young Audiences of the 2017-18 Season by AQCT, the association of Québec theatre critics
- Prix Coup de Coeur des supers-reporters, Les Coups de Théâtre Festival, 2018
Production Théâtre le Clou! (Quebec)
Text and lyrics Rébecca Déraspe
Direction and set design Sylvain Scott
Cast Édith Arvisais, Jonathan Caron, Guillaume Rodrigue
Music and Sound Environment Chloé Lacasse, Benoit Landry
Musician on stage Jean-François de Bellefeuille
Assistant Director Dominique Cuerrier
Dramaturgical Advisor Paul Lefebvre (from CEAD)
Costume design Linda Brunelle
Lighting design Luc Prairie
Movement Monik Vincent
Chandelier design Nathalie Trépanier
Makeup François Cyr
Wigs Géraldine Courchesne
Production Management and Technical Direction Samuel Thériault
Tour stage management Étienne Mongrain, Ariane Roy
Additional credits Production Photography – François Godard | Assistant to Linda Brunelle – Marie-Audrey Jacques | Curtain Production – Éliane Bouchard | Train Production – Johanne Langelier | Screen Printing – Katherine Paré | Cutting – Amélie Grenier and Anne Rémillard | Millinery – Lyne Beaulieu | Studio Musicians: Guido del Fabro (violin, viola), Vincent Carré (Percussion/programming assistance), Chloé Lacasse and Colin Gagné (Sound Recording), and Chloé Lacasse (Mixing) | Set Workshop: Création Z
With the support of the Secrétariat du Québec aux relations canadiennes
And the contribution of Deux Mille Foundation
- Feminism
- Humour
- Musical
- Literary
- Historical and contemporary
- Societal reflection
- Resilience
- Whimsical
Grade level Grades 7 to 12
Length of the show 70 minutes
Cost for school performances $14 per student (+GST), + 1 complimentary ticket offered for every 20 tickets purchased. If you wish to make a reservation for multiple classes, please indicate it in the reservation form, and we will provide you with a quote.
Total number of seats 217
Venue Waterfront Theatre (Granville Island, Vancouver)
Educational material Guide provided 1 month before the performance
