Les Coups de théâtre

Foundation and Reception of the Coups de théâtre

Founded in 1992 by Rémi Boucher, then General Manager of the Maison Théâtre, the Coups de théâtre festival took over the defunct Festival du théâtre pour enfants. Quebec theatre created for young audiences was growing rapidly at the times and many companies devoted themselves to this. The festival, with its international focus, aimed to broaden the reach of Montreal creators and audiences alike.

Well-received by professionals, the press and the public, the Coups de théâtre grew steadily, punctuated by some memorable hits. The festival has won several awards and prizes that are a testimony of this, including the Conseil des arts de la Communauté urbaine de Montréal prize in the theatre section for the boldness and quality of the 2002 festival.

Notable Works and International Influence

Among the productions whose avant-garde style has been highlighted is Mère et enfants by Flemish Belgium’s Compagnie Victoria, signed by its choreographer Alain Platel. It featured children and teenage dancers and acrobats in a vitriolic family, and in 1996 it won the Masque for best foreign production awarded by the Académie québécoise du théâtre. The same award was won in 2001 by La Jeune Fille, la Maman et la Poubelle by Suzanne Osten, a play about schizophrenia produced by Sweden’s Stadsteatern Unga Klara, and also in 2004 by the unforgettable and witty Malade imaginaire which was directed by Ad de Bont and produced by Amsterdam’s Wederzijds company. Dutch company Stella den Haag, present in 1996, 1998 and 2000, was nominated for the Soirée des Masques each time, before opening the 2004 edition of the festival.

Among the Quebec works co-produced by the Coups de théâtre and Théâtre les gens d'en bas was the Mathieu, François et les autres company who in 2003 won the Masque for best production for young audiences, as well as for best sound design, with Jean-Rock Gaudreault's Deux pas vers les étoiles. Each year, the festival presented new productions in dance, music and theatre, as well as lectures, installations and exhibitions. In 2004, the musical 20 Jacks ¼ by composer Tim Brady, a piece for twenty electric guitars featuring young instrumentalists from Montreal-area high schools, won the Opus Award for concert of the year for young audience.

Rémi Boucher was elected to the executive committee of ASSITEJ international in 1999, and then became vice-president of the same organization in 2002. He won the right to organize the 15th World Congress and Performing Arts Festival for Children & Young People in Montreal, a major event that took place in the fall of 2005. The event showcased forty shows from fifteen different countries.

Boucher, the festival's artistic director, travelled the world in search of the most innovative shows. He was particularly interested in promoting Quebec theatre abroad, and worked to facilitate contact between artists and their audiences in Quebec and beyond. For its 13th edition in November 2014, the festival presented shows by sixteen theatre companies from Canada (Quebec and Acadia), Mexico, France, Belgium, the Netherlands and Spain. The following year, the program also included performances by Portuguese and Norwegian companies. In so doing, the festival aimed to fill the gap in the industry's ability to present children's shows on the international stage.

Innovation

The Coups de théâtre festival is distinguished for its desire to open up the world of children's theatre. It was an environment dedicated to exploring possibilities, as much through innovation in the performing arts as through the fantastic universes developed to captivate audiences of all ages. The various programs featured music, dance, cinema, innovative technologies and visual arts of all kinds to create unforgettable experiences. The 15th edition of the festival added of a new dance program to its existing line-up. La Vitrine was a collaboration with Focus Québec, presenting six dance productions for children aged three to twelve.

The Coups de théâtre festival was the event of choice for never-before-seen performances of daring plays that blended poetry, storytelling, comedy and adventure. The festival also offered meetings, conferences and workshops for artists and professionals, stimulating discussion and reflection on the arts for young people. Children's access to culture and maintaining quality artistic production were the cornerstones of the festival. The artistic direction of the Coups de théâtre did much to facilitate contact between creators and audiences, especially by collaborating with the education sector to set up a program that enabled several classes to maintain a special link with performing artists and gain access to arts for young people.

Festival Disbanded

The 19th edition of the festival, due to take place in September 2023, was cancelled due to lack of funding and staff. The decision also marked the retirement of Rémi Boucher, who served as artistic director for thirty years. In addition to the Coups de théâtre, Boucher also founded Les 400 coups, Quebec's first international film festival for young audiences.