Surveillée et punie

United by their ambition of transcending hate, singer-songwriter Safia Nolin and theatre director Phillippe Cyr take thousands of actual insults directed at the singer and use them as the raw material for this entirely musical—and entirely extraordinary—work. How do we deal with freedom of speech when it manifests as violence?

Bravely placing herself at the centre of the proceedings, Nolin confronts a large choir spewing bile at her. But in a celebration of the power of art and a vibrant appeal for togetherness, sisterhood and solidarity assert themselves. Even in the face of punishment inflicted by public opinion, music allows all kinds of possibilities, including the transformation of hateful relationships. Armed with her guitar, Safia Nolin finally reclaims the space that others seek to deny her.

Produced by Prospero
Written by Jean-Philippe Baril Guérard + Safia Nolin
Music Vincent Legault + Safia Nolin
Directed by Philippe Cyr
Performed by Debbie Lynch-White + Safia Nolin
Choir Mathieu Abel + Cristine Cimon Fortier + David Cronkite + Ryan Doyle Valdes + Patrick Forcier + Nathalie Gagné + Joseph Grenier + Étienne Guertin + Marthe Leclerc + Claudine Ledoux + Kimberly Lynch + Annabelle Morisson + Mihnea Nitu + Mathieu Pipe Rondeau + Dominic Poulin + Alain Sénéchal + Florence Tremblay + David Trower + Émilie Versailles + Marie-Claude Vezeau + Lea Weilbrenner
Dramaturgical Advisors Mani Soleymanlou + Anne-Marie Voisard
Set and Costume Design Odile Gamache
Lighting Design Cédric Delorme-Bouchard
Assistant Director Andrée-Anne Garneau
Video integration Zachary Noël-Ferland
Sound Benoît Bouchard
Recruitment John Giffen and Chœur de Montréal
Research Ariane Thibault-Vanasse
Sound Manager Jules Potier
Stage Managers Andrée-Anne Garneau + Sandy Caron
Production Director Catherine Comeau
Technical Director Michel St-Amand

Co-produced by l’Homme allumette + Théâtre français du Centre national des Arts (Ottawa) + Les plateaux sauvages (Paris) in association with Théâtre du Trident

Developed with the support of Fonds national de création du Centre national des arts du Canada (Ottawa)

Presented in association with Théâtre Prospero

Premiered at Festival TransAmériques, on May 31 2024

Written by Sara Fauteux
Translated by David Dalgleish