Éric, you wrote the text of the play over ten years ago. What was your approach to writing it at that time?

I have to say that at first, I didn’t really have a clear artistic project. I was mainly driven by a powerful impulse: I needed to describe the emotions I was feeling and the remarkable things I observed in the world of chemsex, which I was part of at that time. I therefore started writing with a certain sense of urgency. Little by little, the story took shape and I followed where it led.

After that, of course, I reworked the text considerably. I focused on its structure and dramatic construction. I thought about the character’s position and his relationship to the story. I made use of certain devices that have been part of my writing since the beginning of my career and that I still use today—for example, reverse chronology, active narration, and my characters’ awareness of the audience’s presence.

The play tackles chemsex, which involves the use of synthetic drugs during sexual relations. Despite the challenging and unfamiliar subject matter, we quickly feel a connection to the character. Why do you think that is?

EN: Chemsex is indeed unfamiliar to many people, but it’s a practice that is much more common than you might think. It’s a phenomenon that has become more widespread in recent years, and various community and health stakeholders are calling for the authorities to recognize it as a public health issue–as it is now in France. So while this world may seem very niche to some spectators, it will resonate with others immediately because it affects them directly.

I also think that autobiographical works can create a very strong sense of connection, which is one of the elements that makes them so interesting. When an artist draws on lived experience, it gives the work a sense of authenticity, which often enables spectators to feel deeply involved in the story, regardless of their own background. There’s a vulnerability in Ces regards amoureux de garçons altérés that relates to what I was going through at the time of writing it, and I think that raw emotion makes it easier to create a powerful bond with the audience.

Philippe Cyr: The text highlights issues of addiction, substance abuse, and sexuality, but in my view, it’s first and foremost a story of heartbreak that everyone can relate to. From the start of the project, we wanted to make sure the character was not marginalized. One of the first choices we made was to select the actor who would perform the monologue.

We wanted to avoid clichés at all costs. We didn’t want to feature a thin, wounded, drug-ravaged body nor a body that fits the community’s sexualized stereotypes.

When considering Gabriel, besides his acting skills and versatility, we thought that as an actor who projects health and has a cheerful demeanor, he could help us challenge preconceived notions about the issues tackled in the text. I wanted people to be able to identify with this guy like a cousin, a friend, a brother, or a son. Gabriel’s energy and talent are also a very good fit for the various elements at work in Éric’s writing.

What are the various elements in the text and how did you approach them as a director?

PC: The play has multiple layers of meaning and features various dualities, which is what makes it so rich. First of all, it juxtaposes raw brutality and great beauty, creating constant dialogue and tension between them. This element raises a number of questions, particularly in terms of performance. How do you fully capture the violence of the story while leaving room for the tremendous tenderness and love that it contains? The show also provokes mixed reactions. For some people, the descriptions of sex and drug use are off-putting and very hard to take. For others, however, they’re exciting and appealing. I wanted these two perspectives to co-exist, and be embodied through romanticism, in the purest sense of the word.

Finally, there’s also a kind of contrast in the character’s state of mind and perception. Is he living everything in the story right now or does he have a certain distance from it? Sometimes, you have the impression that he’s immersed in the present of the story, but that’s not the case, since he also acknowledges that he’s standing in front of an audience. I didn’t try to separate the various levels of the text. The play contains subtle movements that are not clearly defined. It’s like a prism: each facet is necessary.

Interview by Sara Fauteux

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