Theatre Fools and Feathers

Founded in 2009, in Paris, Fools and Feathers believes that theatre should be a place of wonder, an "enchanting" space that celebrates and reveals all aspects of human existence through the use of different performing art forms.

Our company defends theatre rooted in utmost sincerity, always adapting to the aesthetics chosen by the director, for the duration of one or several projects. We consider that each new show should deepen the unique relationship which exists between the art of the actor, the eye of the director, the invention of a scenic language imbued with meaning, the creation of new texts or the reinvention of classics from world literature.

More generally, Theatre Fools and Feathers seeks to promote artistic creation, education, production of live theatre shows or film projects, artistic and cultural activities, leading workshops as well as developing cultural exchanges between authors, teachers, artists, institutions and producers.

Fools and Feathers has chosen to collaborate with British and Quebecois artists Sophie Brech and Louis Fortier, who wrote, directed and currently perform in "The Tragicomic Destiny of Tubby and Nottubby", which has been presented 125 times in 6 countries since 2011.

They are currently working on ‘Tempus Extraordinarius’, a new creation that reunite the characters of Tubby and Nottubby. The world opening will be at L’archipel de Fouesnant, France, on November 9th 2017, and will be followed by a Western-Canadian tour of 20 dates in Winnipeg, Kelowna and Edmonton, in January and February 2018.

Over the years, along side their own creative work, Sophie Brech and Louis Fortier are associated to other artistic projects with directors such as Robert Lepage, Shuji Onodera, Omar Porras and Andrew Wilson. Their capacity for reinvention and newness as well as their unique, creative journeys' continually feeds the strength and richness of their artistic work.

Its been a privilege for Theatre Fools and Feathers to collaborate with such rare artists: Our encounter with Sophie Brech and Louis Fortier has encouraged us to search for powerful artistic choices and directions, and therefore to associate with artists who have strong visions, rooted in theatricality and truth at all times.

Mark Jamous, Chairman of Fools Theatre and Feathers

Louis Fortier

After performing with the University of Montreal Theatre Company, Louis Fortier moved to Sarajevo, in 1995-1996, in order to encounter and work with the wartime artistic resistance movement. This exceptional experience determined the course of his life. He studied under the direction of Mustapha Nadarovic, at the Sarajevo Academy of Performing Arts. .

He moved to Paris, where he studied with Jacques Lecoq and later became Mario Gonzalez’s first assistant at The National Conservatory of Dramatic Arts in Paris, between 1999 and 2003.

In 2005, following a proposition from South Korean author Roh Kyeong-Shik, he created an adaptation of The Train to Seoul, both playing the main role and being the co director. This show toured South Korea in 2005 and 2008.

In 2006, he danced the role of Drosselmeyer in The Nutcracker, by Tchaikovsky, directed by U.S.A. choreographer Brooke Desnoes.

He then became one of the lead actors in Teatro Malandro, directed by director Omar Porras. He performed in Brecht’s play Master Puntila and his servant Matti.

This masked show was performed worldwide for two years including performances in Theatre de la Ville, Paris as well as in Japan and in several other countries.

With Sophie Brech, he took part in Omar Porras’s latest theatre project, Romeo and Juliet, which was created at the Shizuoka Performing Arts Centre, in Japan. This show was created with Tadashi Suzuki and Satoshi Miyagi’s group of actors and toured Japan in 2012.

Louis Fortier has written and directed Our Hamlet, and adaptation of Shakespeare’s tragedy for eight actresses, performed in Canada both in 2006 and 2008. He has also directed several plays in France, including an operatic adaptation of Kafka’s novel, The Castle, which was performed in Bulgaria, France, Hungary and Romania, in 2010.

He is also playing in With Sophie Brech, he created Theatre Fools and Feathers, a company based in Paris. Together, they wrote, directed and are currently performing The Tragicomic Destiny of Tubby and Nottubby, which director Robert Lepage hailed as "an ode to dreams and a tribute to the power of imagination"

This Shakespearian production brings together the worlds of clown, tragedy and comedy, has received great reviews and has had a tremendous success around the world, notably in Canada and in France. It was short-listed as “Best foreign production 2011” by the Quebec Association of Theatre Critics, and was invited by the British Art Council, the French Institute as well as the British, French and German embassies in Afghanistan, to be performed in Kabul in June 2013.

Since 2001, Louis Fortier has directed many workshops for professional actors as well as young people on tragedy, chorus work, clowns and masked theatre in relation to Shakespeare's work, in countries such as Afghanistan, Bosnia, Canada, France, Hungary, Iran, Italy and South-Korea.

He also directed actors who trained in prestigious schools such as “The Lee Strasberg School of Acting"; the National Acting Schools of Bulgaria, Canada, Hungary, France and Romania; “The International School of Jacques Lecoq", and The International Marcel Marceau Mime School, …

Louis Fortier is currently working as an actor and co-author with director Robert Lepage on his latest creation: "Playing Cards: Hearts", touring internationally.

Sophie Brech

Sophie Brech studied theatre from 1993-1996 at The University of East Anglia, in England, under the direction of Tony Gash, a specialist of Shakespeare. This experience allowed her to do a placement with Theatre de Complicite, in London, where she had the opportunity to assist director Simon McBurney in his revival of the show The Three Lives of Lucie Cabrol. This exceptional experience inspired her to move to Paris and attend The International School of Jacques Lecoq, who taught her from 1997 to 1999.

She soon developed a passion for clown, mask work and Shakespeare which led her to become an assistant at The National Conservatory of Dramatic Arts, in Paris, under the direction of Mario Gonzalez.

She has lived in Paris ever since, and works both as an actress and a director in Canada, England, France and in Asia. She has also directed actors and teachers in chorus and clown workshops in Afghanistan, Canada, France, Iran, Sarajevo and South Korea..

She has had extensive experience in running theatre workshops to learners of English as well as native speakers in France and abroad, working for several different theatre companies including The Amercian School of Paris -Extension Programme - where she was Head of Theatre for secondary students for many years, as well as at The Ecole Active Bilingue where she ran theatre workshops for primary students. She has created and directed many shows for young people and children in English (notably Shakespeare plays).

Under Louis Fortier’s direction, Sophie Brech has performed in several plays, including Our Hamlet (Canada : 2006/2008) ; A Train to Seoul (South-Korea : 2005/2008) and The Castle, an operatic adaptaion of Kafka’s novel (Touring Eastern-Europe and France : 2010).

Between 2001 and 2010, she was the main actress with director Andrew Wilson’s Company Act based in Paris, which specialised in theatre in English for young people. She performed in eight productions including Shakespeare plays and contemporary texts, and interpreted roles such as Ophelia and Eliza Doolittle. She also ran theatre workshops in English with secondary students around France.

She took part in Omar Porras’s latest theatre project, Romeo and Juliet, which was created at the Shizuoka Performing Art Centre, in Japan. This Teatro Malandro’s production was created with Tadashi Suzuki and Satoshi Miyagi’s group of actors and toured Japan in 2012.

In 2011, together with Louis Fortier, she created Theatre Fools and Feathers, their company based in Paris. They wrote, directed and are currently performing The Tragicomic Destiny of Tubby and Nottubby, which Robert Lepage described as "an ode to dreams and a tribute to the power of imagination”.

She has recently played the lead role in a French contemporary production Au Fil de La Craie in Picardie, France, written by Marion Bonneau and directed by Charles Lee.

Season 2012/2013

4th and 5th Octobre | Théâtre Cergy 95 | Cergy Pontoise The Tragicomic Destiny of Tubby and Nottubby
26th Octobre | L'Archipel | FouesnantThe Tragicomic Destiny of Tubby and Nottubby
24th, 25th, 26th January | Mjc Théâtre des 3 Vallées | Palaiseau The Tragicomic Destiny of Tubby and Nottubby
17th and 18th January | MJC Théâtre des 3 Vallées | Palaiseau Out of the Dark
4th and 5th April | Théâtre Cergy 95 | Cergy Pontoise The Tragicomic Destiny of Tubby and Nottubby
Season 2011/2012

13th to 30th Septembre|Théâtre Périscope | Quebec City The Tragicomic Destiny of Tubby and Nottubby
1st Octobre |Théâtre Périscope | Québec The Tragicomic Destiny of Tubby and Nottubby
4th Octobre |Théâtre du Bic|Bas Saint-Laurent The Tragicomic Destiny of Tubby and Nottubby
13th Octobre |Théâtre L'Agora Rouyn-Noranda|Rouyn-Noranda The Tragicomic Destiny of Tubby and Nottubby
19th to 31st Octobre |Théâtre Fred Barry | Montréal The Tragicomic Destiny of Tubby and Nottubby
1st to 5th Novembre |Théâtre Fred Barry | Montréal The Tragicomic Destiny of Tubby and Nottubby
9th to 10th Decembre |Théâtre Les Passerelles | Pontault Combault The Tragicomic Destiny of Tubby and Nottubby
6th,7th and 9th January | MJC, Théâtre des 3 Vallées | Palaiseau Out of the Dark
12th,13th,14th and 16th January | MJC, Théâtre des 3 Vallées | Palaiseau The Tragicomic Destiny of Tubby and Nottubby
6th March | Théâtre le Sax | Archères The Tragicomic Destiny of Tubby and Nottubby
12th March | Invalides | Paris Out of the Dark
22nd March |Mayenne Out of the Dark
5th April |Théâtre du Louvres The Tragicomic Destiny of Tubby and Nottubby
8th April | Le Mans Out of the Dark
10th April | Invalides | Paris Out of the Dark
10th May| L'isle Adam Out of the Dark
24th May |Théâtre St-Maur des Fosses The Tragicomic Destiny of Tubby and Nottubby