In 1939, Orson Welles cobbled together a motley theatre piece based on the historical saga of Shakespeare’s Richard II, Henry IV, Henry V, Henry VI and Richard III. Now, nearly eight decades later, four Welles admirers (Olivier Kemeid, brothers Patrice and Frédéric Dubois, and Martin Labrecque) have joined forces to revisit his improbable collage from their perspective as Francophones living in North America.

On stage, on television and on film, Orson Welles was a consummate Shakespearean actor whose memorable roles included Othello and Macbeth. In 1939, after immersing himself in the saga of Shakespeare’s Richard II, Henry IV, Henry V, Henry VI and Richard III, he wrote, directed and starred in Five Kings, a motley adaptation in which the poetic dialogue of Richard II rubs shoulders with the alternately heroic and comical tone of Henry IV. In this patchwork account of English history, rival families battle it out under the aloof and truculent gaze of Sir John Falstaff.

Long fascinated by this ambitious and improbable collage, four modern-day admirers undertook to stage it collectively. Olivier Kemeid rewrote the historical chronicle in his own words, Patrice Dubois came up with the artistic concept, Martin Labrecque coordinated the design, and Frédéric Dubois directed. Together, they tackled Shakespeare’s discerning investigation of language, history and power, and set it against their experience as Francophones living in modern-day North America; they assembled a brilliant cast and invited Belgian artists Olivier Coyette and Gauthier Jansen to join the creative team. The result is both a timely political project and a platform for discussion that is open to the world.

This performance includes 1 intermission and 2 breaks

First part (LE ROI DE NEIGE) : 55 min

Break : 5 min

Second part (LE ROI DE FEU et LE ROI DE FER) : 1 h 30

Intermission : 20 min (drinks, sandwiches, salads and desserts will be sold at the Entracte bar)

Third part (LE ROI DE SABLE) : 1 h 15

Break : 5 min

Fourth part (LE ROI DE SANG) : 45 min