Petit Rocher doesn’t fit in with the other members of his clan and can’t stand their quiet life spent gazing out to sea. He is one wretchedly unhappy rock! What makes him even more miserable is that at any time of day or night, as soon as he closes his eyes he sees a big red rock with a hole on one side. An irresistible desire grabs hold of him, and he dreams of going away, of leaving his shoreline and setting off to find Rocher Troué. But how can you sail away when you are a rock? Who can help him with his quest? His loyal friend Grosse Vague saves a bowler hat and a plastic sandal from drowning. Touched by Petit Rocher’s distress, the two survivors agree to act as his emissaries and set off on a journey to the mysterious Rocher Troué. After overcoming many obstacles, Chapeau and Sandale make their way across the ocean and back, revealing to Petit Rocher the secret of his origins.

This charming tale full of unlikely characters was written by two old friends, Chantal Lavallée and Robert Bellefeuille, despite the ocean that separates them. Presented in Quebec last autumn, Le Grand Voyage de Petit Rocher features a quest for identity, friendship, journeys and hope, themes that strike the imaginations of young children.

Performances during the week are reserved for school groups, with weekend performances open to the public. Note that spectators are welcome to arrive up to 45 minutes before the show to take part in an activity for children.

Founded in Rockland in 1979, Théâtre de la Vieille 17 is a Franco-Ontarian theatre company open to the world. It supports the work of artists whose questioning responds to a crucial need to speak out. It presents both plays for young audiences and theatre for adults at the regional, national and international levels, in addition to its audience outreach and arts education activities. With 56 original plays produced and presented by hundreds of passionate artists, Théâtre de la Vieille 17 plays a leading role in the theatrical landscape of Ottawa, Ontario and French-speaking Canada.

The actor, writer and director Robert Bellefeuille is a founding member of Théâtre de la Vieille 17, and served as its artistic director and general manager from 1979 to 2006. He has directed some fifteen plays for the company, including La Machine à beauté (Raymond Plante) and Maïta (Esther Beauchemin), which were presented at the NAC. He has performed as an actor in more than forty productions, including Exils (Robert Bellefeuille and Philippe Soldevila), Lucky Lady (Jean Marc Dalpé), Poor Superman (Brad Fraser) and La Trilogie des dragons (directed by Robert Lepage). Robert Bellefeuille is the recipient of the Prix Théâtre LeDroit, the Prix d’excellence artistique Théâtre Action and the Prix Marcus, honouring his major contribution to the development of French-Canadian theatre.

After studying theatre at the University of Ottawa, Chantal Lavallée joined Théâtre de la Vieille 17 as an actress in Le Nez, by Robert Bellefeuille and Isabelle Cauchy. She then performed for Théâtre du Nouvel-Ontario in Nickel by Jean Marc Dalpé and Brigitte Haentjens. Keen to pursue her training as an actor, she then studied at the Conservatoire Supérieur d’Art Dramatique in Paris, followed by two years as a student of Antoine Vitez at the École du Théâtre National de Chaillot. She embarked on a professional career in France, first with the Théâtre National de Marseille and then in Paris. Chantal Lavallée is also a singer and has resumed her interest in music. Her musical tale Le Petit Rocher, directed by Pierrick Hardy, is currently on tour in France.

“The play is well served by the fabulous set design by Jean Bard. Robert Bellefeuille […] fully exploits dramatic possibilities with a lot of imagination. Fantasy guaranteed.”
Éric Moreault, Le Soleil

Original idea
CHANTAL LAVALLÉE

Written by
ROBERT BELLEFEUILLE
CHANTAL LAVALLÉE

Dramaturg
ESTHER BEAUCHEMIN

Directed by
ROBERT BELLEFEUILLE

With
SASHA DOMINIQUE
CÉLESTE DUBÉ
MICKAËL GOUIN
FANNY RAINVILLE
PIERRE ÉTIENNE ROUILLARD

Assistant Director and Control room
DIANE FORTIN

Set
JEAN BARD

Sound design
LOUISE BEAUDOIN

Costumes and accessories
MARIANNE THÉRIAULT

Lightning and Stage Manager
GUILLAUME HOUËT

Produced by
THÉÂTRE DE LA VIEILLE 17

Presented in collaboration with Radio-Canada

School Matinées
WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 18 at 9:45 a.m.
WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 18 at 12:45 p.m.
THURSDAY, JANUARY 19 at 9:45 a.m.
FRIDAY, JANUARY 20 at 9:45 a.m.

Public Performances
SATURDAY, JANUARY 21 at 1:30 p.m.*
SUNDAY, JANUARY 22 at 1:30 p.m.
SUNDAY, JANUARY 22 at 3:30 p.m.

*Post-performance talkback session

Timing
60 minutes with no intermission

NAC STUDIO
53 Elgin, Ottawa

Tickets
$13.96

NAC Box Office
(Monday to Saturday, 10 a.m. to 9 p.m.)
www.nac-cna.ca

Ticketmaster
1-888-991-2787

Groups (10 persons or more)
613-947-7000, ext. 634
grp@nac-cna.ca

Subscriptions
613-947-7000, ext. 620

Sylvain Lavoie
Communications Officer
French Theatre
National Arts Centre
tel.: 613-947-7000 ext 396
tool free: 1-866-850-2787 ext 396
cell.: 613-979-2636
sylvain.lavoie@nac-cna.ca
www.facebook.com/TheatreFrancaisCNA