Written and Created By ANAÏS PELLIN
in collaboration with Emilie Leclerc and Anne-Marie Levasseur
From Kleine Compagnie and Théâtre de la Pire Espèce comes this object theatre piece showcasing masterful table-top puppetry and storytelling.
“Object Theatre at its finest!”– Presentation House Theatre
Get ready for a heartwarming adventure with Clémentine and her little sister Laura as they journey through the ups and downs of family life! When Clémentine discovers that her parents are no longer in love, she’s determined to stop their separation at all costs. But can a spunky young girl really change the course of her family’s fate?
Join Clémentine as she learns to navigate life’s challenges with the help of whimsical puppetry and heartwarming storytelling. From sunny summers to chilly winters, she discovers the true meaning of love and the importance of family, all while putting a smile on your face.
This bright and bubbly production is perfect for kids and their grown-ups alike. Tackling a tricky topic with humour, honesty, and optimism, it’s an entertaining and uplifting experience that will leave you feeling inspired and hopeful. So come along for the ride and see what magic Clémentine has in store!
All Performances Take Place at Langham Court Theatre
Public Performances
Education Performances (School Day Matinee Program)*
*to book tickets for our School Matinee Program performances, please contact the Kaleidoscope Education Department
Anaïs is an actor, writer and theatre creator. Her theatre credits include Les théâtres de Marguerite Duras (Grütli / Geneva), La Jeune fille folle de son âme (Théâtre du Peuple / Bussang, Rideau de Bruxelles / Brussels), Le Merveilleux Voyage d’Inès de l’Ouest (Théâtre la Seizième) and Un.Deux.Trois. (Orange Noyé / NAC). For several years now, Anaïs specializes in Object Theatre and starts Kleine Compagnie with which she created and produced Clémentine – A (True) Story in partnership with Théâtre de la Pire Espèce. With Kleine Cie, she is also creating an Object Theatre play based on The Little Mermaid’s story. She regularly collaborates with Theatre La Seizième, Vortex Theatre, Théâtre de la Pire Espèce and Presentation House Theatre. Anaïs received a master’s in acting from the Conservatoire Royal de Mons (Belgium) and a master’s in performing arts from UCLouvain (Belgium). She has been awarded twice by the Foundation for the advancement of francophone theatres in Canada and has been nominated three times at The 39th Jessie Richardson Theatre Awards in 2022 for Clémentine (Outstanding Performance, Outstanding Artistic Creation – Direction and Outstanding Production). For more, visit: Kleinecompagnie.com and @anais_pellin
Isabelle Bartkowiak is a graduate from the directing program at the National Theatre School of Canada (2019-21), the Department of Dramatic Arts at the Université de Moncton (2009–13) and holds a DESS in contemporary puppet theatre from UQAM (2017–19). She is one of the founders of the Théâtre de création La Cigogne (Moncton) and the puppet collective Les Blettes. The evocative power of objects and the musicality of language are central to her artistic practice. In her approach, Isabelle favours on-site performances that inject a touch of theatricality into everyday spaces, while striving to make theatrical forms more accessible. With this in mind, Isabelle seeks in her various projects to reach out to the community through intimate and anecdotal narratives. Over the past few years she has developed an interest in the role of the civic voice and its value as a dramaturgical framework.
Anne-Marie Levasseur graduated from the Montreal Conservatory of Dramatic Arts in 2001. On stage, she was part of all the productions of the Banquette Arrière Theater, a company that she co-founded in 2001. She was seen among others in La Fête sauvage (Claude Poissant), Les Mutants (Sylvain Bélanger), Damnatio Memoriae (Sébastien Dodge), Autobahn (Martin Faucher), Voiture américaine (Philippe Lambert) and Amour et information (Frédéric Blanchette). She also works with several creation companies, including La Pire espèce, Le Clou and Les Bouches décousues. As an accordionist, pianist, singer and actress, she was part of the TNM’s Opéra de quat’sous (Threepenny Opera), directed by Robert Bellefeuille, the musical theater Géronimo Stilton directed by Serge Postigo and the Cirque Éloize’s TYPO show, directed by Yves Dagenais and Gypsy Snider. For more, visit : Anne-Marie Levasseur – Agence RBL
A 1997 graduate of the playwrighting program at the National Theatre School of Canada, Francis Monty is a theatrical jack of all trades – directing, clowning, puppetry and his many writing projects all intertwine. In 1999 he co-founded Théâtre de la Pire Espèce with Olivier Ducas, and both share the position of artistic director. He has co-created many of the company’s plays, including Ubu on the table and Perseus. A number of his plays have travelled across Canada, and to Brazil and Europe, including Par les temps qui rouillent, Déclownestration, Traces de cloune, Léon le nul, Ernest T., Petit bonhomme en papier carbone and Nous sommes mille en équilibre fragile. In 2018, he co-directed L’Effet Hyde with Marcelle Hudon, a show based on The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde. He received the 2005 Masque award for best original script for Romances et karaoké, the 2014 Cochon dramatique for best original script for Petit bonhomme en papier carbone at the Gala des Cochons d’or and Ernest T. was nominated for best original script for young audiences for the Louise LaHaye Award. For more, visit: pire-espece.com/en/
Emilie Leclerc is an actor and theatre creator who works professionally in both English and French. She is thrilled to be involved in Clémentine (a true story) and help create theatre magic for young audiences. A Studio 58 graduate, Emilie has been involved in more than 20 theatre productions over the past 15 years, ranging from musicals to plays for young audiences, main stage productions and creating original works. A Jessie Award recipient, Emilie is a close collaborator of Théâtre la Seizième and directed their touring production of Le Merveilleux Voyage d’Inès de l’Ouest last season. She has been fortunate enough to act in plays produced by ZeeZee Theatre, Carousel Theatre for Young People, Alley Theatre, Ruby Slippers Theatre, Hardline Productions, Presentation House Theatre, Chemainus Theatre and Babelle Theatre. On TV, she plays Izadora in Motherland: Fort Salem. For more, emilieleclerc.com and @em_leclerc123.
Julie Vallée-Léger is a graduate of the set and costume design program at the National Theatre School of Canada, class of 2002. After working as an assistant to Cirque du Soleil scenographer Jean Rabasse, a stage designer for a number of film and television projects (including at the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation), an exhibition designer for gsmprjct° and Lupien + Matteau Architects, she now devotes her time to experimental theatre, and object and raw materials theatre. She works as a scenographer for a number of theatre companies, including Théâtre de la Pire Espèce where she has collaborated extensively on object and shadow theatre productions, as well as raw material manipulation projects since 2007. She also works with the following companies and events: Mammifères, Système Kangourou, Festival du Jamais Lu, Le Clou!, Centre du théâtre d’aujoud’hui, Théâtre du Party chinois, du Bunker, L’ACTIVITÉ, Le Crachoir, Théâtre Hors-Taxes, Hotel-Motel, Théâtre Debout, Projet Mù, Voyageurs immobiles, Sacré tympan, Avant-Pays, Mandoline Hybride, La Manufacture, 2par4, and FTA. She also contributes to various galas and artistic events, particularly at the Théâtre Aux Écuries.Julie Vallée-Léger also leads object and shadow theatre workshops for children and for UQAM (Université du Québec à Montréal) students. In short, she divides her time between theatrical experimentation and venue or exhibition design, while remaining actively involved in the theatre community. For more, visit: julievalleeleger.com
Leanna Brodie is a writer and performer whose plays include The Vic, For Home and Country, Schoolhouse, and The Book of Esther. BC audiences may have seen her in in Terminus (Pi Theatre), And Bella Sang to Us (Firehall Arts Centre) or Bonjour, là, bonjour (Théâtre la Seizième). Brodie is also a leading translator of contemporary Québécois/Franco-Canadian playwrights. Recent premieres include Wildfire (Factory Theatre, Toronto: Dora Mavor Moore Awards for Best New Play, Director, and Production); Joe Jack et John’s Violette (PuSh Festival); Rébecca Déraspe’s I Am William (Stratford Festival); and Fanny Britt’s Benevolence (Ruby Slippers/Pacific Theatre). Published this year: Déraspe’s I Am William and Paquet’s The Weight of Ants (Scirocco Drama) and Wildfire & The Shoe (Playwrights Canada Press). Upcoming: Wildfire (CBC’s PlayME podcast). With co-writer Jovanni Sy, she is working on Salesman in China for the Stratford Festival. Brodie is currently the Assistant Professor (Playwriting) at UBC. For more, www.leannabrodie.com
Kleine Compagnie
The Kleine Compagnie was founded in 2020 on the unceded territories of the Musqueam, Squamish and Tseil-Waututh First Nations, in the city also known as Vancouver. This company develops an intimate and poetic theatre for young and old alike, inspired by object theatre, puppetry, clowning and visual arts.
Théâtre de la Pire Espèce
Since 1999, La Pire Espèce has borrowed and merged techniques from different disciplines such as puppetry, theatre of objects, clowning, cabaret and street theatre. By exploring the creative process, the company explores stage conventions and the rules of dramatic narration, and seeks to establish a close complicity with the audience. La Pire Espèce has created 26 original works, one exhibition, two street theatre pieces, seven cabarets and shared more than 1800 performances. Half of these were performed abroad while touring in Europe and around the world. The company’s impressive body of work includes five Spanish translations, nine English translations, one Korean translation, one Portuguese translation, a bold adaptation for the deaf, seven co-productions in Quebec and Europe, and several professional workshops for theatre artists and teachers. La Pire Espèce was the driving force behind Carte Premières, the largest independent theatre ticket subscription network in Canada between 2004 and 2015 –– and a founding member of Aux Écuries, the creative and performance space for up-and-coming theatre companies.
