Two envelopes, two explosive revelations. Upon Nawal’s death, her twins, Jeanne and Simon, find themselves in the office of the notary Lebel for the reading of the will. The brother and sister learn that their father is still alive and that their siblingship includes a brother they’ve never met. Shaken and incredulous, Jeanne and Simon set off to retrace their past. What if this enigmatic bequest contains the key to the secret of their mother’s mysterious mutism, in which she has been locked away for years? With the notary’s support, the twins head into foreign lands, to the country of their ancestors. Jeanne and Simon trace the backstory of the woman who brought them into the world, discovering an unsuspected tragic destiny, marked by war, hate, rage, all that can’t be repaired… and one woman’s courage.
Created in 2003 by Wajdi Mouawad, Incendies (Scorched) has since shone around the world, both in its theatrical form and in the film adaptation by Denis Villeneuve. Presented for the first time on a Montréal stage through a different lens than that of the author, this powerful, contemporary tragedy is directed by two sisters: Elkahna and Ines Talbi. Taking full artistic licence, they offer a new reading of this poignant initiation quest in which bodies and music feature prominently and in which Dominique Pétin plays Nawal, every Nawal, from age 14 to 65. Placing her at the heart of the narrative, the directors tell a story that combines the horror of war and the inevitable cycle of violence with the extraordinary power of love.
“'The earth is being devoured by a red wolf.'
Incendies is a universal tragedy. It is the belly of all mothers who scream. Pain has no race, no age. Today more than ever, territories do each other harm, and people are both executioner and victim. Women bear the burden of this, but their rage and their resilience are also hope and inspiration. Incendies is a play that comes through the horror via kinship and love.”
— Elkahna and Ines Talbi
