About the
MISSION
Théâtre À l’Envers was established in 2007. Its mandate is to create original works based on a creative research and experimentation process that merges different artistic and theatrical forms, with the aim of reaching out to the youth in general. The company practices a contemporary form of puppet theater that combines acting, shadow theater, masks, dance, etc.
Théâtre À l’Envers strives to offer original theatrical performances in which the visual dramaturgy is at times poetic, at times humorous. They strive to share an original perspective on the world, by sometimes going “against” (à l’envers, in French) the established order. Its performances are nurtured by outreach projects that help lay the groundwork for new productions. The company focuses on the integration of artists from other fields and cultural communities in an effort to add depth and meaning to its productions.
HISTORY
Founded in 2007, Théâtre À l’Envers specialises in both shadow theatre and puppetry, drawing upon children’s imaginations for the wildest ideas to infuse its productions with a gentle visual whimsy that inspires dreams and offers a fresh perspective on the world around us.
The company’s first production, entitled Woânda, enjoyed widespread popularity in Quebec for nearly twelve years. In 2018, the play was staged in French and English as a co-production with Théâtre Sans Frontières (England) for a tour comprising around twenty performances in the United Kingdom, featuring a cast that was half Canadian and half English.
In 2011, the company created L’Ezdaï, which received support from the Cole Foundation and which would form the basis of an outreach project with an elementary school in Parc-Extension.
Following a commission from the Grande bibliothèque nationale du Québec (BAnQ), the company created Tetsuo in 2012, a show blending shadow theatre and manga, featuring, amongst others, the Congolese artist Kens Mukendi, and presented as part of Dém’Art-Montréal program from the Conseil des arts de Montréal.
In 2017, Théâtre À l’Envers co-produced with Place des Arts the children’s show Mwana And The Turtle’s Secret, a production featuring a Congolese storyteller, puppetry, shadow theater and objects theater. This production proved a resounding success in all the markets where it was showcased. Winner of the 2018 Alliance RADARTS-RIDEAU Award, the production was due to be performed in its entirety at OFF-IPAY 2020 in Philadelphia before the pandemic halted its international development. The production is still touring. It has been performed more than 300 times in Quebec, Ontario, the Maritime provinces and Manitoba.
During the pandemic, the company co-produced a shadow theater film entitled The Golden Conch Shell with Théâtre Sans Frontières (England), created entirely remotely by a team that is half Canadian and half British. The film will be translated and screened at the Festival international de films pour enfants de Montréal (FIFEM) in March 2021 under the title La Voix du coquillage doré.
In 2021, the company created the show The Little Girl And The Birds, which had its world premiere at the Festival international des arts de la marionnette de Saguenay (FIAMS). Following its success, the play was showcased at the Rencontre d'autonome du ROSEQ later that year and went on two tours of eastern Quebec in 2022–2023.
The company is currently working on a new play titled Sans Voix (Voiceless), which explores the influence of the media on teenagers’ behaviour. Excerpts from the work-in-progress were presented at the Rencontre Théâtre Ados (RTA) festival in 2025.
To inspire its productions, Théâtre À l’Envers prioritises artistic mediation projects aimed at children and teenagers, taking place prior to its performances in schools, daycares and community organisations.
Alongside its performances, the company runs puppet and shadow theater workshops in primary and secondary schools across Quebec through the Culture à l’école program, whilst also taking part in residencies in schools to provide inspiration for its future creative projects.
MANAGEMENT
PATRICIA BERGERON
Co-founder / Executive and Artistic Director / Artist-mediator
Patricia is an actress and puppeteer while also holding a bachelor’s degree in acting and a master’s degree in theatre from the École supérieure de théâtre at UQAM. She has performed in Quebec, France, Tunisia and England with more than a dozen companies before co-founding Théâtre À l’Envers in 2007, where she serves as the executive and artistic director. It is there that she is learning the ropes of managing a theater company, whilst also working as a playwright (Woânda, Tetsuo, Mwana And The Turtle’s Secret), director, actress and puppeteer. Passionate about human relations, she creates outreach projects in the run-up to the company’s productions, engaging with a wide range of audiences. She also worked as an outreach artist at TOHU for three years and at Place des Arts. She runs workshops on shadow theater, mask theater and puppetry in schools across Quebec, notably through the Culture à l’école program. Alongside this, she teaches drama in elementary schools.