man holding a small puppet on a dark set lit with white bulbs — Watch the show teaser here: Les Sages Fous Teaser Tricycle FR

(November 20, 2023) - Internationally renowned Quebecois theater company Les Sages Fous will perform Tricyckle, presented by Puppet Showplace Theater in Brookline, MA on December 6 and 8 as part of a multi-city U.S. premiere. Returning to Puppet Showplace Theater for the first time since their sold-out run of The Orphan Circus in 2013, Les Sages Fous brings us back to their eerie-yet-inviting world in a wordless production featuring puppetry, live acting, and original music played on “invented instruments.” Actor and puppeteer Jacob Brindamour masterfully brings to life a lonely tricycle rider as he journeys through a fun-house-esque landscape of memories, accompanied by a haunting score composed by Christian Laflamme.

This is the last stop on the troupe’s recent premiere tour of New England, which was made possible with funding from a New England States Touring (NEST) grant from the New England Foundation for the Arts (NEFA).

“Audience members still talk about Les Sages Fous’s previous sold-out visit to Puppet Showplace ten years ago,” shares Veronica Barron. “We’ve built a reputation for incubating new works by Boston-based artists that go on to tour the world, but we find it equally important to bring the world to Brookline — and we’re proud to have a long history of bringing international artists to our theater.”

Les Sages Fous were inspired to create Tricyckle, in part, by the junk collectors of Trois Rivières, Canada (their home city) who roam the city collecting materials in makeshift trailers. "We are also inspired by people who make folk art; those who are not professional artists, with all the baggage and allegiance to the institutions involved. With Tricyckle we hope to break down barriers between high culture and popular art."

In accordance with this ethos, all of the puppets are made with simple materials, such as paper mache, and much of the set pieces are made from modified bicycle parts. Tin cans and vegetable strainers are used for lighting and Brindamour uses a flashlight on stage to create additional lighting effects. More bicycle parts and found objects were fashioned into instruments to play the original musical score, composed by Christian Laflamme. The result is an unusual soundscape that is both urban and fairground, perfectly accompanying the protagonist’s story.

“We’d also like to celebrate the New England Foundation for the Arts (NEFA), which supported this U.S. premiere tour through multiple New England states. NEFA’s support has made it possible to partner with other New England arts presenters who share our vision of bringing national and international work to our community-embedded small theaters,” said Veronica Barron, the Executive Artistic Director of Puppet Showplace Theater. Earlier stops on the tour were Mayo Street Arts in Portland, Maine and Sandglass Theater in Putney, Vermont.

As described by Shane Morgan of Bristol 24/7 England, "This is a deeply personal, playful and utterly charming insight into one man’s life traipsing from one base to another. (...) Often surreal, always playful and nothing short of endearing, Tricyckle does exactly what it sets out to do."

Tricyckle will be performed on Wednesday December 6 and Friday December 8 at 8:00 pm, at the United Parish, 210 Harvard St, Brookline, MA 02446. Tickets start at $28; discounted tickets are available for Card to Culture participants (WIC, EBT, ConnectorCare, MassHeath, etc). For more information visit the Puppet Showplace Theater website; tickets for the show can be purchased here.

About the Artist

Les Sages Fous is an internationally renowned theater company founded in 1999 in Trois-Rivieres, Quebec. Their shows are visual adventures that intrigue audiences of all ages, origins, social class and cultures, and have been presented in over 250 international theater festivals in 28 countries on 4 continents.

The company has extensively traveled Europe, performing at major contemporary puppet and street festivals, with a few brief stints in locations across the globe, like the United States. A decade ago, the group set out for a US tour of their show “The Orphan Circus” which was praised as “evocative and thought provoking” by Rüdiger Otto von Brocken and “an extraordinary theatrical performance” by Marcella Scopellitti.

Production Credits

Interpretation: Jacob Brindamour Staging and puppets: South Miller
Set design and props: Sylvain Longpré Music: Christian Laflamme
Stage manager: Paul Foresto