My name is Henry and I am a big fan of theatre and literature. I’ve just finished reading The Fat Woman Next Door is Pregnant (La grosse femme à côté est enceinte), a novel by Michel Tremblay published in 1978. I love what he writes. I still remember the night I saw the first play by Michel Tremblay, The Sisters-in-Law (Les belles-sœurs). It was 1968, and the play was a huge success. Some people were shocked because the characters in the play spoke slang and used some rather vulgar language. It was new for the time because Quebeckers were used to classical theatre which French that was similar to that used in Europe.
Source: Archives de Radio-Canada, Débat sur la langue québécoise, 17 octobre 1975
Modern Quebec theatre
Michel Tremblay’s plays and novels marked a turning point in Quebec culture. His work was about Quebeckers, the working class, the reality here. This was very rare before him. He also talked a lot about women and their place in society as well as taboo subjects such as abortion and homosexuality. Since its first appearance in the 1960s, Michel Tremblay’s work has contributed to the development of Quebec culture.
Throughout the world
Last year I was on vacation in Scotland, and I saw the sign of a theatre that had an English version of a play by Michel Tremblay. I learned that Michel Tremblay was very popular around the world. His plays have been translated into many languages including English, Italian, Creole, Yiddish and even Japanese.
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