Theatre Des Iles

The Theatre des lies is a French-speaking, semi-professional theatre company. It is composed basically of four actors: — Mme Claire Jugand, M Jean Phillipe Jugand Mr Phillip Mann and Mr Jim Spalding. (Both these latter have worked professionally in the theatre and are employed full-time as lecturers in Drama at Victoria University).

Each year, other actors are auditioned to join the company for a particular performance. These auditions take account of both fluency in French and acting ability.

Theatre des lies has been in existence for four years. It developed originally as a collaboration between the French Department (where Mme and M. Jugad teach) and the Drama Studies Department, at Victoria University. Its aims initially were to provide to English speakers a lively experience of the French language through drama and, as regards the French-speaking Pacific Islands, to provide theatre in regions where no theatre existed.

To date, three tours of New Caledonia, three tours of New Hebrides and one tour to Tahiti have been made abroad. At the invitation of the organizers. Theatre des lies was the official theatre troupe performing at the last Noumea festival in January 1976.

Amongst its productions Theatre des lies can count Rhinocerous by Eugene lonesco (in French), Moliere's Le Medecin Malgre Lui, and several original pieces created by the group. Amoungst the latter, the text of II suffit d'un baton is currently being published in Paris by Avant-Scene. The group has also ventured into bilingual productions (The Bald Saprano, Ubu Cocu). In these productions part of the text is in English and part in French. However this does not mean two separate performances, but rather an attempt to create a synthesis of the two languages. Ideally the performance should be appreciated as much by a French-speaking audience as by an English-speaking one.