Speak beyond language
About
Translation Commissions
Local Projects
International Projects
Development Workshops & Labs
The Ballad of Georges Boivin, 2021 (PAL Studio Theatre, Vancouver, Canada)
About
“…smashing nationality and accessibility borders in a Total theatre…”
IMA MAGAZINE (ITALY)
Founded in 2012 by France Perras and Jack Paterson, Bouche is a Vancouver based artistic theatrical collective made up of working theatre professionals.
We are dedicated to the development, production and presentation of multi language works, cross disciplinary arts and works in translation.
In Vancouver, Bouche spessifcly focused on bringing together Pan Canadian Francophone and Anglophone Canadian artists.
Internationally, Bouche focuses on cross pollination between International and Canadian artists.
We showcase daring contemporary international and national practices by bringing together creators separated by distance, language and culture.
Vancouver Production
Bouche partners with local organisations to to develop and produce new works in translations in Vancouver.
International Exchanges
Continuously seeking out new international partners, Bouche has played a leading role in projects in Brazil, Italy, Indonesia, Germany, UK, & USA.
Devised Creation
Creations have ranged from contemporary devised creation, multi-disciplinary, cross-cultural, and multi-lingual experiences.
Creative Translation
Bouche has commissioned or facilitated over 25 new translations of Canadian works into Dutch, English, French, Italian, Portuguese, & Spanish.
New Works Development
Bouche has produced and co-produced over 50 new translation development & devised creation development workshops locally, nationally, and internationally.
Encounter / Rencontre
Bouche showcases Canadian playwrights, translators, and theatre makers locally, nationally and internationally.
Our Success is Measured
by the Success of Others
We are thrilled that the following has directly resulted from our development, networking & outreach, and promotion of Canadian theatre makers:
Across Canada
2026 English Language Premiere of Marie-Claude Verdier’s Seeker (Talisman Theatre, Montreal)
2025 Glassco Translation Residence for Marie-Claude Verdier’s Seeker, translated by Alexis Diamond (Playwrights’ Workshop Montreal QC)
2025 English Language surtitles of Catherine Léger’s J’ai perdu mon mari (UniThéâtre, Edmonton)
2024 English Language Premiere Marie-Ève Milot & Marie-Claude St-Laurent’s Still Life (Talisman Theatre, Montreal)
2024 English Language Alberta Premiere of Martin Bellemare’s The Ballad of George Boivin (Lunchbox Theatre, Calgary)
2024 English Language workshop presentation of Marie-Ève Milot & Marie-Claude St-Laurent’s Still Life (Talisman Theatre & The Centaur Theatre WildSide Festival, Montreal)
2023 French Language Ottawa Premiere of Karen Hines’ Crawlspace (Zones Théâtrales – National Arts Centre, Ottawa)
2023 French Language workshop of Mishka Lavigne’s Shorelines (Theatre Action, Ottawa)
2023 French Language workshop of Joseph Shragge’s Ricki (Scapegoat Carnival, Montreal)
2022 English Language workshop presentation of Eric Noel’s Ces regards amoureux de garçons altérés (PWM, Montreal)
2022 English language presentation of Nathalie Boisvert’s Facelift (The Centaur Theatre, Montreal CAN)
2022 French language Staged Reading of Karen Hines’ Crawlspace (Théâtre Action, Sudbury)
2022 World English language Premiere of Mishka Lavigne’s Haven (United Players, Vancouver)
2021 English Language Premiere of Martin Bellemare’s The Ballad of George Boivin (Western Gold Theatre, Vancouver)
English Language Premiere of Still Life (Talisman Theatre Montreal, 2024)
2018 English Language Premiere of Catherine Léger’s I Lost My Husband! (Ruby Slippers Theatre & Richmond Getway Theatre, Richmond)
2015 & 2016 Main Stage English Language Productions of Jennifer Tremblay’s The List (Ruby Slippers Theatre, Vancouver)
Abroad
2023 Spanish staged reading of Rhiannon Collette’s The Kissing Game (Teatro Vista & Steppenwolf Theatre, USA)
2023 Italian staged reading of Nathalie Boisvert’s Facelift (Teatro Trieste 34, Italy)
2023 Italian staged reading of Nathalie Boisvert’s Facelift (Satiri Di Storie Festival, Italy)
2022 Italian presentations of Trina Davies’ Silence (La Serra del Palazzo Ghizzoni, Italy)
2022 Italian presentation of Marie-Claude Garneau, Marie-Ève Milot & Marie-Claude St-Laurent’s La Coalition de la Robe (Teatro Trieste 34, Italy)
2021 South African Premiere of Marie-Claude Verdier’s I’m Not Here (Free State University, South Africa)
2021 Presentation by Theatre Maker Deneh’Cho Thompson at Flausen+ Kongress (Werkstatt Theater, Germany)
2020 English language presentation of Marie-Ève Milot & Marie-Claude St-Laurent’s Chiennes (Studio Theatre, USA)
2016 London UK English language Premiere of Marie-Claude Verdier’s I’m Not Here (Voila Festival, UK)
South African premiere of I’m Not Here (Free State University, 2021)
Publications
2024 Publication of Miska Lavigne’s Walls in English translation (Canadian Play Outlet).
2023 Publication of Nathalie Boisvert’s Antigone in Spring in English translation (Talonbooks).
2022 Publication of exerpts of Trina Davie’s Silence in Italian translation (SuperAble Magazine online and print editions).
2021 Publication of Marie Claude Verdier’s Andy’s Gone in English translation (Playwrights Canada Press).
2021 Publication of Sébastien Harrisson’s From Alaska in English translation (Canadian Play Outlet).
2015 Multiple Canadian playwrights featured in Simeilia Hodge-Dallaway’s Audition Speeches for BAME (bipoc) Actors (Bloomsbury Methuen).
Sold at leading UK & International theatre bookshops, Canadian playwrights include Camyar Chai, Anosh Irani, Ravi & Asha Jain, Sheila James, Sunil Kuruvilla, Anita Majumdar, Wajdi Mouawad, Mala Sinha, Djanet Spears, Jordan Tannahill, Guillermo Verdecchia, and Marcus Youssef.
International Translations of Canadian Works
2023 Nathalie Boisvert’s Facelift into Italian (ChezActors, Italy)
2023 Rhiannon Collette’s The Kissing Game into Spanish (Teatro Vista, USA)
2022 Rhiannon Collette’s The Kissing Game into Portuguese (Nucleo Experimental, Brazil)
2021 Olivier Sylvestre’s La Loi de la gravité into Portuguese (Nucleo Experimental, Brazil)
2021 Trina Davies’ Silence into Italian (Piacenza Kultur Dom, Italy)
2021 Eric Noel’s Faire des enfants into Portuguese (Nucleo Experimental, Brazil)
2021 Marie-Claude Garneau, Marie-Ève Milot et Marie-Claude St-Laurent’s La Coalition de la Robe into Italian (Piacenza Kultur Dom, Italy)
2020 Joseph A. Dandurand’s TH’OWXIYA: THE HUNGRY FEAST DISH into Dutch and Portuguese (Axis Theatre)
2020 Niall McNeil’s poem “Innocence of Hope” to Cantonese (China), French (Canada & France), Portuguese (Brazil), Spanish (Ecuador), and Chinese (Taiwan).
Italian translation development workshop of Trina Davies’ Silence (Teatro Trieste 34, Italy)
Meet Our Team
Bouche Theatre Collective restructures on each new activity with the participating artists playing a leading role in each project’s leadership.
Jack Paterson
Co-Founder & Creative Producer (Vancouver)
Jack (he, him) is an award winning devisor, director, translator, dramaturg and creative producer whose practice has taken him across Canada, Asia, Europe, the UK and USA. His work ranges from contemporary devising, multi-disciplinary, cross-cultural and multi-lingual projects to new works & texts, contemporary approaches to classical theatre. Jack has produced or co-produced over 50 local, national and international projects, workshops and events. www.JackPatersonTheatre.com
Hannah Siden
Creative Producer (Vancouver)
Hannah (she, her) is an inter disiplinairy writer, director, and producer. She believes stories shape our world, and is interested in ideas that are big-hearted and boundary pushing. Hannah holds an MA in Acting from East 15 Acting School and a postgraduate diploma from the London Film Academy. www.hannahsiden.com