09.12.26 – 11.12.26
Philippe Cyr / Safia Nolin / Théâtre Prospero
Surveillée et Punie ("Surveilled and Punished")
Revue JeuSurveillée et punie shows us a powerful and necessary reappropriation of our very being and our rightful place in it. The further the show progresses, the more we witness a reversal of dynamics. Safia Nolin finally gives herself the right to exist, to be carefree and to enjoy life. A more than salutary experience.
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The musical performance SURVEILLÉE ET PUNIE (translated: "Surveilled and Punished") raises the urgent question of what freedom of expression means when it turns into hate and violence. Placed at the centre of the piece is renowned singer-songwriter Safia Nolin herself, facing a large choir that confronts her with the collected hate comments. Supported by the music and the choir's power, the hostile power dynamics are reversed. What begins as a public attack ends with the reclamation of voice, visibility, and space. SURVEILLÉE ET PUNIE is a powerful reflection on the violence of words and, at the same time, a moving tribute to the capacity of art to transform hate into community, solidarity and action.
Safia Nolin, from Quebec, captivates audiences with her unique voice, which is simultaneously raw, vulnerable and radical. She has collaborated with director Philippe Cyr to transform the thousands of hateful comments directed at her online into a powerful performance exploring the mechanisms of public condemnation and artistic self-empowerment.
Safia Nolin
Safia Nolin is a French-Canadian folk-pop singer-songwriter from Quebec. Her music combines personal vulnerability with a strong political perspective, exploring identity, exclusion, and social norms. As a queer artist, she challenges established ideas of beauty and gender and transforms her own experiences of otherness into a powerful artistic language. Through projects such as Seum, UFO Religion, Surveillée et Punie (Watched and Punished), and Reprises Vol. 3, Safia Nolin continues to develop a raw and intimate body of work that moves between melancholy, resistance, and emotional honesty. Her music explores alienation, social control, and vulnerability, turning personal experiences into universal reflections on belonging, pain, and self-determination.
Philippe Cyr
Philippe Cyr is a Canadian theatre director and artistic director. In 2012, he founded the company l’Homme allumette, dedicated to creating new forms of theatre that explore transgression, social norms, and the complexities of human existence. His most notable works include Le iShow (2013), J’aime Hydro (2016), Le poids des fourmis (2019), Corps titan (titre de survie) (2021), and Insoutenables longues étreintes (2023). Since 2021, he has been artistic director and co-general manager of Théâtre Prospero in Montréal. His productions have received critical acclaim and have been presented across Canada, South America, and Europe.
La PresseI was frankly impressed by Surveillée et punie, a show inspired by the hate messages targeting Safia Nolin over the years, directed by Philippe Cyr. I didn’t expect such beauty from such ugly material.
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