History

Founded in 1973, Les 2 Mondes is a theatre creation and production company that creates contemporary works for children, youth, and adult audiences. Its mission is to bring together diverse artistic perspectives to create compelling and evocative productions that resonate with audiences across Canada and around the world.

As a touring company, Les 2 Mondes has repeatedly been among the first Québec theatre companies to cross new cultural and geographic borders in order to connect with new audiences. Over the years, its productions have been seen and acclaimed in more than 35 countries, 350 cities, and nearly 81 international festivals.

Established in Montréal’s Villeray neighbourhood since 1995, Les 2 Mondes owns and operates its own theatre, which includes Lab2M, a spacious research and creation laboratory. Since 2015, this versatile space has enabled the company to develop all of its productions on site, giving rise to bold, innovative, and multimedia works. Lab2M also serves the broader cultural community by offering affordable artist residencies and rental opportunities to arts organizations, reflecting Les 2 Mondes’ ongoing commitment to supporting artistic creation and emerging talent. Since 2011, the same building has also been home to Théâtre Aux Écuries, further strengthening its role as a vibrant hub for theatrical creation in Montréal.

In the beginning of the 1970s, taking part in the collective creation movement, Monique Rioux, France Mercille and Daniel Meilleur create together what is then called La Marmaille. As its name suggests, the company mainly focuses on theater for young audiences, and in addition to its creative work, develops an important social involvement component in collaboration with sociologist Jeanne LeRoux. With unique and unusual content, such as Cé tellement « cute » des enfants (1975), the company immediately asserts itself as a driving force in Quebec’s young creative scene. During the same period, the company partners with Théâtre de l’Œil and Le Carrousel to found the Maison Théâtre.

At the end of the 1980s, due to its growing success abroad, the company signs its first international coproduction with Turin’s Teatro dell’Angolo; Terre promise/​Terra promessa was performed no fewer than 580 times all around the world. After acting as official composer from the very beginning, Michel Robidoux joins the Artistic direction team in 1989.

The 1990s were shaped by another resoundingly successful creation: L’histoire de l’oie by Michel Marc Bouchard, which was performed 546 times in French, English, German and Spanish. With its shows reaching an increasingly wider audience, appealing to both young and adult spectators, the company chooses to change its name over the same period. La Marmaille thus becomes Les 2 Mondes.

Starting in 1996, the creation of the show Leitmotiv introduces a multimedia exploratory approach; as video designer Yves Dubé joins the artistic team, image and music play a greater role in creative projects. In the process, the company acquires its own creative center, to experiment with these technologies and fine-tune its shows.

The 2000s continued Les 2 Mondes’ artistic exploration through productions that examined memory, identity, and encounters between cultures. During this period, the company created Mémoire vive (2001) and 2 191 nuits (2003), followed by Carnets de voyages (2008), a poetic production that looked back on the many tours that have shaped the company’s journey.

This decade also marked an important milestone in the company’s development. In 2009, Les 2 Mondes chose to share its production and presentation centre with a collective of emerging theatre companies brought together under the banner of Théâtre Aux Écuries. This new partnership fostered artistic exchange and opened an exciting new chapter in the company’s history.

In 2013, Les 2 Mondes began a new chapter in its history with the departure of its founder, Daniel Meilleur, after forty years at the helm of the company. While remaining true to its creative approach, Les 2 Mondes continued to explore a form of theatre that is visual, poetic, and deeply human.

This period was marked by Dans ma maison de papier, j’ai des poèmes sur le feu (2014), a co-production with Festival Les Coups de Théâtre and Salle Jean-Marc-Dion de Sept-Îles, Warda (2016), co-produced with Le Rideau de Bruxelles, and Les Inventions à deux voix (2018). These productions reflect the company’s commitment to developing new theatrical forms, fostering artistic collaborations, and continuing to expand its reach both in Québec and internationally.

In recent years, Les 2 Mondes has continued to expand its artistic practice by creating works for both young audiences and adults, while strengthening its presence on Québec, Canadian, and international stages.

Following Becoming Chelsea (2020), inspired by the story of Chelsea Manning and presented at Théâtre Prospero before touring Québec in 2022, the company embarked on a new cycle of creation. This period was marked by Faon, directed by Eric Jean, which toured Québec during the 2024 – 2025 season before being presented at Théâtre Denise-Pelletier in the summer of 2025.

The company continued its artistic momentum with Ma vie rouge Kubrick, a stage adaptation of Simon Roy’s novel. After its premiere at Théâtre Denise-Pelletier in 2024, the production, directed by Eric Jean, toured throughout Québec in 2025 – 2026. It was also presented at the 2026 Festival OFF Avignon at Théâtre du Train Bleu, reaffirming Les 2 Mondes’ longstanding presence on the international stage.

Today, Les 2 Mondes continues to fulfill its mission by creating contemporary works, developing cultural mediation initiatives, hosting artist residencies, and making its creative spaces available to the artistic community. True to its history, the company is guided by an artistic collective and continues to bring generations, disciplines, and artistic imaginations into dialogue through theatre that is visually striking, bold, and deeply human.

Since its foundation in 1973, the theater company Les 2 Mondes has distinguished itself as a true pioneer in artistic intervention with different audiences.

At the forefront of this initiative, Monique Rioux, through her unwavering commitment, has forged an exceptional legacy within Quebec’s cultural scene. Her inspiring career is a testament to her dedication to building bridges between theater and multiple communities, both in Quebec and internationally. This contribution has been an integral part of the company for 50 years. Les 2 Mondes thus remains an essential actor, shaping a dynamic dialogue between theater and society, providing lasting foundations to a shared cultural experience, implementing activities that broaden horizons and optimizing cultural accessibility.