[Translated from Conte de la lune]

Nothing is impossible when you believe in your dreams: a hairbrush can become a ferocious dog, and you can even get the moon to come down into your bedroom. A diary found in an abandoned suitcase carries us back to the 1940s, to a little Catalan village in the heart of Spain. Joan Casesnoves-Durante is ten years old. The war that has torn his country apart is finally over, and after an absence of five years, his father at last returns home. Joan’s wild imagination helps him to survive not only the absence of a father imprisoned by Franco's fascists but also the disappearance of his dog – and the fact that he's rotten at math! Years later, his luggage still holds the diary that tells of the Spanish Moon, of lemon trees, and of long forgotten days. Inspired by the short stories of Pere Calders as well as the life story of the playwright's own father.

Cast size: 1F/2M

The original French-language production was the recipient of numerous prizes in Quebec and New Brunswick, including the Masque Award for the best children's theatre production in the province of Quebec (2006)

The English-language version premiered at the National Arts Centre (Ottawa, 2011). Directed by Philippe Soldevila: produced by Théâtre des Confettis. Translated at the Glassco Translation Residency (Tadoussac, QC).

Tales of the Moon may be performed as a stand-alone play: it is also part one of Philippe Soldevila’s An Emigration Trilogy. Together with its sequels, Tales of the Snow and Tales of the Sun, 3 plays tell the story of 4 generations of 1 family over 100 years and 2 continents… but always from the perspective of a 10-year-old child. One of the most epic projects in the history of Québec theatre for young people, the trilogy has been presented in a single day, and won a special prize from Québec critics for its ambition, scope, and the theatrical experience it offered to its audiences. The translations of Tales of the Snow and Tales of the Sun have been commissioned by the BoucheWHACKED! Theatre Collective of Vancouver, led by John Jack Paterson, and are currently in development. You can contact me directly for more information.

“...offers us a touching fable that goes straight to the heart of father-son relations and a play that is sure to enchant children.”
– Le Droit 

"Bringing to mind the magnificent Italian film Life is Beautiful, this play gives us the clear skies of hope, with a poetry capable of chasing away even the darkest clouds and the deepest suffering. The text is a celebration of beauty." – Le Soleil

"With Conte de la Lune, author Philippe Soldevila offers us a touching fable that plunges into the heart of father-son relations. A play that children might love with a love as big as the moon." – Le Droit

"Nothing is impossible when you start to believe in your dreams: a brush can turn into a mean dog, and you can even manage to lure the Moon into your bedroom. At least that's what happens to Joan: his vivid imagination allows him to survive the absence of his father, imprisoned by Generalissimo Franco's fascists, as much as the disappearance of his dog and the fact that he is hopeless at math. You guessed it: all this is happening in Spain at the time of the Civil War, and Tales of the Moon [ ... ] is, in part, Philippe Soldevila's homage to his father as well as to his grandfather, an "inventor of better worlds" who disappeared too soon." – Le Devoir

"Of course, Soldevila takes the opportunity to talk about filial ties, war, ideals. But beyond these themes, the author creates above all an ode to imagination and poetry. Joan, Don Quixote's spiritual grandson, marvels at everything. More than that: he aspires to marvel." – La Presse

"Surely, if there is one thing in which the team behind Tales of the Moon can take undivided pride, it is that they have produced a remarkable show full of intelligence, sincerity, and above all, an absence of condescension." – Jeu Magazine

“How can one remain indifferent to this exceptional production?" – L'Acadie Nouvelle

More information about Philippe Soldevila