Straight Jacket Winter by Esther Duquette & Gilles Poulin-Denis

When Esther and Gilles decided to move from Montréal to Vancouver, they didn’t expect their lives to change so starkly. All they wanted was to start a new life for themselves, to find new artistic opportunities. But their new home proves to be a challenging culture shock as the young couple struggles to connect with others, navigate their language barrier, and cope with non-stop rain. These blocks become walls, cutting Gilles and Esther off from the world, and with cabin fever comes erratic behaviour. They find themselves being torn apart, divided by their yearning to go back to their old life and the desire to stay. But how long can two people be everything for each other before they lose themselves completely?

This beautiful story mixes whimsy and disturbance as a couple looks over their motivations for a fresh start, delivering a charming meditation on isolation.

Run time: 90 minutes

Male roles: 2

Female roles: 2

“The play provides an interesting and especially immersive take on the struggles of relocating to a city with a completely different culture and set of values. ”

- Salomon Micko Benrimoh, The Ubyssey

“I wish everyone could make art this compelling from the tough seasons in their lives. Straight Jacket Winter transforms its deeply personal source material into joyously transcendent theatre. ”