LES CABINETTES
Les Cabinettes create short puppet shows performed in small booth stages. Their work feels like a mix between a cabinet of curiosities and miniature puppetry. Designed for just a few spectators at a time, this intimate street theatre offers a special moment right in the heart of public gatherings. Four different cabinettes each present their own version of the same story, showing a variety of perspectives that make the tale even richer.
Just sit down in front of the little window and dive into a miniature world, where every tiny detail invites you into a personal and immersive experience.
Les Cabinettes were created in 2020, inspired by the discovery of Brazilian Lambe-Lambe theatre during the Graduate Diploma in Contemporary Puppet Theatre at UQAM. Intimate and popular at the same time, this form of theatre, designed for one spectator at a time, immediately appealed to several students, who chose it as their preferred medium.
Mélanie Baillairgé, Camille Mila Banville, Élizabeth Bosquet, Charlotte Devyver, and Marie Lalleman, the founding members, presented their first creations that same year at the Festival Plein la rue, offering a new take on Little Red Riding Hood (2020).
In 2021, the collective expanded its repertoire with The Crow and the Fox, followed in 2022 by a reinterpretation of Alice in Wonderland. In 2024, a new series inspired by Pippi Longstocking’s adventures emerged, exploring feminist and contemporary themes. Over time, new collaborators from the same program — Marika Karlsson, Gabrielle Chabot, Mélina Kerhoas, Maggie Winston, and Béatrice Deschênes-Gagnon — joined the collective, enriching its artistic perspectives and expanding its growing reach.
Some members of Les Cabinettes are now based in Europe, allowing the collective to strengthen its international presence. Naturally, Les Cabinettes participated in the World Festival of Puppet Theatres (FMTM) in Charleville-Mézières, France (2023). After meeting Mamby Mawine at the Saguenay International Puppet Arts Festival (FIAMS), they were invited to Djaram’art Festival in Senegal (2024). The following summer, they began a collaboration with Théâtre de la Petite Marée in Gaspésie, creating Au Vent du Large.
In the summer of 2023, Les Cabinettes launched Marionnettes en Cabinettes, their first series of cultural mediation workshops, working with adults on the autism spectrum, in partnership with Festival Plein la rue and Quai 5160. The project was renewed the following year. In 2024, with the support of Médiations Culturelles MTL and Synthèse Additive, they led Living Words in Cabinettes at L’Écho des femmes, contributing to the democratization of culture and the creation of spaces for collective expression.
Driven by a constant desire for innovation, Les Cabinettes continue to push the boundaries of contemporary puppetry and transform public spaces into places of connection, intimacy, and poetry. Today, the group embodies a hybrid practice that brings together artistic creation, social engagement, and both local and international outreach.