“The Descent to Business” by Fred Pellerin: a new show obsessed with time and money

BET À DAY

After more than two decades of career, Fred Pellerin has imagined a new tale, The Descent into Business, which lingers over time. “It's a case that haunts me, which inhabits me, but which is not necessarily anxiety-provoking”, mentions the 46-year-old storyteller.

How is your preparation for your new show The descent to business?

“The show has been on the road since September. I must already have about forty performances behind the tie. It’s a show that has already taken off. At my stage, after 40 nights, I own it enough to have fun in it. But it also continues to be a bit new. I think he's really in a good time in his development.”

What is he talking about?

“It's about Toussaint Brodeur, a character we already knew. He has been a secondary character in the other shows. We have also been able to see him in the films being embodied by Luc Picard or Émile Proulx-Cloutier. Toussaint is the businessman, he is a merchant. […] By its calculation of the piastre, that makes it sympathetic nerve. One day, there will be beautiful shocks. It will lead to something luminous, to realizations.”

“The show is a reflection on this Toussaint who counts his money. But it is also a great reflection on time and what we do with it. […] At some point, he will find himself placed before eternity. Besides time and money, there is also that business called love. We will see the evolution of Toussaint's relationship with Jeannette.”

Did the idea for the show come to you during the pandemic?

“I wrote the show during the pandemic. But this reflection, on time, has been there for me for a long time. The show I did in 2009 was still called The Time Harvester! It's a case that haunts me, that lives in me. But it's not necessarily anxiety-provoking. I ended up turning it upside down to make it something stimulating.”

You have reached the milestone of 20 years in your career. Are you the type to take stock?

“I don't do it on my career, but more on a personal level. Career and time are more separate on tour. These are periods of three, four or five years. It really is separated clearly. Otherwise, I am not yet on the balance sheet.”

How is the career going in Europe?

“I came back from there about two weeks ago. I went to France. I had also been there in September or October for two weeks. Before that, I went to Switzerland in June. My European hygiene continues to do very well.”

You own a small sugar shack. Have you started harvesting?

“Not yet, but I can't wait! The other day, it was six degrees and I had to hold myself back not to cut one by force [laughs]. I wait, I wait. I'm ready ! I have the torch next to my bed. On March 5, I finish at Place des Arts. And after that, I have a month off to do the sugaring off. That's going to be where it's going to be.”

“It's a small cabin, there's not even room to put a table in there. This is not a restaurant! I'm making syrup with some friends and my girlfriend. It's not a commercial gimmick at all. […] I have 800 maple trees. In fact, bottles! We collect almost 300 liters of syrup. I eat pancakes three times a day because of that [laughs].”

The last movie you wrote, The Time Snatcher was released in 2021. Are you already working on an upcoming script?

“Yes, it will be the adaptation of my tale Of comb and misery , the story of the barber Méo. I will deliver a version 2 in about three weeks. In three years, if all goes well, it will come out.”

Have you turned your back on possibly making another music album?

“I don't know. The albums we made, it was never a very premeditated plan. The success that followed was not expected either. The world of music has changed a lot since then. CDs don't really exist anymore. It's online music. I see that there are albums of three tunes coming out. At the same time, Lynda Lemay announces 11 albums of 11 songs! Everything changes, there is no more format.”

• Fred Pellerin's show, The descent into business , will be presented from March 1 to March 5 at Théâtre Maisonneuve in Montreal. For all dates: fredpellerin.com.