With Frétillant et agile (Fidgety but Agile), Jocelyn Sioui brings Auhaïtsic, an unlikely Wendat hero, back to life. How does this little-known figure, viewed with suspicion by his own people, manage to save his nation from extinction and alter the course of history?

Frétillant et agile is a spectacular, humorous, and deeply human epic. A skilled puppeteer and captivating storyteller, Jocelyn Sioui delights in bringing colourful, larger-than-life characters out of the shadows. Author of Mononk Jules, which he later adapted for the stage, Sioui knows that appearances can be deceiving.

This thrilling tale is beautifully brought to life through live sand art created by artist Catherine Gignac and accompanied by the vibrant music of composers and performers Marton Maderspach, Luzio Altobelli, and Bertil Schulrabe. Once again, Frétillant et agile showcases Jocelyn Sioui’s remarkable ability to bring audiences together through stories that inspire wonder and imagination.

The performance Frétillant et agile is based on the story of the same name, written by Jocelyn Sioui and published by Hannenorak Editions.

Creative Team
PRODUCTION
A production by Jocelyn Sioui and Productions Illusion Fabuleuse
AUTHOR AND PERFORMER
Jocelyn Sioui
MUSICIANS / COMPOSERS AND PERFORMERS
Luzio Altobelli, Bertil Schulrabe, Marton Maderspach
SAND ARTIST
Catherine Gignac
SHADOW PUPPET DESIGN
Jessica Blanchet
LIGHTING DESIGNER
Mathieu Marcil
STAGE MANAGER
Kristelle Delorme
TECHNICAL DIRECTOR
Vincent Papineau

About Jocelyn Sioui

A seeker of stories, creator, and community builder, Jocelyn Sioui is a founding member of the theatre collective Belzébrute and the OUF! Festival Off Casteliers, a festival dedicated to emerging puppetry artists. He is one of the very few Indigenous puppeteers in Quebec. As an author, creator, and performer, his work has been presented across Canada and France. The originality of his artistic approach has earned him numerous distinctions, including the Grand Jury Prize at the OFF/Festival Mondial des Théâtres de Marionnettes de Charleville-Mézières for Shavirez in 2013.

Published by Hannenorak Editions in 2020, Mononk Jules marked Jocelyn’s first venture into literature. The documentary theatre adaptation of the same name won the Accès Culture Award at Bourse RIDEAU 2021. Since then, the production has been performed more than 100 times throughout Quebec and Canada.

In 2022, Jocelyn Sioui published Fidgety and Agile, a tale that brings the unlikely Wendat hero Auhaïtsic back to life. Developed in collaboration with musicians and puppeteers, the stage adaptation premiered in October 2024. Around the same time, he also launched SKAWANOTI, his first audio walking experience, retracing the history of the last Indigenous village along the river in Montreal’s Ahuntsic-Cartierville district.

Hybrid, cross-cultural, infused with humour and imagination, Jocelyn’s work explores his origins and collective memory beneath an often playful surface. Through his art, he seeks to piece together fragments of a history that has too often been overlooked.