Bio
As a writer of musical theatre, Vincent de Tourdonnet is drawn to tales that have social justice at heart.
Currently, Vincent is adapting an electronic musical from the Andrew Moodie play The Real McCoy, about the black Canadian inventor who helped revolutionize the steam engine. He is collaborating with with Nicholas Murray of Lal and Rosalind Mills.
De Tourdonnet's epic historical musical Pélagie, adapted from Antonine Maillet's acclaimed novel, is about a French Acadian mother leading her family homeward to Nova Scotia after The Great Deporation, crossing the war-torn landscape of the American Revolution. Co-created with Allen Cole, Pélagie went from Canadian Stage to the National Arts Centre, to a CBC radio broadcast, and de Tourdonnet directed the eastern Canada tour for Two Planks and a Passion, with performances alternating between English and French.
His Joan of Arc musical Jeanne, with music by Peter Sipos, asked difficult questions about the religious legacy of that warrior heroine. Initially premiering at Montreal's Saidye Bronfman Theatre (Now the Segal Centre), it went on to large-scale production at Montreal's Place des Arts and then Le Theatre de la Capitole in Quebec. It was also performed in both English and French, with the French version by Antonine Maillet.
Snappy Tales, de Tourdonnet’s collection of short musicals with themes of anti-authoritarian satire (one adapted with Kurt Vonnegut's permission), received 7 Dora nominations for the Toronto premiere. And his satire on the medical profession, Strange Medicine, was both a critical and public hit in his native British Columbia, attracting appreciation and alarm from doctors for highlighting challenges within their profession. A new version of that show, entitled The Strange Medicine of Dr. Knock, is scheduled in Nova Scotia at Two Planks and a Passion. While in New York studying musical theatre writing at the BMI workshop under Maury Yeston and others, de Tourdonnet taught musical theatre writing at Long Island University. His work started with a number of adaptations of Brecht/Weill, including a modern version of The Threepenny Opera which he produced at McGill as his honour's thesis, which he then re-worked for Vancouver's Touchstone Theatre.
Vincent coaches, facilitates and does simulation-based training in English and French across Canada, and the U.S. with the training companies Plays That Work and Practica Learning. He has faciilated for theatre conferences including The Director's Lab North and given masterclasses in musical theatre, most recently for Eclipse Theatre.
An advocate for cycling and other forms of clean active transportation, de Tourdonnet's writings include a chapter in On Bicycles, 50 ways the New Bike Culture Can Change Your Life and articles for Momentum Magazine. He sits as vice-chair of the board of directors of the Prince Edward Trails Committee, having moved with his partner Beth Easton to Prince Edward County in 2016.
Currently, Vincent is adapting an electronic musical from the Andrew Moodie play The Real McCoy, about the black Canadian inventor who helped revolutionize the steam engine. He is collaborating with with Nicholas Murray of Lal and Rosalind Mills.
De Tourdonnet's epic historical musical Pélagie, adapted from Antonine Maillet's acclaimed novel, is about a French Acadian mother leading her family homeward to Nova Scotia after The Great Deporation, crossing the war-torn landscape of the American Revolution. Co-created with Allen Cole, Pélagie went from Canadian Stage to the National Arts Centre, to a CBC radio broadcast, and de Tourdonnet directed the eastern Canada tour for Two Planks and a Passion, with performances alternating between English and French.
His Joan of Arc musical Jeanne, with music by Peter Sipos, asked difficult questions about the religious legacy of that warrior heroine. Initially premiering at Montreal's Saidye Bronfman Theatre (Now the Segal Centre), it went on to large-scale production at Montreal's Place des Arts and then Le Theatre de la Capitole in Quebec. It was also performed in both English and French, with the French version by Antonine Maillet.
Snappy Tales, de Tourdonnet’s collection of short musicals with themes of anti-authoritarian satire (one adapted with Kurt Vonnegut's permission), received 7 Dora nominations for the Toronto premiere. And his satire on the medical profession, Strange Medicine, was both a critical and public hit in his native British Columbia, attracting appreciation and alarm from doctors for highlighting challenges within their profession. A new version of that show, entitled The Strange Medicine of Dr. Knock, is scheduled in Nova Scotia at Two Planks and a Passion. While in New York studying musical theatre writing at the BMI workshop under Maury Yeston and others, de Tourdonnet taught musical theatre writing at Long Island University. His work started with a number of adaptations of Brecht/Weill, including a modern version of The Threepenny Opera which he produced at McGill as his honour's thesis, which he then re-worked for Vancouver's Touchstone Theatre.
Vincent coaches, facilitates and does simulation-based training in English and French across Canada, and the U.S. with the training companies Plays That Work and Practica Learning. He has faciilated for theatre conferences including The Director's Lab North and given masterclasses in musical theatre, most recently for Eclipse Theatre.
An advocate for cycling and other forms of clean active transportation, de Tourdonnet's writings include a chapter in On Bicycles, 50 ways the New Bike Culture Can Change Your Life and articles for Momentum Magazine. He sits as vice-chair of the board of directors of the Prince Edward Trails Committee, having moved with his partner Beth Easton to Prince Edward County in 2016.
