Blending clowning, theatre and the circus arts, Le Gros Orteil performance company creates high-quality shows for young audiences. Improvisation, truthful emotions and interaction with the audience bring our shows to life. With their themes of travel and dreaming and enriched with subtle educational messages, our performances leave ample room for children’s avid imaginations and spontaneity to flourish, embarking our young audiences on a journey of story, emotion and reflection.
Marie-Hélène D’Amours, founder, executive director, and artistic director of Le Gros Orteil, a performing arts company dedicated to young audiences, possesses an extraordinary blend of creative and entrepreneurial spirit. Fueled by boundless energy, she deepened and refined her passion for physical theatre, clowning, and circus arts during her training in Drama (Performance profile) at UQAM and at the École de Cirque de Québec between 1999 and 2004. In 2013, she fulfilled a lifelong dream by founding Le Gros Orteil, a cultural organization aimed at young audiences.
Over the years, the company has created a number of original shows. From Hisse et Ho to MOVE! (BOUGE!), from Aweye Manon to Petit Voilier, Le Gros Orteil has built a solid reputation among schools, theatres, and circus festivals across Quebec, Canada, and internationally.
Inspired by books and the joy of reading, Marie-Hélène created the show The Librarian (Le Bibliothécaire) in 2015, alongside her artistic collaborators, including the lively character Hippolyte. This creation, blending circus, music, and clowning, has delighted children and families and has been performed nearly 700 times across Canada. It has also been presented in Asia, Europe, and Australia since 2019. The Librarian (Le Bibliothécaire) has become a cornerstone of the company’s artistic identity.
In 2019–2020, Le Gros Orteil received a creation and production grant from the Conseil des arts et des lettres du Québec, which supported a new phase of artistic research. This led to the creation of Octave, a show featuring three circus performers who joyfully dive into the chaotic and humorous adventure of a grandfather’s big move!
In January 2023, the company launched its latest creation, The Lady Next Door (Les Voisines): the story of two very different women who share a backyard. A hilarious and heartwarming performance featuring an extraordinary female clown duo, the show has been touring across Canada, captivating audiences in Ontario, New Brunswick, Yukon, and, of course, Quebec!
In 2025, Octave will take its final bow after several years of warmly received performances. That same year, Le Gros Orteil will launch its newest creation: Maringouin, a clown and acrobatic show telling the misadventures of Gus and Zoé as they face off with a relentless mosquito during a chaotic camping trip!
Rooted in its community yet open to the world, Le Gros Orteil also offers its fully equipped space to other artists for residencies, research, and rehearsal. The company also develops interactive animations, circus and clowning workshops.
Le Gros Orteil is always bubbling with new ideas for both the present and the future, each one grounded in a deep love for children, a strong desire to inspire wonder and imagination, and a passion for the limitless creativity found at the heart of professional circus and clown arts.
