Photo: Luis Ekiro
Original cast

Come on, come on, come on! Days begin full tilt. This morning mommy is in a real hurry and Samuel can’t figure out why. He just wants to play with his tiger teddy bear. “Go wash your toasts. Your teeth will get cold.” Mommy’s words are gibberish in Samuel’s ears. While his tiger teddy bear is having lots of fun, mommy hastily bumps into everything and Samuel screams at the top of his voice. Enough already! Mommy gets into a fit. She grows claws and visibly becomes smaller while her dear son turns into a huge ferocious tiger. Exhausted, his room in a shambles, Samuel realizes how much place the tiger is taking in his life. The two of them hide under his bed and look for a solution. By imagining the mythological story of a goddess of anger and a tiger hunter, they will discover new common ground.

Created in January 2004 as part of a residency at the Arrière Scène in Beloeil, Quebec, Tiger by the Tail has criss-crossed Quebec and France. In February 2004 during the Bourse Rideau event, the production was awarded the Prix du Cirque du Soleil, emphasizing the boldness, originality and quality of an artistic project devised by emerging professionals.

Two new versions of the play, one in English and one in Spanish, coproduced by Theatre Motus and Figurat S.C. will be available for touring as of the 2012-2013 season.