At a glance
Place _________ Centre St Jax
Address ______ 1439 Ste-Catherine W Street, Montreal
Duration ______ 1h30
Intermission __ 20 minutes
Language ____ French
Price _________ From 35,55$. Group discounts are available.
What to expect
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As twilight prepares to give way to night, it’s time to push the doors of the sanctuary and make way for the show.
As you enter this blessed place, the stained-glass windows come to life, the arches light up… Le Monastère’s disciples emerge from the rows and the light descends from the sky, enveloping their bodies and revealing the magic of their talents. It’s here, before your very eyes, this international circus competition, the only one of its kind in Quebec, comes to life!
The artists perform their feats before your astonished eyes, the jury prepares its verdict, and you? You’ll be invited to take part in the judging too, by casting your vote!
Le Cabaret du Jugement dernier, presented by Le Monastère, in co-presentation with the Montréal Complètement Cirque festival.
The artists
Philippe Thibaudeau - Emcee
Since graduating from the Conservatoire de Montréal in 2004, Philippe Thibaudeau has racked up over 2000 stage performances as an actor and clown artist. He has had the pleasure of collaborating with such prestigious companies as Cirque du Soleil, The Wallenda’s, Théâtre Denise-Pelletier and GOP Varieté-Theater. His talents have taken him to stages in Quebec, the United States, Australia, Japan and Spain. A sensitive and precise performer, he charms audiences with intelligent, dynamic humor. In addition to his acting career, he has created numerous works as a writer and director, notably with Les Trois Garçons, Rebecca Priebe and Anthony Venisse. Today, he has the pleasure of teaching acting at the École Nationale de Cirque de Montréal. Since 2006, Philippe has also been working as a therapeutic clown with the Fondation Dr Clown.
Jenny Tufts - Cerceau aérien
American by birth, Irish by choice, Jenny Tufts is a specialist in aerial spinning apparatus and a jack-of-all-trades. She has performed and taught on three different continents as a Hula-hoop artist, aerialist and even once as a sexy hyena! Career highlights include the first performance of a show celebrating diversity in the conservative regions of Ireland, her first successful backbend at the age of 30, and being recognized as the perfect pivot in a three-way column by a member of Gravity and Other Myths.
Ess Hödlmoser - Sangles aériennes
Ess Hödlmoser is a transgender performer and writer from Toronto, who has shared his award-winning work on renowned international stages such as the 40th Festival Mondial du Cirque de Demain, La France a un incroyable talent, the Moulin Rouge… Beyond the big top, Ess works as an actor and stuntman. You may have seen his work in shows like “The Boys” (Prime Video), “Station 11” (HBO Max), “Motherland: Fort Salem” (Freeform), and many more.
Isabella Majzun - Jongleries ballons
Originally from the United States, Isabella Majzun began performing in the circus at the age of 5. For her, it’s a way of expressing herself without always needing words. Growing up training and performing at Circus Harmony in St. Louis, Missouri, she spent four years as an acrobat with the St. Louis Arches and three summers with Circus Smirkus before coming to Montreal to pursue her studies at ENC. During her school years, she participated in several festivals, including TurboFest, St. John’s Circus Fest and Montréal Complètement Cirque. Since graduating last year, she has performed in the 7 Fingers’ Duel Reality show aboard Virgin Voyages.
Mike Carter - Duo main à main
Having made his stage debut as a dancer, the Canadian artist discovered his true passion for performance after starting hand-to-hand in 2017. He has been performing professionally since graduating from the National Circus School in 2021. During this time, Mike has had the opportunity to work for Les 7 Doigts, Cirque du Soleil, and also for the FIRCO festival in Madrid. Accompanied by Frida, the duo are passionate about their work and love sharing the stage together.
Frida Velasco - Duo main à main
Frida Velasco is a hand-to-hand aerialist born in Guadalajara, Jalisco, Mexico. She graduated from ENC in 2022 and has been working with Michael Carter for five and a half years. She definitely thinks she’s the luckiest aerialist in the world! This number is their first creation since graduating. “We wanted to create something simple, playing with tempo and movement quality, that represents the trust and care we have for each other.”
Merlin Matthewson - Jonglerie de quilles
Vancouver-born Merlin Matthewson found himself immersed in the circus from an early age thanks to his father, a former circus performer. But it wasn’t until he discovered his passion for juggling that he really developed his interest in the circus world. Graduating from the École Nationale de Cirque in 2024 with a major in juggling and a minor in duo trapeze, Merlin Matthewson thrives at the precise intersection of the real and the abstract, where he discovers that life’s most hilarious and horrifying moments often present themselves. Although Merlin can be very competitive, he firmly believes that art shouldn’t be!
Arthur Morel van Hyfte - Prisme aérien
Arthur Morel van Hyfte is a French aerial artist who uses the language of circus and dance to create set design and visual arts. Born to a theatrical costume designer father and a director/actress mother, this quiet force grew up in a reality enveloped by the arts. He is the recipient of two gold medals, one from the 10th Young Stage Festival and another from the 40th Cirque de Demain Festival, as well as the Prix Cirque du Soleil for innovative vision and artistic performance.
Charlie Wheeller - Roue cyr
Charlie Wheeller grew up in the port city of Southampton, England. As a young man, he travelled to London to train as a circus artist at the National Centre for Circus Arts. It was there that he met his lifelong partner, the Cyr wheel, and that his namesake was finally born. Since then, they’ve never stopped touring, and together they travel, sharing the wonders of this emerging art form with everyone they meet. Right after school, he co-founded the Barely Methodical troupe and continues to create an acrobatic language that speaks to audiences around the world. Charlie invites you to an intimate session between him and local musician Joey Mallat, where they spin and sing, creating the winds of freedom.
Karel Chevalier - Tissu aérien
Starting to dance at the age of 3, Karel Chevalier worked with several dance companies in Montreal and New York, before a knee injury put an end to her dancing career. But as life sometimes works out, it was also at this point that she discovered the circus arts, and was quickly attracted by all the new possibilities that aerial work offered. She has worked with companies such as Throw2Catch, Cirque Éloize and Cirko Alebrije. She also trained as a teacher at ENC and is now in charge of the circus program at Le Baluchon school. Today, as a mother of two, dancing at 10 metres for you remains her haven of peace.
Joey Mallat - Musician
Originally from Lebanon, Joey Mallat has lived all over the world. Music has enabled him not only to travel, but also to make some wonderful encounters. That’s how he came to collaborate with wheel artist Cyr Charlier Wheeler in Scotland. Now that they’re both in Montreal, why not perform together?
Olipage - DJ
Olipage is the most uncomplicated of all DJs. A true jack-of-all-trades, he can improvise an electro symphony with a fork and a tin can. His improvisational musical expertise has earned him the nickname “Quebec’s Marc Rebillet”. A child of the Montreal rock scene, Olipage was born when Mononc Serge told him, “Anyway, you alone, even with your pedal, you’re really good. Since then, he’s done nothing but humorous improvised songs.