Scorched is an English-language version of a 2005 play by Wajdi Mouawad

Wajdi Mouawad

Wajdi Mouawad, OC is a Canadian writer, actor and director born in Lebanon in 1968. After living in France for a short time, he moved to Quebec in 1983.- Biography :He obtained his diploma from the National Theatre School of Canada in 1991....

 (original French title, Incendies). The play was translated into English by Linda Gaboriau

Linda Gaboriau

Linda Gaboriau is a Canadian dramaturg and literary translator who has translated some 100 plays and novels by Quebec writers, including many of the Quebec plays best known to English-speaking Canadian audiences....

.

Plot

Incendies follows the journey of twins Janine and Simon, as they attempt to unravel the mystery of their mother's life. When Jeanne and Simon Marwan lose their mother, they are instead left with a difficult mission that sends them on a journey all the way to the Middle East in pursuit of their tangled roots and a long-lost brother.

Awards

The 2007 production at the Tarragon Theatre

Tarragon Theatre

The Tarragon Theatre is a theatre in Toronto, Canada, and one of the main centers for contemporary playwriting in the country. Located near Casa Loma, the theatre was founded by Bill and Jane Glassco in 1970. Bill was the Artistic Director from 1971 to 1982. In 1982, Urjo Kareda took over as...

 in Toronto

Toronto

Toronto is the provincial capital of Ontario and the largest city in Canada. It is located in Southern Ontario on the northwestern shore of Lake Ontario. A relatively modern city, Toronto's history dates back to the late-18th century, when its land was first purchased by the British monarchy from...

 won two Dora Mavor Moore Award

Dora Mavor Moore Award

The Dora Mavor Moore Award is an award presented annually by the Toronto Alliance for the Performing Arts which honours theatre, dance, and opera productions in Toronto. Named after Dora Mavor Moore, who helped establish Canadian professional theatre, the award was established on December 13, 1978...

s, including Best Play and Best Director (for Richard Rose

Richard Rose

Richard Rose was an American mystic, esoteric philosopher, author, poet, and investigator of paranormal phenomena...

). The production has been remounted several times and went on a cross-Canada tour in 2008–2009.

Film version

Incendies has now been adapted into a film by the same title by Denis Villeneuve

Denis Villeneuve

Denis Villeneuve is a Canadian film director and writer. In his early career he won Radio-Canada's youth film competition "La Course Europe-Asie" in 1990-91. He is a three-time winner of the Genie Award for Best Director, for Maelström in 2001, Polytechnique in 2010 and Incendies in 2011...

. The film stars Melissa Desormeaux-Poulin, Maxim Gaudette

Maxim Gaudette

Maxim Gaudette is a Canadian actor from Quebec. He won the Genie Award for Best Supporting Actor in 2010 for his role as Marc Lépine in the 2009 film Polytechnique.-Credits:*2009: Polytechnique*2010: Incendies...

 and Lubna Azabal

Lubna Azabal

Lubna Azabal is a Belgian actress, born in Brussels to a Moroccan father and a Spanish mother. After studing at the Conservatoire royal of Brussels, she began a theatrical career in Belgium. In 1997, she took her first film role when Belgian film-maker Vincent Lannoo chose her to act beside Olivier...

. It was nominated for the 2011 Academy Award in the category Best Foreign Language Film.