Le Fantôme dans la Machine.

Le Fantôme dans la Machine is an autofiction theatre piece written by Fanny Britt and directed by Alexia Bürger, presented by Duceppe at Théâtre Jean-Duceppe. The work blends personal memoir and dramatic invention, exploring what might have been if a beloved brother, lost in a fire in 1997, had survived. The story follows Rousse, who is invited onto a television set only to find the crew has arranged a live on-air reunion with her brother — dead for nearly three decades. As she encounters him again in unexpected places, she catches glimpses of the parallel lives she never got to live, and faces a haunting question: would she give up everything she has today to keep him by her side? Britt and Bürger describe the piece as "auto-science-fiction" — simultaneously autobiographical and pure invention — blurring the line between reality and theatrical illusion. The work reflects on how the absent continue to inhabit the living, and how writing and performance allow us to revisit the defining dramas of a life. The cast features Anne-Élisabeth Bossé, Patrice Dubois, Simon Lacroix, and Christophe Levac. Creative team includes set design and lighting by Martin Labrecque, costumes by Elen Ewing, and music by Philippe Brault. The production runs for 23 performances from October 28 to November 28, 2026. A French surtitle performance takes place on November 12 and an English surtitle performance on November 13. Ticket prices range from $33 to $97.50, taxes and fees included, available through Duceppe.