The story centres on twins – a brother Simon and sister Janine – who are summoned to the office of a solicitor to hear the will of their mother, Nawal. They are both handed a letter written by their mother; one is to be delivered to their brother, one to their father.
And the mystery begins - both thought their father was dead and never knew of a brother. The letters send them plunging into their mother's past – to a Middle Eastern country engulfed in a brutal civil war where she was a political activist and later became a prisoner. Following their mother’s life, the twins take on the challenge of confronting their war-ravaged family history.

“A startling, poetic and moving masterpiece from one of Québec’s leading playwrights.” - Peter Hinton, Co-Artistic Director, National Arts Centre Canada

"Scorched is one of the most complex, ambitious plays we have seen in recent years, bursting with emotion and ideas, but also written in language capable of staggering poetic images. At times hysterically funny, Scorched has much to say about pointless religious wars, the way we live our lives and the necessity of hope. Mouawad knows how to fill a stage with awe and wonder. This is one you have to see.”

- Richard Ouzounian, The Toronto Star

Born in Lebanon in 1968, Wajdi Mouawad fled the war-torn country with his family; they lived in Paris for a few years, then settled in Montreal. In 1991, after graduating from the National Theatre School, he embarked on a quadruple career as an actor, writer, director and producer.

Mouawad is the recipient of numerous awards and honours for his writing and a totally original voice in French theatre, spanning the cultural gaps between his native Lebanon, North America, Québec and Europe. In 2009, he was the associate artist at the internationally renowned Avignon Festival. He is currently co-artistic director of the National Arts Centre Canada.

“ One of the world’s most talented French-language playwrights.” - Le Monde