In his acclaimed thriller, Butcher, Canadian playwright Nicolas Billon asks, how do we punish the unpunishable? How can there be true justice when everyone has their own take on what justice is and how it should be served? How can live theatre as an art form successfully pose such questions in our accelerating digital age? And above all, how does empathy fit into all of this?

Ben sits down with Nic to discuss his play, the power of theatre, and the crucial role of empathy in our lives and society.

About the Guest

Nicolas Billon writes for theatre, film, and television. His plays have been performed in multiple languages around the world. His first, The Elephant Song, was made into a feature film starring Xavier Dolan, Bruce Greenwood, and Catherine Keener, for which Nic won a Canadian Screen Award and a Writers Guild of Canada Screenwriting Award. His latest, Butcher, was produced across Canada and is in development as a feature film for Rhombus Media. Nic has won over a dozen awards for his work, including the Governor General’s Award for Drama.

For more information about Nic, visit nicolasbillon.com.