Footscray Community Arts presents

I Met An Angel Named Jacques
By Gideon D. Wilonja

A boy lost in grief.
A man consumed by ego.
A mother desperate to save her child’s soul.

Set in a real world that is completely made up, I Met an Angel Named Jacques introduces us to L’or – a celebrated artist whose work is bold, unrelenting, and impossible to ignore. He’s at the top of his game, all eyes are on him, under the public gaze he has it all together. But with fame comes scrutiny… and there’s no room for mistakes.

Enter Jacques, an ambitious cultural critic with a sharp tongue and a mind that cuts through the noise. An interview between Jacques and L’or exposes unhealed wounds while sparking a deep curiosity in each other, leading to complicated emotions.

A poetic, bruising dive into the ways we love, I Met An Angel Named Jacques is a tale about the ache for validation, facing your demons, and the dangerous comfort of familiar pain. Exploring the incessant human need for validation and the lengths we go to find it; it’s an electric love story that hates romance.

Running for a limited season, I Met An Angel Names Jacques is commissioned and supported by Jewel Box Performances and Footscray Community Arts. This powerful new work by Gideon D. Wilonja is not to be missed.

Footscray Community Arts is a nationally and internationally recognised arts precinct grounded in Melbourne’s West. For 50 years, Footscray Community Arts has cultivated a reputation for excellence in nurturing, creating and presenting contemporary arts in collaboration with our communities of focus: First Nations, culturally and linguistically diverse, LGBTIQA+ and artists with disability.

Written by Gideon D. Wilonja
Directed by Clary Riven
Performed by Ras-Samuel, Gideon D. Wilonja, Ben Chisholm, Sasha Hannequin, and Atinuke Abraham
Sound Design by Ethan Hunter
Set Design by Jacqueline Tran
Costume Design by Milly Wright
Intimacy Coordinator: Kiana Daniele
Stage Manager: Chiara Henger
Produced by Aamer Ahmed and wani toaishara
Publicity by Sassy Red PR

1 to 4 October 2025
Wed to Sat 7pm
Preview Night: Wednesday 1 October
Opening Night: Thursday 2 October
Tickets: $45 Full, $35 Concession, $40 Preview
Bookings: www.footscrayarts.com/event/i-met-an-angel-named-jacques
Enquiries: 03 9362 8888 or email reception@footscrayarts.com
Venue: Footscray Community Arts Performance Space – 45 Moreland St, Footscray
www.footscrayarts.com

Duration: 2-hours with interval
Suitable for ages: 16+
Warnings: Mature themes, strong language, depictions of drug use and alcohol consumption, references to sexual abuse
Accessibility: Wheelchair accessible, quiet space available. Please contact Footscray Community Arts on 03 9362 8888 with any other accessibility enquiries