It was a revolutionary piece of Canadian theatre at the time of its premiere, and 50 years later it is still funny, raucous and moving.

University Players presents Les Belles Soeurs by Michel Tremblay, translated by John Van Burek and Bill Glassco, February 2 to 11 at the Essex Hall Theatre.

Tickets are available for purchase online at www.UniversityPlayers.com or by calling 519-253-3000, ext. 2808.

Germaine Lauzon, who has won a million gold stamps in a lottery, invites everybody she knows to help her stick them onto booklets to claim her prizes. As her neighbours and relatives work, the women talk about society, religion, each other, and the men in their lives. And while they reveal deeply moving truths, they are robbing Germaine of her precious gold stamps, providing some darkly comedic and hugely entertaining theatre.

Director Lezlie Wade, an accomplished director at the Stratford and Shaw Festivals, describes the importance of this Canadian classic.

“If you have any experience seeing theatre, you’ll notice immediately how it influenced other plays,” she says. “It really stresses the importance of relationships that women have with women, and how they can be empowering and how they can be destructive. We can help each other, or we can hinder each other.”

Wednesday to Saturday performances are at 8 p.m. and Saturday and Sunday matinees are at 2 p.m. On Sunday, February 4, a free “Talk Back” discussion with the actors will follow the performance.