MONTREAL - The curtain came down Friday on plans to have a French rocker convicted of killing his girlfriend star in a Montreal play next year.

Bertrand Cantat, who was convicted of manslaughter after he beat Marie Trintignant to death, won't be appearing in a play by acclaimed writer Wajdi Mouawad, the Theatre du nouveau monde's artistic director announced.

Lorraine Pintal acknowledged the widespread outrage at the announcement that Cantat had been cast in the new Greek tragedy by Mouawad, who is widely known for writing the play "Incendies."

"Never did I imagine the media barrage, the social and political debate that would be engendered by the announcement of the presence of Bertrand Cantat on the stage at Theatre du nouveau monde," Pintal told a news conference.

"While receiving many expressions of support for this project, we were also faced with strong statements of disapproval, even violent, toward Wajdi Mouawad, Bertrand Cantat and TNM."

She said Mouawad, who is in Europe, was made aware of the controversy. So far the playwright, who is also the artistic director of French theatre at the National Arts Centre, has not spoken publicly about the uproar.

Pintal said that given the magnitude of the protests, there were few options left.

"The final decision is that Bertrand Cantat will not play 'Cycles de femmes' on the stage of Theatre du nouveau monde and on the stage of the National Arts Centre in 2012," Pintal said.

Pintal said Mouawad will announce in Ottawa on April 18 whether the play will go ahead without Cantat or just be cancelled altogether.

Cantat announced in France on Friday his withdrawal from Mouawad's production of the play at the theatre festival in Avignon, France.

The singer said in a statement that "for personal reasons and in deference to the pain of Jean-Louis Trintignant," he had "chosen not to participate in the performances of the play 'Cycles de femmes' at the Avignon festival."

His decision came a day after actor Jean-Louis Trintingant insisted he would never walk on the stage of an event that features the man who killed his daughter.

News that Cantat would appear on stage in Montreal triggered widespread outrage among politicians, women's groups and many ordinary Quebecers.

"I have only regrets for all those who have been hurt or shocked," Pintal said Friday.

"I also have a lot of respect for those who took the time to write us and tell us about their experiences."

Cantat was convicted of manslaughter in the 2003 death of Trintignant, a popular French actress.

A Lithuanian court convicted Cantat in 2004 and he was transferred to France after his trial.

He was granted early release from jail for good behaviour after serving half of an eight-year sentence.

Provincial politicians had been demanding all week that Cantat not be allowed to set foot in Quebec.

Federal Intergovernmental Affairs Minister Josee Verner told media outlets this week that if the Conservatives are re-elected they would not allow Cantat to enter Canada.

The director of a federation that represents 37 women's shelters in the province said Cantat, the former lead singer of French rock band Noir Desir, was not welcome because he had never addressed or explained his crime publicly.

Mouawad first suggested about a year ago that Cantat be included in the production and Pintal said Friday she had supported that decision as had the board of the theatre.

The two men struck up a professional relationship after Cantat was released from a Toulouse prison.