Theatre enthusiasts, it’s time to rejoice! The 2018 season of the
Shaw Festival in
Niagara-on-the-Lake is fast approaching, and you can expect an amazing line-up of plays from
April 4th to October 28th. Enjoy a selection of plays in various genres that truly reflect the philosophy of Shaw, and also showcases contemporary thought processes. Let us take a look at what the 57th edition of the festival has in store for us:
Festival Theatre
The Magician’s Nephew (World Premiere) Be spellbound with the magical tale of a journey to Narnia in The Magician’s Nephew. Based on the book by C.S Lewis and directed by Tim Carroll, this adventure story is all about friendship and coming of age.
Grand Hotel It’s romantic, glamorous and dangerous! Grand Hotel is a musical that tells a story of love, jealousy and murder, based on the book by Luther Davis, and also Vicki Baum’s Grand Hotel. It is directed by Eda Holmes.
Mythos: A Trilogy — Gods. Heroes. Men. (World Premiere) Directed by Tim Carroll, the three plays of this trilogy star Stephen Fry who is also the writer of the plays. It’s a fascinating and hilarious narrative of the myths and tales related to Greek gods, heroes and men.
The Hound of the Baskervilles In this popular work by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle, follow the super detective Sherlock Holmes in a murder mystery full of twists and turns. Get your dose of intrigue and suspense in the Canadian premiere of this play directed by Craig Hall.
Royal George Theatre
Stage Kiss Pulitzer Prize finalist playwright Sarah Ruhl’s Stage Kiss portrays the story of two bitter exes who are cast in the same play as besotted lovers. This entertaining romantic comedy is directed by Anita Rochon.
Of Marriage and Men This play showcases two of Shaw’s best short plays on the theme of marriage. Directed by Philip Akin,
How He Lied to Her Husband, and
The Man of Destiny offer a comic take on relationships.
O’Flaherty V.C. Shaw’s witty play directed by Kimberley Rampersad tells the tale of Dennis O’Flaherty who returns home from the front to enlist more Irishmen to fight for the English in the war. It’s certainly not something his Irish Nationalist mother would be pleased about!
Oh What a Lovely War A musical that will take you on a roller coaster ride of emotions, this play is based on the book by Joan Littlewood, Theatre Workshop and Charles Chilton. See World War I from a whole new perspective in this production directed by Peter Hinton.
A Christmas Carol This classic Christmas favourite by Charles Dickens tells the story of a miser Ebenezer Scrooge whose life changes after a visit by three ghosts. Directed by Tim Carroll, self-redemption is the central theme of this play.
Jackie Maxwell Studio Theatre
The Orchard [After Chekhov] (World Premiere) A gripping story about the Canadian immigrant experience, the play is a South Asian take on Chekhov’s
The Cherry Orchard. Written by Sarena Parmar based on her own life experiences, this stage production is directed by Ravi Jain.
The Baroness and the Pig Inspired by Pygmalion, the story revolves around a 19th century baroness and her new maid – a feral girl. Humorous and heart-breaking, this play by Michael Mackenzie is directed by Selma Dimitrijevic.
Henry V Co-Directed by Tim Carroll and Kevin Bennett, this play based on the one by William Shakespeare follows a troop of Canadian soldiers in a dugout in the midst of World War I. For company, they have a few copies of Shakespeare’s Henry V!
