One for the Pot is a Hysterical Farce at the Festival Theatre

By Stephen Dubois When the Shaw Festival last produced One for the Pot, in 1985, it ended up playing in additional cities and even had a filmed performance on CBC. It went down in Canadian theatre history as one of the company’s great successes. And rightly so. It’s a delight from beginning to end. This new … Continue reading One for the Pot is a Hysterical Farce at the Festival Theatre

Dedicated Cast Brings The Wind in the Willows to Life

By Stephen Dubois The Wind in the Willows at the Shaw Festival makes splendid use of the in-the-round space at the Jackie Maxwell Theatre. Upon entering, there is a striking and detailed painted stage that looks both like a forest floor and an intricate Persian rug. Projections cast from overhead create dappled sunlight, as if penetrating … Continue reading Dedicated Cast Brings The Wind in the Willows to Life

Perfect Pairings is a Great Addition to Shaw Festival

Perfect Pairings is a new cabaret production at the Shaw Festival in Niagara-on-the-Lake, and it’s an ingenious opportunity to celebrate the collaborations that knit together the theatre community. The production itself is simple: it’s a 12-song cycle that features a contemporary pair of composers-lyricists. And no matter which 45-minute performance you see, you can’t go … Continue reading Perfect Pairings is a Great Addition to Shaw Festival

Theatre Review: ‘The Glass Managerie’ at The Shaw Festival

Tennessee Williams comes from a cohort of playwrights whose early 20th century upbringing, while horrid by any standard, provided ample source material that would later be used to craft some of the most iconic works of American theatre. Along with Eugene O’Neil’s “Long Days Journey Into Night”, “The Glass Menagerie” is semi-autobiographical and features characters … Continue reading Theatre Review: ‘The Glass Managerie’ at The Shaw Festival

Theatre Review: ‘The Hound of the Baskervilles’ at The Shaw Festival

“The Hound of the Baskervilles”, currently playing at the Shaw Festival in Niagara-on-the-Lake, is adapted from the famous novella by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle. This is one of the most suspenseful Sherlock Holmes stories. In addition to murder and mystery, there is a supernatural element. Many Sherlockians consider “Hound” the finest of all stories about … Continue reading Theatre Review: ‘The Hound of the Baskervilles’ at The Shaw Festival

Theatre Review: ‘Stage Kiss’ at The Shaw Festival

While it’s a little bit “Kiss Me Kate”with a  touch of “Noises Off,” “Stage Kiss,” onstage at St. George’s Theatre in Niagara-on-the-Lake’s iconic Shaw Festival 18, distinguishes itself in the ‘play within a play’ comic genre with one good plot twist and a few interesting insights on the difference between matured true love and unfinished … Continue reading Theatre Review: ‘Stage Kiss’ at The Shaw Festival

Theatre Review: ‘Dracula’ at The Shaw Festival

Bram Stoker’s 1897 novel, “Dracula” has made its mark on popular culture over the last century. What was once considered to be a dime a dozen horror novel, has turned into a phenomenon that continues to entertain and scare audiences. Numerous film and stage adaptations have been developed and mounted based on the tale of … Continue reading Theatre Review: ‘Dracula’ at The Shaw Festival