Stage Door News
Stage Door News
David Mirvish in co-production with the Royal Manitoba Theatre Centre will present Peter Morgan’s THE AUDIENCE from January 17 – February 26, 2017 at the newly restored Royal Alexandra Theatre.
THE AUDIENCE gives theatregoers a remarkable look inside the upper echelons of British politics and the unspoken sacrifices it takes to be the Queen. Few dynasties have stood the test of time like the House of Windsor.
FIONA REID (Calendar Girls, Vanya and Sonia and Masha and Spike) stars as Queen Elizabeth II as she meets with each of her Prime Ministers for a private audience every week, for more than 60 years of her reign. From Winston Churchill to the Iron Lady and David Cameron, no topic, either public or personal, is off-limits with Her Majesty.
THE AUDIENCE also stars ANTHONY BEKENN as Equerry, NIGEL BENNETT as Harold Wilson, EVAN BULIUNG as John Major, BENEDICT CAMPBELL as Gordon Brown, BEN CARLSON as David Cameron, NAOMI CRONK as Young Elizabeth, PAUL ESSIEMBRE as Anthony Eden, KATE HENNIG as Margaret Thatcher, KEVIN KLASSEN as Tony Blair, JOHN B. LOWE as Winston Churchill, ROB MCLAUGHLIN as Private Secretary/Archbishop/Detective, RAY STRACHAN as Footman, MELANIE WHYTE as Mistress of Robes/Lady-in-Waiting and STEFANIE WIENS as Bobo MacDonald.
But how can you tell the story of Queen Elizabeth’s life without including her love for dogs. She’s always had Pembroke Welsh corgis, since she was a young girl. In fact, she has owned over 30 during her reign.
For the Toronto production of THE AUDIENCE, Butters and Hachi will play the Queen’s two corgis. They are brothers who will both be three years old on December 27. Butters was named after the South Park character and Hachi after the famous Japanese dog, Hachiko (and because he was the eighth of his litter and ‘hachi’ means eight in Japanese; the number eight is considered the luckiest number in Japanese culture).
Butters and Hachi are insepereable and have been since they day they were born. Even when one ran away (Butters is the “escape artist”), the other followed. Eventually they were both found together.
THE AUDIENCE creative team includes Director Christopher Newton, Set & Costume Designer Christina Poddubiuk, Lighting Designer Scott Henderson, Sound Designer John Lott, Dialect Coach Shannon Vickers, Stage Manager Dianne Woodrow, Assistant Stage Manager Linsey Callaghan and Apprentice Stage Manager Katherine Dermott.
THE AUDIENCE
January 17 – February 26, 2017
Tickets $35 - $119
The Royal Alexandra Theatre
260 King St. West, Toronto
416-872-1212 or 1-800-461-3333
Groups (15 or more) 416-593-4142 or 1-800-724-6420
Photo: Butters and Hachi.
2016-12-13
Toronto: Full cast of "The Audience" playing January 17-February 26 revealed