TORONTO

Larger Theatres (Professional)

Fall for Dance North (festival). Toronto’s premier international dance festival with 15+ world premieres from movement artists, musicians and filmmakers. Runs Sep 26 to Oct 7. Various venues, www.ffdnorth.com.

Fidelio (opera) Ludwig van Beethoven. A wife disguises herself as a man to rescue her husband from prison. In German with English surtitles. Runs Sep 29 to Oct 20. Four Seasons Centre, www.coc.ca.

In Dreams (musical) by David West Read. A country-rock singer  invites her old bandmates to join her for “the party of a lifetime” featuring the songs of Roy Orbison. Runs Sep 26 to Nov 11. CAA Theatre, 651 Yonge St, 1-800-461-3333, www.mirvish.com.  

Nurse Blake: Shock Advised (comedy) by Blake Lynch. Nurse Blake shares new comic stories about the ins and outs of being a nurse. Runs Sep 9 only. Meridian Hall, www.ticketmaster.ca.

SIX (musical) by Toby Marlow and Lucy Moss. A modern retelling of the story of the six wives of Henry VIII. Runs Sep 23 to Dec 17. Royal Alexandra Theatre, 1-800-461-3333, www.mirvish.com.

Smaller Theatres (Professional)

Beyond the Pale (comedy) by Sandra Shamas. Stories and observations profane and profound. Workshop. Runs Sep 12 to Sep 28. Red Sandcastle Theatre, 922 Queen St E, www.ticketscene.ca.

The Last Epistle of Tightrope Time (drama) by Walter Borden. A personal exploration of homosexuality from a Black perspective. Runs Sep 19 to Oct 15. Tarragon Theatre, www.tarragontheatre.com.

The Master Plan (comedy) by Michael Healey. Sidewalk Labs and Waterfront Toronto attempt, and fail, to build a smart city in Toronto. Previews from Sep 5, opens Sep 13, runs to Oct 1. Streetcar Crowsnest, 345 Carlaw Ave, www.crowstheatre.com.

A Midsummer Night’s Dream (comedy) by William Shakespeare. Four lovers escape into a magical forest. Runs Jul 21 to Sep 3. High Park Amphitheatre, www.canadianstage.com.

Richard Three (drama) by Patricia Allison. A radical rewrite of Shakespeare’s Richard III for only three actors. Previews from Aug 17, opens Aug 19, runs to Sep 3. Withrow Park, 725 Logan Ave, shakespeareintheruff.com.

Topdog/Underdog (drama) by Suzan-Lori Parks. Lincoln and Booth are brothers haunted by their past – as well as their names. Runs Sep 22 to Oct 8. Berkeley Street Theatre, www.canadianstage.com.

Toronto International BuskerFest (festival). Comedians, fire jugglers, acrobats, aerial artists, clowns, daredevils, stiltwalkers and much more. Runs Sep 1 to Sep 4. Woodbine Park, torontobuskerfest.com.

Smaller Theatres (Student and Community)

Halfway There (comedy) by Norm Foster. In Stewiacke, Nova Scotia, Doctor Sean Merrit, newly dumped by his fiancée, meets four local women. Runs Sep 8 to Sep 23. Scarborough Village Theatre, theatrescarborough.com. ‑masks required‑

If We Were Birds (drama) by Erin Shields. Procne leaves her beloved sister Philomela for a new life with husband King Tereus, but tragedy ensues. Runs Sep 22 to Oct 7. [community] Alumnae Theatre, www.alumnaetheatre.com.

The Importance of Being Earnest (comedy) by Oscar Wilde. Algernon impersonates his friend John’s wicked brother to meet John’s winsome ward. Runs Sep 8 to Sep 30. [community] Village Playhouse, villageplayers.net.

BARRIE

Bobbie (drama) by Trudee Romanek. The true story of Bobbie Rosenfeld whose family fled from Russia to Barrie where she trained to become an Olympic champion. Runs Aug 30 to Sep 10. Five Points Theatre, theatrebythebay.com.

Outheis (drama) by Griffin Hewitt. This immersive and interactive experience asks, “Where can we go when we are lost?” Runs Sep 19 to Sep 23. Various venues, www.tift.ca.

BLYTH

Handcuffs (drama) by James Reaney. The third part of the Donnelly Trilogy showing on February 4th, 1880, a mob descended on the Donnelly homestead to kill the family. Runs Aug 1 to Sep 3. Harvest Stage, blythfestival.com.

The Real McCoy (drama) by Andrew Moody. A biography of the inventor Elijah McCoy (1843-1929), whose name became a byword for quality. Aug 24 to Sep 9. Memorial Hall, blythfestival.com.

St. Nicholas Hotel (drama) by James Reaney. The second part of the Donnelly Trilogy showing how the success of the Donnellys’ stagecoach business causes resentment among the locals. Runs Jul 13 to Sep 2. Harvest Stage, blythfestival.com.

Sticks and Stones (drama) by James Reaney. The first part of the Donnelly Trilogy about Johannah’s march to save her husband. Runs Jun 22 to Sep 1. Harvest Stage, blythfestival.com.

BURLINGTON

Opry Gold (revue) by Leisa Way. A salute to the greatest hits of country music. Runs Sep 28 to Oct 1. Burlington PAC, burlingtonpac.ca.

CHATHAM

The Rocky Horror Show (musical) by Richard O'Brien. Brad and Janet's car breaks down in front of the castle of Dr. Frank N. Furter. Runs Sep 26 to Oct 1. Kiwanis Theatre, www.chatham-kent.ca.

COLLINGWOOD

Confessions of a Fairy’s Daughter (comedy) by Alison Wearing. The story of a young woman growing up with a gay father in the 1980s. Runs Sep 19 to Sep 23. Theatre Collingwood, theatrecollingwood.ca.

DRAYTON

Sh-Boom: Life Could Be a Dream (revue) by Roger Bean. Denny and the Dreamers are ready for their big shot at stardom at the local radio station competition. Runs Aug 16 to Sep 3. Drayton Festival Theatre, 1-855-372-9866, www.draytonentertainment.com.

FENELON FALLS

Tales of Bravery and Stupidity (comedy) by Bruce McCulloch. Part stand up, part storytelling it looks at some of the bravely stupid things that Bruce has done. Runs Sep 9 only. Grove Theatre Festival, www.grovetheatre.ca.

GANANOQUE

Bittergirl - The Musical (musical) by Annabel Fitzsimmons et al. The lives of three accomplished women scorned – and the men who dumped them. Runs Aug 18 to Sep 10. Springer Theatre, 1000 Islands Playhouse, www.1000islandsplayhouse.com.

Mysteries of the Keyhole House (magic) by Ted & Marion Outerbridge. An epic evening of spectacular magic, dance, séance and spine-tingling tales. Runs Sep 8 to Sep 16. Royal Theatre, www.eventbrite.ca.

Once (musical) by Glen Hansard & Markéta Irglová. A Dublin street musician is about to give up music when he meets a young Czech woman. Runs Sep 26 to Oct 22. Springer Theatre, 1000 Islands Playhouse, www.1000islandsplayhouse.com.

Sexual Misconduct of the Middle Classes (comedy) by Hannah Moscovitch. After his third divorce a professor finds himself attracted to a 19-year-old girl. Runs Sep 8 to Oct 1. Firehall Theatre, 1000 Islands Playhouse, www.1000islandsplayhouse.com.

GRAND BEND

Rock of Ages (musical) by Chris D’Arienzo. An ambitious young rocker meets a country girl in LA. Runs Aug 9 to Sep 3. Huron Country Playhouse, 1-855-372-9866, www.draytonentertainment.com.

HAMILTON

Decolonise Your Ears Festival (festival). Readings of three new plays by female-identifying BIPOC writers. Runs Sep 21 to Sep 23. Venue TBA, www.redbetitheatre.org.

Jonas and Barry in the Home (comedy) by Norm Foster. Two retirees search for friendship, love, sex and elusive happiness in an assisted living home. Runs Sep 27 to Oct 14. Theatre Aquarius, theatreaquarius.org.

Nurse Blake: Shock Advised (comedy) by Blake Lynch. Nurse Blake shares new comic stories about the ins and outs of being a nurse. Runs Sep 11 only. FirstOntario Concert Hall, www.ticketmaster.ca.

The Tempest (comedy) by William Shakespeare. A magician on a magic island takes revenge of those who exiled him. Runs Aug 15 to Sep 2. Grounds of Dundurn Castle, www.totteringbiped.ca.

KITCHENER/WATERLOO

Frankenstein The Musical (musical) by Mark baron & Jeffrey Jackson. A stage adaptation from 2007 of Mary Shelley’s famous novel. Runs Sep 18 to Sep 24. Registry Theatre, mavisproductions.ca.

IMPACT23 (festival). A biennial international celebration of interdisciplinary, intercultural and physical productions. Runs Sep 26 to Oct 1. Various venues, mtspace.ca.

LONDON

The Canine Circus (circus). World-renowned furry four-legged cast members performing tail-wagging feats of courage, bone-dropping grand illusions and Labrador-able stunts. Runs Sep 8 to Sep 17. Western Fair, www.westernfairdistrict.com.

The Phantom of the Opera (musical) by Andrew Lloyd Webber. A disfigured man secretly trains a young soprano under the Paris Opera House. Runs Sep 19 to Oct 7. [student] Grand Theatre, www.grandtheatre.com.

MORRISBURG

Drinking Alone (comedy) by Norm Foster. Joe organizes a birthday party for his estranged father and hires an escort to pose as his fiancée. Runs Aug 17 to Sep 3. Upper Canada Playhouse, uppercanadaplayhouse.com.

Shirley Valentine (comedy) by Willy Russell. A working-class housewife goes on a trip to Greece. Runs Sep 14 to Oct 1. Upper Canada Playhouse, uppercanadaplayhouse.com.

NIAGARA FALLS

Wonder (magic) by Greg Frewin. Christian Mascia performs new large-scale illusions designed by Greg Frewin. Runs Oct 13, 2022, booking to Dec 30, 2023. Greg Frewin Theatre, 905-356-0777, gregfrewintheatre.com.

NIAGARA-ON-THE-LAKE

THE SHAW FESTIVAL 2023:

The plays run in repertory from Feb 28 to Dec 23 in Niagara-on-the-Lake, two hours south from Toronto. For tickets and information phone 1-800-511-7429 or visit the website at www.shawfest.com.

At the Festival Theatre

The Amen Corner (drama) by James Baldwin. A teenage musical prodigy has to choose between his mother, the pastor and choir leader of the church, and his washed-up father. Runs Aug 19 to Oct 8.

Blithe Spirit (comedy) by Noel Coward. A novelist has to cope with his second wife and the ghost of his first wife. Runs Jul 18 to Oct 8.

Gypsy (musical) by Jule Styne & Stephen Sondheim. Momma Rose pushes her daughter Gypsy into the world of show business. Runs May 17 to Oct 7.

At the Royal George Theatre

On the Razzle (comedy) by Tom Stoppard. Two shop assistants go “on the razzle” in Vienna and get into lots of trouble. Runs May 26 to Oct 8.

The Shadow of a Doubt (comedy) by Edith Wharton. A new wife is suspected of having a secret, which is enough to poison several lives. Runs Aug 20 to Oct 15.

Prince Caspian (children) by Damien Atkins. Young Prince Caspian needs the four Pevensie children to help defeat his wicked uncle. Runs May 28 to Oct 8. For ages 8+.

Village Wooing (comedy) by GB Shaw. On a cruise ship an antisocial wirter and a sparky young woman become attracted to each other. Runs Jul 8 to Oct 7.

At the Studio Theatre

The Apple Cart (comedy) by GB Shaw. A power struggle between the king and his prime minister triggers a constitutional crisis. Runs Jul 9 to Oct 7.

The Clearing (drama) by Helen Edmundson. In the mid-1600s, a pair of young lovers is caught up in Oliver Cromwell’s ethnic cleansing campaign against Irish Catholics. Runs Aug 18 to Oct 6.

The Playboy of the Western World (comedy) by JM Synge. Pegeen Mike falls in love with a man who claims to have just killed his father. Runs Jul 7 to Oct 7.

At the Spiegeltent

The Game of Love and Chance (comedy) by Pierre de Marivaux. A betrothed couple who have never met switch places with their servants in order to see what each other is really like. Runs Jun 28 to Oct 8.

Mother, Daughter (drama) by Selma Dimitrijevic. An exploration of the changing relationships between children and their parents. Runs Jun 3 to Oct 7.

OAKVILLE

Ballet Creole (dance) by Patrick Parson. Caribbean dance choreographed to the music of Battle of Santiago. Runs Sep 16 only. Oakville Centre, www.oakvillecentre.ca.

ORANGEVILLE

Whiskey Jack presents Stories & Songs of Stompin’ Tom (revue) by Whiskey Jack. A mix of Tom’s greatest hits combined with many outrageous, yet true, backstage stories. Runs Sep 15 to Sep 17. Theatre Orangeville, www.theatreorangeville.ca.

ORILLIA

Halfway There (comedy) by Norm Foster. Gossips at the local diner in Stewiacke, NS, check out the young, new doctor who has just come to town. Runs Aug 16 to Sep 2. Orillia Opera House, www.orilliaoperahouse.ca.

OTTAWA/GATINEAU

Le Bodyguard (musical) by Alexander Dinalaris. A musical based on the 1992 movie of the same name. In English. Runs Sep 28 to Oct 21. Casino Lac-Leamy, Gatineau, casinos.lotoquebec.com.

The Book of Will (comedy) by Beth Henley. After Shakespeare’s death, the two actors are determined to compile the First Folio. Runs Sep 20 to Oct 7. [community] Ottawa Little Theatre, www.ottawalittletheatre.com.

Crimes of the Heart (comedy) by Beth Henley. Three Mississipian sisters meet after one them shoots her abusive husband. Runs Aug 16 to Sep 2. [community] Ottawa Little Theatre, www.ottawalittletheatre.com.

La Cuisine de Yannicko (comedy) by Pierre Huet & Louis Saia. The success of Yannicko’s cooking show has gone to his head and infuriates those around him. In French. Runs Sep 17 only. Salle Odyssée, Gatineau, www.maisondelaculture.ca.

Ladies Night, pour vous mesdames! (comedy) by Anthony McCarten et al. A Québécois adaptation of a play similar to The Full Monty. Runs Sep 8 only. Salle Odyssée, www.maisondelaculture.ca.

Nurse Blake: Shock Advised (comedy) by Blake Lynch. Nurse Blake shares new comic stories about the ins and outs of being a nurse. Runs Sep 10 to Sep 11. National Arts Centre, nac-cna.ca.

L'Ombre (performance) by Marie Brassard et al. An exhilarating theatrical adventure through the imaginary dimensions of the stage, of stories and of existence. In French. Runs Sep 28 to Sep 30. National Arts Centre, nac-cna.ca.  

The Queen in Me (performance) by Teiya Kasahara. Mozart's Queen of the Night explores the rigid conventions of race, gender and sexuality in opera. Runs Sep 20 to Sep 30. National Arts Centre, nac-cna.ca.

The Supine Cobbler (comedy) by Jill Connell. A contemporary female Western about falling off the map of decency and becoming an outlaw. Runs Sep 26 to Oct 8. Great Canadian Theatre Company, www.gctc.ca.

Wild Kratts Live 2.0 Activate Creature Power (children). The Wild Kratts take on a comic villain and save the day while sharing fascinating tidbits about the world’s most amazing creatures. Runs Sep 15 to Sep 16. For ages 3-8. Meridian Centrepointe, meridiancentrepointe.com.

PENETANGUISHENE

Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat (musical) by Andrew Lloyd Webber & Tim Rice. A rock musical retelling of the biblical story of Joseph and his brothers. Runs Aug 10 to Sep 3. King’s Wharf Theatre, 1-855-372-9866, www.draytonentertainment.com.

PETROLIA

Kitchen Party Leftovers (revue) by Mark Payne. Our own Mark Payne is back with more singin’, steppin’, and kissin’ of the cod. Runs Sep 5 to Sep 24. Victoria Playhouse Petrolia, thevpp.ca.

PICKERING

Dirty Work at the Crossroads  (comedy) by Bill Johnson. A viperous villain, though married, want to get an innocent country girl in his clutches.  Runs Jul 28 to Sep 10. Herongate Barn Theatre, www.herongate.com.

PORT COLBORNE

Opry Gold (revue) by Leisa Way. Two sisters are living a quiet retirement together until the daughter of one of them arrives. Runs Sep 20 to Sep 24. Lighthouse Festival Theatre, lighthousetheatre.com.

A Pack of Thieves (comedy) by Norm Foster. Two middle-class guys decide to make money by holding a racehorse for ransom. Runs Sep 6 to Sep 17. Lighthouse Festival Theatre, lighthousetheatre.com.

PORT DOVER

Opry Gold (revue) by Leisa Way. Two sisters are living a quiet retirement together until the daughter of one of them arrives. Runs Sep 5 to Sep 16. Lighthouse Festival Theatre, lighthousetheatre.com.

A Pack of Thieves (comedy) by Norm Foster. Two middle-class guys decide to make money by holding a racehorse for ransom. Runs Aug 16 to Sep 2. Lighthouse Festival Theatre, lighthousetheatre.com.

PORT HOPE

Little Shop of Horrors (musical) by Alan Menken & Howard Ashman. A meek florist happens to find a strange carnivorous plant. Runs Aug 11 to Sep 3. Capitol Theatre, capitoltheatre.com.

PORT PERRY

Samuel Stout (drama) by Uju Umenyi. The true story of Port Perry’s first Black resident. Runs Sep 21 to Sep 24. Theatre on the Ridge, theatreontheridge.ca.

PORT STANLEY

Meet My Sister (comedy) by Bonnie Green. Two sisters are all ready to take their mother to her new nursing home, but she won’t go. Runs Aug 24 to Sep 10. Port Stanley Festival Theatre, psft.ca.

RANKIN

Conspiracy Conniptions (musical) by Ish Theilheimer. The arrival in a small town of unruly protestors causes a young man and woman to re-examine their lives and beliefs. Runs Jul 19 to Sep 30. Rankin Culture and Community Centre, stone-fence-theatre.square.site.

STIRLING

Lennon.Live: Love  Is Real (revue). A survey of John Lennon’s music from his time with the Beatles to his time as an independent artist, Runs Sep 30 only. Stirling Festival Theatre, www.stirlingfestivaltheatre.com.

STRATFORD

THE HERE FOR NOW THEATRE FESTIVAL:

A festival of one-act plays of 60 to 90 minutes, including 5 world premieres. Runs Jun 28 to Sep 23, 2023. Marquee at the Stratford Perth Museum, 4275 Huron Rd, www.herefornowtheatre.com.

The Fox (drama) by Daniela Vlaskalic. Two young women struggle for independence, as WWI ends and the men return home. Runs Aug 25 to Sep 9.

Queen Maeve (comedy) by Judith Thompson. An ordinary woman in a drab nursing home when triggered transforms into Queen Maeve, Irish Warrior Queen. Previews from Sep 6, opens Sep 8, runs to Sep 23.

THE STRATFORD FESTIVAL:

The plays run from in repertory Apr 8 to Oct 29 in Stratford, two hours west from Toronto. For tickets and information phone 1-800-567-1600 or visit the website at www.stratfordfestival.ca.

At the Festival Theatre

Les Belles-Soeurs (comedy) by Michel Tremblay. Germaine has won a million stamps and asks friends and family to help her paste them into booklets. Runs Aug 25 to Oct 28.

King Lear (musical) by William Shakespeare. Lear divides his kingdom between two daughters but excludes the third. Runs May 30 to Oct 29. ★★☆☆☆

Much Ado about Nothing (comedy) by William Shakespeare. Beatrice and Benedick bicker so much people think they must be in love. Runs Jun 16 to Oct 27.

Rent (musical) by Jonathan Larson. The story of Puccini's La Bohème set in 1990s Manhattan. Runs Jun 2 to Oct 28. ★★★☆☆

At the Avon Theatre

Frankenstein Revived (performance) by Morris Panych. A movement-based piece based on Mary Shelley’s novel. Runs Aug 24 to Oct 28.

Monty Python’s Spamalot (musical) by John Du Prez & Eric Idle. A musical version of Monty Python and the Holy Grail. Runs May 31 to Oct 28. ★★★★☆

A Wrinkle in Time (children) by Thomas Morgan Jones. A young heroine goes on a journey through space and time to rescue her father. Runs Jun 17 to Oct 29.

At the Tom Patterson Theatre

Encountering Ukraine (plays). Readings of three Ukrainian plays and a panel discussion. Runs Sep 22 to Sep 24.

Grand Magic (comedy) by Eduardo de Filippo. A master illusionist now performs at a seaside resort when one of his tricks goes awry. Runs Jun 3 to Sep 29. ★★★★☆

Richard II (history play) by William Shakespeare. The story of England’s Richard II (1367-1400) is relocated to the 1970s and ’80s. Runs Jun 17 to Sep 28.

Wakey, Wakey (comedy) by Will Eno. With an hour left to live, Guy must determine what makes life worth living. Runs Sep 27 to Oct 1.

Wedding Band (drama) by Alice Childress. An emotional portrayal of a relationship between a Black seamstress and a white baker in the shadow of World War I and the 1918 flu epidemic. Runs Jul 14 to Oct 1.

At the Studio Theatre

Love’s Labour’s Lost (comedy) by William Shakespeare. Four men decide to give up love for study. Previews from Aug 23, opens Sep 9, runs to Oct 1.

SUDBURY

For Ever and Far Always: The Music of Shania Twain (revue). This concert will re-contextualize the classic feel good tunes by Canadian Icon, Shania Twain. Runs Aug 9 to Sep 2. YES Refettorio, sudburytheatre.com.

Romeo and Juliet (tragedy) by William Shakespeare. Two teenagers from feuding families fall in love. Runs Aug 8 to Sep 2. YES Refettorio, sudburytheatre.com.

TWEED

Miss Caledonia (comedy) by Melody A. Johnson. A farm girl hopes that winning a local talent contest will lead to fame and fortune. Runs Sep 21 to Sep 23. Marble Arts Centre, www.tweedandcompany.com.

WALKERTON

Wingfield Unbound (comedy) by Dan Needles. Walt Wingfield tries to turn the abandoned Hollyhock Mill into a history museum. Runs Sep 24 only. Victoria Jubilee Hall, www.ticketscene.ca.

ON TOUR IN ONTARIO

Tom Thomson’s Wake (musical) by Shipyard Kitchen Party. Two years after painter Tom Thomson’s death, his friend, his mentor and his lover gather to share their memories. shipyardkitchenparty.com.

• Sep 8: Georgian Theatre, Barrie

• Sep 22: Gravenhurst Opera House, Gravenhurst

• Sep 23: Showplace Theatre, Peterborough

• Sep 29: Empire Theatre, Belleville

• Sep 30: Victoria Hall, Cobourg

Walk Right Back - The Everly Brothers Story (revue). The story of the most successful musical duo of all time. www.paquetteproductions.com.

• Sep 14: Grand Theatre Kingston

• Sep 15-16: Casino du Lac-Leamy, Gatineau

• Sep 18: Empire Theatre, Belleville

• Sep 20: River Run Centre, Guelph

• Sep 21: Regent Theatre, Oshawa

• Sep 22: Burlington PAC, Burlington

• Sep 24: Imperial Theatre, Sarnia

• Sep 26: Rose Theatre, Brampton