Stage Door News

Niagara-on-the-Lake: The Shaw Festival announces casting for the 2020 season

Friday, November 1, 2019

Artistic Director Tim Carroll announces casting for the Shaw Festival’s 2020 season.
 
“I'm really happy to have some familiar faces returning to the company – including a certain Artistic Director Emerita to the directing team – and I’m pleased to welcome a wave of fresh talent to keep us all on our toes,” says Tim Carroll.  “Our ensemble grows a bit this year thanks to our thrilling partnership with Ravi Jain's Why Not Theatre. I look forward to getting to work with all these incredible artists.”



FESTIVAL THEATRE

GYPSY
A Musical Fable, Book by Arthur Laurents
Music by Jule Styne, Lyrics by Stephen Sondheim
Suggested by memoirs of Gypsy Rose Lee
Original production by David Merrick and Leland Hayward

Entire production originally directed and choreographed by Jerome Robbins

Directed and choreographed by Kimberley Rampersad
Music direction by Paul Sportelli
Set designed by Cory Sincennes

Costumes designed by Tamara Marie Kucheran
Lighting designed by Kevin Fraser
Sound designed by John Lott

Previews April 8  Closes October 11

The Shaw Festival’s Associate Artistic Director Kate Hennig stars as one of the most complex characters in musical theatre, Momma Rose. Thrust into the spotlight by the ultimate stage mom are Madelyn Kriese as June and Julie Lumsden as Louise. Their manager Herbie, played by Jason Cadieux, helps Momma Rose and her daughters find their limelight in this timeless musical about sex, power and longing.

Gypsy also features Andrew Broderick, James Daly, Kristi Frank, Kyle Golemba, Drew Plummer,Kiera Sangster, Olivia Sinclair-Brisbane, Jacqueline Thair, Jay Turvey, Kelly Wong and Jenny L. Wright.

Age Recommendation: Age 12+


THE DEVIL’S DISCIPLE
By Bernard Shaw

Directed by Eda Holmes
Set designed by Michael Gianfrancesco  

Costumes designed by Gillian Gallow

Lighting designed by Bonnie Beecher
Original music by Paul Sportelli

Previews May 14   Closes October 9 

Martin Happer plays the scoundrel Richard Dudgeon in The Devil’s Disciple, Bernard Shaw’s first major hit, featuring some of the playwright’s sharpest comedy. Verbally sparring with Happer are Katherine Gauthier as Judith Anderson and Graeme Somerville as Reverend Anderson.
 
The Devil’s Disciple also features David Alan Anderson, Damien Atkins, Kristopher Bowman, Julia Course, Emily Lukasik, Tom McCamus, Peter Millard, Chick Reid and Johnathan Sousa.
 
Age Recommendation: Age 12+


SHERLOCK HOLMES AND THE RAVEN’S CURSE
By R. Hamilton Wright
Based on the works of Sir Arthur Conan Doyle

Directed by Craig Hall
Designed by Ken MacKenzie
Lighting designed by Michelle Ramsay

Projections designed by Cameron Davis
Original music and sound designed by John Gzowski

Previews June 21  Closes October 18

The vibrant trio from 2018’s fan-favourite The Hound of the Baskervilles return for Sherlock Holmes and The Raven’s Curse. Damien Atkins stars as Sherlock Holmes with Ric Reid as the incomparable Dr. Watson and Claire Jullien as the long-suffering Mrs. Hudson.
 
Sherlock Holmes and The Raven’s Curse also features Peter Fernandes, Rong Fu, Katherine Gauthier, Marla McLean, Mike Nadajewski, Sarena Parmar and Chick Reid.
 
Age Recommendation: Age 12+


MAHABHARATA
Adapted by Ravi Jain and Miriam Fernandes
Original concept developed with Jenny Koons
A Why Not Theatre Production
Commissioned and presented by the Shaw Festival

Directed by Ravi Jain
Designed by Camellia Koo
Lighting designed by Kevin Lamotte

Projections designed by Hana S. Kim
Original music and sound designed by John Gzowski and Suba Sankaran

Previews August 15   Closes September 19 

Presented in conjunction with Toronto’s Why Not Theatre, the Mahabharata, a visually stunning contemporary take on the Sanskrit epic foundational to Indian culture, will be brought to life by Praneet Akilla, Nadine Bhabha, Hamed Dar, Jay Emmanuel, Miriam Fernandes, Harmage Singh Kalirai, Goldy Notay, Nadeem Phillip and Navtej Sandhu.

Age Recommendation: Age 14+


ROYAL GEORGE THEATRE

CHARLEY’S AUNT
By Brandon Thomas

Directed by Tim Carroll
Designed by Christine Lohre

Lighting designed by Louise Guinand

Previews April 2 ◆ Closes October 17

Cameron Grant as Charley and Peter Fernandes as Jack are the two young men hoping to court their sweethearts. Mike Nadajewski stars as the wild-card Lord Fancourt Babberley, whose fancy-dress costume just might save the day.
 
Charley’s Aunt also features Neil Barclay, Rong Fu, Patrick Galligan, Claire Jullien, Marla McLean, Sarena Parmar and Ric Reid.
 
Age Recommendation: Age 11+


PRINCE CASPIAN
Adapted for the stage by Damien Atkins
Based on the novel by C.S. Lewis

Directed by Molly Atkinson
Designed by Cory Sincennes

Lighting designed by Jareth Li
Original music and sound designed by Alessandro Juliani

Previews April 23 ◆ Closes September 5 

The Shaw’s third foray into Narnia stars Jonathan Tan as Prince Caspian, Kyle Blair as Peter, Élodie Gillett as Susan, Andrew Lawrie as Edmund and Gabriella Sundar Singh as Lucy. The ensemble cast is completed by Nigel Bennett, Fiona Byrne, Moya O'Connell, Gray Powell, Sanjay Talwar and Shauna Thompson.
 
Age Recommendation: Age 6+


FLUSH
Lunchtime One-Act
Based on the novella by Virginia Woolf
Adapted by Tim Carroll

Directed by Tim Carroll
Designed by Hanne Loosen

Lighting designed by Nick Andison
Movement and puppetry by Alexis Milligan

Previews October 10 ◆ Closes June 19 

Jeff Irving, Julie Lumsden, Drew Plummer and Jacqueline Thair tell one of the greatest love stories of all time… through the eyes of Elizabeth Barrett Browning’s dog.
 
Age Recommendation: Age 12+


ASSASSINS
Book by John Weidman
Music and Lyrics by Stephen Sondheim
From an idea by Charles Gilbert, Jr.
Playwrights Horizons, Inc. – New York City
Produced Assassins Off-Broadway in 1990

Orchestrations by Bruce Coughlin

Directed by Meg Roe
Music direction by Paul Sportelli
Movement by Esie Mensah

Designed by Camellia Koo
Lighting designed by Kevin Lamotte
Sound designed by Alessandro Juliani

Previews July 11 ◆ Closes October 10
 

The assassins and would-be assassins are Andrew Broderick as Giuseppe Zangara, Jason Cadieux as Samuel Byck, James Daly as John Wilkes Booth, Kristi Frank as Lynette Fromme, Kyle Golemba as John Hinckley and David Herold, Jeff Irving as the Proprietor, Olivia Sinclair-Brisbane as Emma Goldman, Jay Turvey as Charles Guiteau, Kelly Wong as Leon Czolgosz and Jenny L. Wright as Sara Jane Moore.
 
Age Recommendation: Age 14+


JACKIE MAXWELL STUDIO THEATRE

THE PLAYBOY OF THE WESTERN WORLD
By J.M. Synge

Directed by Jackie Maxwell
Designed by Judith Bowden

Lighting designed by Kevin Lamotte

Previews May 6 ◆ Closes September 6
 

Moya O'Connell returns to the Shaw Festival to take on the role of Pegeen Mike opposite Gray Powell as the would-be murderer Christy Mahon. O’Connell and Powell most recently played opposite each other in the critically acclaimed Middletown in 2017. Fiona Byrne plays Pegeen Mike’s determined rival, the Widow Quinn.
 
The Playboy of the Western World also features Nigel Bennett, Kyle Blair, Élodie Gillett, Andrew Lawrie, Gabriella Sundar Singh, Sanjay Talwar, Jonathan Tan and Shauna Thompson.

 
Age Recommendation: Age 14+


DESIRE UNDER THE ELMS
By Eugene O’Neill

Directed by Selma Dimitrijevic
Designed by Judith Bowden

Lighting designed by Kevin Lamotte

Previews June 4 ◆ Closes October 10 

Julia Course plays Abi Putnam, a young woman caught between duty to her new husband (Tom McCamus as Ephraim Cabot) and her passionate feelings for his son (Johnathan Sousa as Eben Cabot).
 
Desire Under the Elms also features Kristopher Bowman, Martin Happer and Emily Lukasik.
Age Recommendation: Age 14+


TROUBLE IN MIND
By Alice Childress

Directed by Philip Akin
Set designed by Rachel Forbes

Costumes designed by Judith Bowden
Lighting designed by Mikael Kangas

Previews July 17 ◆ Closes October 10
 

This devastatingly accurate satire is led by Kiera Sangster as Millie Davis and Graeme Somerville as Al Manners.
 
Trouble in Mind also features David Alan Anderson, Neil Barclay, Patrick Galligan, Cameron Grant, Madelyn Kriese and Peter Millard.
 
Age Recommendation: Age 14+


Casting continues for the Shaw Festival’s 2020 season – further updates will be available at www.shawfest.com. Casts of the fourth iteration of A Christmas Carol and the return of Me and My Girl will be announced in 2020.
 
Tickets for the 2020 season will be available through the Box Office at 1-800-511-SHAW (7429) and online at www.shawfest.com. The Shaw Festival’s 2020 season goes on sale to Friends of The Shaw beginning November 2 and the public on December 7. Patrons wishing to get front-of-the-line access to tickets can visit www.shawfest.com or call 1-800-657-1106;2556 to become Friends of The Shaw.


About the Shaw Festival

Inspired by the spirit of Bernard Shaw, the Shaw Festival creates unforgettable theatrical encounters. The Shaw Festival is a place where people who are curious about the world gather to share the unique experience of live theatre and to create a deeper human connection with the artists, the beauty and abundance of Niagara and with each other. For more information, please visit www.shawfest.com.