The Stratford Festival is putting the finishing touches on casting and will soon open its box office for a special holiday pre-sale for tickets to the 13 exciting shows of the 2023 season. With savings up to 25%, this is a perfect opportunity to secure tickets for your favourite shows or buy gifts for the theatre-lovers on your list.

Programmed around a theme of Duty vs Desire, the 2023 season features the musicals Rent and Monty Python’s Spamalot. Both are ideal for gift-giving, as is the family show A Wrinkle in Time. Shakespeare lovers have four plays to see, King Lear, Much Ado About Nothing, Richard II and Love’s Labour’s Lost. It is a season of exceptional variety, also featuring Les Belles-Soeurs, Frankenstein Revived, Grand Magic, Wedding Band, Casey and Diana and Women of the Fur Trade.

With casting for the 2023 season virtually complete, the Festival makes the following casting announcements, supplementing the names announced on November 1:

Love’s Labour’s Lost will feature Tyrone Savage as Berowne and Amaka Umeh as Rosaline, with Gordon S. Miller as Don Armado, Steve Ross as Boyet and Michael Spencer-Davis as Holofernes.

The cast also includes Elizabeth Adams (Katharine), Hilary Adams, Celia Aloma (Princess of France), Christo Graham (Moth), Jordin Hall (King of Navarre), Matthew Kabwe (Nathaniel), Wahsontí:io Kirby (Costard), Qianna MacGilchrist (Maria), Chris Mejaki (Longaville), Chanakya Mukherjee (Dumaine), Khadijah Roberts-Abdullah, Andrew Robinson (Marcade), Jane Spidell (Dull) and Hanna Wigglesworth (Jaquenetta).

Joining the cast of King Lear are David W. Keeley as the Earl of Kent, André Sills as Edgar, and Shannon Taylor as Goneril.

Also joining the cast are Anousha Alamian (Messenger), Gabriel Antonacci, Andrew Iles (Duke of Burgundy), Patrick McManus (Gentleman), Marissa Orjalo and Jennifer Villaverde.

As previously announced, Paul Gross will play King Lear, with Michael Blake as Edmund, Déjah Dixon-Green as Regan, Anthony Santiago as the Earl of Gloucester, Tara Sky as Cordelia and Gordon Patrick White as Fool.

Joining the cast of Rent are Erica Peck as Maureen Johnson, Lee Siegel as Tom Collins, and Olivia Sinclair-Brisbane as Joanne Jefferson. Also newly added to the cast are Gabriel Antonacci, Noah Beemer (Paul), Malinda Carroll (swing), Alex Wierzbicki (Steve) and Travae Williams (swing).

As previously announced, they join Andrea Macasaet as Mimi Marquez, Robert Markus as Mark Cohen, Kolton Stewart as Roger Davis, Jahlen Barnes as Benjamin Coffin III, and Nestor Lozano Junior as Angel Dumott Schunard.

Much Ado About Nothing will feature Patrick McManus as Leonato, and André Sills as Don Pedro. Also joining the cast are Anousha Alamian (Sexton), Ijeoma Emesowum, David W. Keeley and Danté Prince (Oatcake).

As previously announced they join Graham Abbey as Benedick, Maev Beaty as Beatrice, Michael Blake as Don John, Austin Eckert as Claudio, Allison Edwards-Crewe as Hero, and Anthony Santiago as Antonio.

Les Belles-Soeurs will feature Bola Aiyeola as Des-Neiges Verrette, Joella Crichton as Yvette Longpre, Irene Poole as Therese Dubuc, Shannon Taylor as Marie-Ange Brouillette, and Jennifer Villaverde as Lisette de Courval. Also joining the cast are Ijeoma Emesowum (Linda Lauzon), Liza Huget and Marissa Orjalo (Lise Paquette).

As previously announced Seana McKenna will play Rose Ouimet and Lucy Peacock will play Germaine Lauzon, with Diana Leblanc as Olivine Dubuc, and Jane Luk as Gabrielle Jodoin.

Joining the cast of Monty Python’s Spamalot are Josh Doig (Prince Herbert), Henry Firmston (Historian and Not Dead Fred) and McKinley Knuckle.

As previously announced the musical features Jonathan Goad as King Arthur, with Eddie Glen as Patsy, Aaron Krohn as Sir Lancelot, Trevor Patt as Sir Robin, Jennifer Rider-Shaw as the Lady of the Lake, and Liam Tobin as Sir Galahad.

Noah Beemer will take on a lead role of Charles Wallace Murry in A Wrinkle in Time. Also joining the cast are Gemaine Konji, Beck Lloyd (Mother) and Jamie Mac (Father).

As previously announced, Celeste Catena will play Meg Murry, with Kim Horsman as Mrs. Which, Nestor Lozano Junior as Mrs. Whatsit, Robert Markus as Calvin O’Keefe, and Khadijah Roberts-Abdullah as Mrs. Who.

Josh Doig (swing) and McKinley Knuckle join the cast of Frankenstein Revived, which as previously announced features Charlie Gallant as Doctor Frankenstein, Laura Condlln as Mary Shelley and Marcus Nance as the Creature.

Beck Lloyd also joins the cast of Grand Magic as Marta Di Spelta, and Gordon S. Miller takes on the role of Calogero Di Spelta. Also joining the production are Elizabeth Adams (Rosa Intrugli), Hilary Adams (Neighbour), Thomas Duplessie, Justin Eddy, Christo Graham (Gennarino Fucecchia), Matthew Kabwe, Germaine Konji (Amelia Recchia), Jamie Mac (Gregorio Di Spelta), Qianna MacGilchrist (Signorina Zampa), Chanakya Mukherjee (Oreste Intrugli), Debbie Patterson (Signora Zampa), Tyrone Savage (Head Waiter), Michael Spencer-Davis, Jane Spidell and Emilio Vieira (Brigadiere).

As previously announced, Geraint Wyn Davies is playing Otto Marvuglia with Sarah Orenstein as Zaira Marvuglia.

In Richard II, Michael Spencer-Davis will play Edmund, Duke of York and Emilio Vieira will play the Duke of Aumerle. Also joining the cast are Celia Aloma, Malinda Carroll, Thomas Duplessie (Harry Percy/Hotspur), Justin Eddy (Groom), Matthew Kabwe (Lord Ross), Wahsontí:io Kirby, Heather Kosik, Chris Mejaki, Debbie Patterson (Duchess of York), Tyrone Savage (Thomas Mowbray), Olivia Sinclair-Brisbane, Jane Spidell, John Wamsley (Sir Henry Greene), Alex Wierzbicki, Hannah Wigglesworth (Queen Isabel) and Travae Williams.

As previously announced, Stephen Jackman-Torkoff will play Richard II, with David Collins as John of Gaunt, Jordin Hall as Henry Bolingbroke, and Sara Orenstein as Northumberland.

Ijeoma Emesowum joins the cast of Wedding Band to play Mattie. Also joining the production are Bola Aiyeola, Jonathan Mason (Shrimp Man), Irene Poole and Danté Prince.

As previously announced, Cyrus Lane plays Herman and Antonette Rudder plays Julia Augustine, with Maev Beaty as Annabelle, Joella Crichton as Lula Green, Liza Huget as Fanny Johnson, and Lucy Peacock as Herman’s Mother.

In Casey and Diana, Linda Kash will play Marjorie, and Davinder Mahli will play André. As previously announced, they are joined by Sean Arbuckle as Thomas, Laura Condlln as Pauline, Krystin Pellerin as Diana and Sophia Walker as Vera.

Kathleen Maclean and Joelle Peters take on the lead roles of Marie-Angelique and Eugenia (respectively) in Women of the Fur Trade. As previously announced, they join Jenna-Lee Hyde as Cecilia, with Keith Barker as Louis Riel, and Nathan Howe as Thomas Scott.

Early-bird pricing is available through February 5, with prices increasing by up to 25% beginning on February 6. 

Tickets are available for purchase online at www.stratfordfestival.ca beginning at noon on Monday, December 12. Beginning at 9 a.m. on Tuesday, December 13, they are also available through the box office at 1.800.567.1600.