4th Line Theatre’s Managing Artistic Director Kim Blackwell is thrilled to announce that playwright Megan Murphy will lead the cast of her play Wild Irish Geese, seeing its world premiere at the theatre’s outdoor venue in July and August.

Wild Irish Geese explores the 1825 migration of two-thousand Irish, escaping tyranny and hopelessness in Ireland, for the promise of something better in far-off Canada. Murphy will play the role of the Narrator or Seanchaí, a Gaelic word for a traditional storyteller who preserves and shares old stories, history, and traditions. Murphy’s play is highly anticipated and sure to be an instant hit. The production will be a part of the 200th commemoration of the arrival of the first of the Peter Robinson Irish settlers in 1825. Descendants of these original Irish settlers are being invited to return to the region in the summer of 2025, to pay homage to their forbears. 4th Line is proud to be part of these commemorative events.

Blackwell is looking forward to directing the epic production this upcoming summer at the Winslow farm. “I am absolutely thrilled to work with Meg as both a playwright and an actor this summer, she explains. “She is the perfect person to play the keeper and teller of community stories in Wild Irish Geese.”

“Storytellers only exist when there are ears to hear their tales,” explains Murphy. “The audience is just as essential as the performers. They are a vital part of the magic. I can’t wait to share this experience with you this summer.”

DETAILS:

Wild Irish Geese

World Premiere

Written by Megan Murphy

Directed by Kim Blackwell

July 29 - August 30

Previews: July 29, 30

Opening Night: Thursday, July 31

Tuesday to Saturday at 6 pm

With an added Monday performance on August 25th

Wild Irish Geese is the story of Irish settlers and their journey to the Peterborough region. Peter Robinson was the architect of an 1820s emigration plan which saw hundreds of Irish families come to Canada to escape the brutal poverty which they were facing in Ireland. Eventually over 2,000 impoverished Irish settled in Scotts Plains, later renamed Peterborough and began their lives anew. These new Canadians planted deep roots in the Peterborough area and have thousands of descendants both locally and across the globe.

For more information or to purchase tickets, gift certificates, charcuterie snack boxes or to make a donation, call the box office at 705-932-4445, or toll-free at 1-800-814-0055 or visit www.4thlinetheatre.on.ca, email boxoffice@4thlinetheatre.on.ca or visit our Box Office & Administrative Centre: 9 Tupper Street, Millbrook, ON (open 9:00 AM to 6:00 PM, Mondays through Thursdays).

BIOGRAPHY:

Megan Murphy, Playwright, Actor - Wild Irish Geese

Megan Murphy is a graduate of York University's Fine Arts program and has worked as an actor in film, television, theatre and radio for more than two decades. She is a graduate of the Second City Conservatory and the Seneca College Documentary Filmmaking Institute. Locally, she spent ten years co-hosting the morning show on Star 93.3 FM Radio. Her feature documentary, "Murphy's Law" won Best Documentary Film at the Fingal Film Festival in Ireland, and her short film, "Towns End," won an Audience Choice Award at the Vox Popular Film Festival. Her play Wild Irish Geese about the Peter Robinson Irish Immigration of 1825, will see its world premiere at 4th Line Theatre in August 2025.

Photo: Megan Murphy.