In just over a month, Mark Crawford’s sharp and heartfelt comedy, The New Canadian Curling Club, slides onto the stage at Lighthouse Festival in Port Dover! Inspired by real-life events and small-town Ontario charm, this play follows a reluctant coach, a mismatched group of new curlers, and a rink full of laughs, tension, and unexpected teamwork. 

When a local refugee resettlement initiative turns into a Learn to Curl night, things don’t exactly go smoothly, especially when the substitute coach has a few outdated ideas of his own. The production opens in Port Dover May 21 and in Port Colborne on June 11, and it’s not too late to grab tickets for either location, or better yet, grab a season subscription!

Directed by Jane Spence, The New Canadian Curling Club features five dynamic performers. Let’s meet the director & cast!

• Jane Spence, current Artistic Director for Lighthouse Festival, has directed a number of plays.

Directed at Lighthouse Festival: Doris & Ivy in the Home (by Norm Foster), The Sweet Delilah Swim Club, Halfway There (by Norm Foster), On The Air (by Ephraim Ellis) and Where You Are (by Kristen Da Silva).

Elsewhere: New Canadian Curling Club (Theatre Orangeville/Drayton Entertainment), Ed's Garage (Port Stanley), Birds and The Bees (Theatre Orangeville), Wildly Romantic (Foster Festival), The Julius Ceasar Project (Spur of the moment Shakespeare Company), The Question (Red Sandcastle Theatre), The Little Prince (Compass Theatre).

Upcoming: The New Canadian Curling Club & Hidden Treasures (Lighthouse Festival).

 • Andrew Prashad is making his debut on the Lighthouse Festival stage and is thrilled to be in Port Dover for our season premiere!

Elsewhere: Hans in the Canadian premiere of Disney's Frozen (Neptune Theatre), Pilate in Jesus Christ Superstar (Talk Is Free Theatre), Billy in Once The Musical (Theatre St John's), Cogsworth in Beauty and the Beast (Young People's Theatre), The Beadle in Sweeney Todd (Dora Award-Ensemble/Talk Is Free Theatre), Star and Creator of his one person show One Step at a Time (Stratford Festival) raising $21,000 for SickKids and other health organizations, and Ramesh Patel in Larry (CBC/Radio-Canada).

• While this may be the acting debut of Frank Chung at Lighthouse Festival, you may recognize him from some other amazing productions!

Elsewhere: Mike Chang in The New Canadian Curling Club (Magnus Theatre), Demetrius in A Midsummer Night's Dream (Canadian Stage), Jung in Kim’s Convenience (Thousand Islands Playhouse), Private Regis in Timothy Findley’s The Wars (Grand Theatre), Paris in Romeo and Juliet (Canadian Stage), Yoon in Lyla in the Loop (PBS Kids), Mantid & Mia’s Dad in Bakugan (Netflix).

 • Chiamaka Glory is making her debut on the Lighthouse Festival stage and is excited to be in Port Dover for our first show of the season!

Elsewhere: Charmaine in The New Canadian Curling Club (Magnus Theatre, Theatre Orangeville & Drayton Ent.), Bea/Ruth in Truth (Young People’s Theatre; Dora Nomination for Outstanding Performance), Alice in White Heat (cue6/English Theater Berlin), Ethel in Murdoch Mysteries (CBC), Adriana Duff in Pretty Hard Cases (CBC) and Jill the Executive in The Boys (Amazon).

 • We're welcoming back John Jarvis to the Lighthouse Festival stage for the second time!

For Lighthouse: Sly in Meet My Sister.

Elsewhere: Stuart MacPhail in The New Canadian Curling Club (Theatre Orangeville & Drayton Entertainment) Thorpe Athelny in Of Human Bondage and many characters in Spoon River (Soulpepper Theatre Company, Toronto, and New York City) Jacob Marley and all of the ghosts in A Christmas Carol (Soulpepper), Joseph Welch in Fellow Travellers (Paramount +) Warden McNeil in Murdoch Mysteries (CBC) Admiral Quin in Star Trek (Short Treks) CBS.

 • Mahsa Ershadifar is making her debut on the Lighthouse Festival stage and is very happy to be in Port Dover for our 2025 season!

Elsewhere: Khial-e Khorshid in The Winter That Stole The Sun (Plateau310 Theatre/ Glendon Theatre), Marilyn in A Behanding in Spokane (2000Feetup/ Glendon Theatre), Balkan Woman in Migraaaaants (2000Feetup/ Theatre Passe Muraille), Omid in Anahita’s Republic (Bustle & Beasts/ Factory Theatre), Heba in Persimmon (Nowadays Theatre Company), Iraqi Woman/Leper in Bengal Tiger at The Baghdad Zoo (Modern Times/ Crow’s Theatre), Zhina/Roya/She in Dance of Torn Papers (Toronto Fringe 2020/Nowadays Theatre Company).

This talented group of performers are bringing the story of Anoopjeet, Mike, Charmaine, Fatima, and Stuart to life in The New Canadian Curling Club by Mark Crawford.

The New Canadian Curling Club is on stage from May 21 to June 7 in Port Dover and from June 11 to 22 in Port Colborne. Get your tickets now before they're gone!

Buy tickets at lighthousetheatre.com.