Major Barbara, Bernard Shaw’s timeless morality epic, returns to the Shaw Festival. Director Peter Hinton-Davis takes on the three-act social satire that pits charity against affluence, family against commerce, and religion head-to-head with politics. Bursting with Shavian wit and razor-sharp dialogue, Shaw’s Major Barbara continues to raise questions of justice, morality and the truth of human nature. This new production begins previews on Sunday, June 1 at the Royal George Theatre.

Barbara Undershaft (Gabriella Sundar Singh*) tends to London’s poor and downtrodden as a Major in the Salvation Army. When her estranged father, mercurial arms merchant Andrew Undershaft (Patrick Galligan), returns to name an heir to his business, the two take a combative, if philosophical, interest in each other’s work. As their sparring threatens to derail Barbara’s engagement to humble scholar Adolphus Cusins (André Morin), father and daughter must both reckon with the difference between ideals and reality.

The 2025 production also features Fiona Byrne, Patty Jamieson, Ron Kennell, Sepehr Reybod**, Taurian Teelucksingh and Lindsay Wu***.

Major Barbara features inspired set and costume design by Gillian Gallow, striking lighting design by Bonnie Beecher and original music by Allen Cole. The production team includes stage manager Michael Duggan and assistant stage manager Kevin Etherington.

On stage at the Royal George Theatre (85 Queen Street) from June 1 to October 5, Major Barbara is recommended for audience members 13+. Running time is approximately 3 hours and 15 minutes, including one intermission.

* Christopher Newton intern, Gabriella Sundar Singh, is generously supported by Marilyn & Charles Baillie

** Emerging Artists are generously supported by the RBC Foundation.

*** The Baillie Cohort is generously supported by the Baillie Family Fund for Education.

New for the 2025 season: all performances now begin one hour earlier. Matinee performances start at 1 p.m. and evening shows start at 7 p.m.

The Shaw Festival’s 2025 season runs through to December 21, with a playbill featuring

The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe, Anything Goes, Wait Until Dark, Tons of Money, Major Barbara, Murder-on-the-Lake, Gnit, Blues for an Alabama Sky, Irving Berlin’s White Christmas and A Christmas Carol. This season’s Spiegeltent lineup includes Dear Liar, La Vie En Rose, Ella and Louis, May I Have The Pleasure?, The Roll of Shaw – Through the Wardrobe, The Frogs, Coffee Concerts, Speakeasies, What’s In Your Songbook and Gospel Choir.

Visit www.shawfest.com.