Set in 1950s Toronto on the eve of a shotgun wedding, Leaving Home is a play about love, loss, and intergenerational conflict. More than 50 years after its legendary debut at Tarragon Theatre, David French’s moving and personal depiction of the fraught relationship between parents and their children continues to speak to what it means to be part of a family. Staged in the round for a limited audience, Matchstick Theatre’s award-winning production (2025 Theatre Nova Scotia Robert Merritt awards for Outstanding Production and Direction, seven additional nominations for performance and design) in Toronto's celebrated Coal Mine Theatre (2076 Danforth Avenue) is a rare opportunity to experience one of Canada’s most celebrated and iconic dramas.

Matchstick Artistic Director Jake Planinc comments, “Leaving Home is one of the greatest dramas Canada has ever produced. The play touches on identity, immigration, and unrequited love. David French was a masterful craftsman and storyteller, and his play has a timeless, poetic resonance. It’s an honour to bring these words to life in the theatre Ted Dykstra helped build, the Coal Mine’s Chief Engineer having directed Soulpepper’s renowned stagings of French’s greatest works himself. I’m excited to have the opportunity to share our Halifax production with Toronto audiences as the first guest show to be presented at the Coal Mine Theatre.”

Leaving Home features actors Shelley Thompson, Lou Campbell, Sam Vigneault, Andrew Musselman, Abby Weisbrot, Sharleen Kalayil, and Sébastien Labelle. The play is stage managed by Matchstick Managing Director Chelsea Dickie, is produced by Financial Director Alex Mills, and directed by Artistic Director Jake Planinc. The design team includes Alison Crosby (lights), Jordan Palmer (sound), Wesley Babcock (set), and Kaelen MacDonald (costumes). The production is assisted by accent coach Sherry Smith and dance coach Jade Douris-O’Hara.

Matchstick Theatre revitalizes classic Canadian plays and professionally produces challenging contemporary theatre in Halifax, striving to ignite, affect, and ultimately transform its audience with every performance. Since coming together in 2017, the company has produced 12 Canadian plays, offering a platform that supports emerging and established Nova Scotia artists. We have collaborated with 10 nationally renowned playwrights, 20 backstage theatre artists and designers, and more than 50 actors. The company gratefully acknowledge the support of The Canada Council for the Arts, the province of Nova Scotia, and the city of Halifax.

Matchstick Theatre’s production of Leaving Home runs June 10th to 22nd with performances Tuesday – Saturday at 7:30pm and Saturday and Sunday at 2:00pm, at the Coal Mine Theatre at 2076 Danforth Avenue. Tickets are $35-$55 (plus HST + fees), and can be purchased at matchsticktheatre.simpletix.ca.

About Matchstick Theatre:

Matchstick makes Canadian theatre in Nova Scotia, where we establish and prioritize collaborative relationships with our local community. We are always asking ourselves what it means to be a part of the Canadian canon and how we can better include underrepresented voices. Ultimately, Matchstick champions Canadian plays and playwrights, creating theatre that manifests moments of truth our audiences can collectively experience.