Tarragon Theatre’s Artistic Director, Mike Payette and Executive Director Lisa Li, are pleased to announce the Toronto Premiere of Queen Maeve. The drama, written by two-time Governor General’s Award-winner Judith Thompson has its Toronto debut in Tarragon’s Mainspace from March 3-29, 2026, opening March 11.

Queen Maeve marks Clare Coulter’s return to the Tarragon stage, where she delivers a fierce portrayal of Queen Maeve, captivating audiences once again with her commanding and celebrated stage presence. The piece explores identity, legacy and aging. Blurring magic and reality, mirroring the way memory, regret, and resilience coexist in real life. In Queen Maeve, we experience a story that feels mythical - yet human, fierce - yet aching, with performances that make every act of defiance deeply resonant.

With a shared history and many years of collaboration at Tarragon that’s inseparable from the story of Canadian theatre itself, Judith Thompson and Clare Coulter return to Tarragon Theatre for Queen Maeve. Both artists have deep roots at Tarragon, a space that has long championed daring new Canadian work and fostered enduring creative relationships. Over decades, Thompson’s fearless writing and Coulter’s ferociously intelligent performances have intersected in ways that helped define contemporary Canadian drama. Their reunion for the Toronto premiere of Queen Maeve feels momentous: two legendary artists, each with an extraordinary body of work and national acclaim, meeting again on a stage that has been central to their artistry.

Queen Maeve also features a heavy-hitting ensemble cast in Ryan Bommarito, Caroline Gillis and Sarah Orenstein, who bring depth and emotional balance to Thompson’s text.

“It is a tremendous gift to welcome back two of Canada’s most celebrated artists back to Tarragon Theatre,” remarks Tarragon’s Artistic Director and show director Mike Payette. He continues, “Judith Thompson’s repertoire is foundational within Canadian theatre, and her latest work, Queen Maeve, invites us into the world of a woman that is equally familiar as she is timeless in her warrior mythology. Portrayed by the incomparable Clare Coulter, the play takes us through a day’s journey of our heroine who is battling life and memory within the confines of her self-described tomb, all-the-while seeking refuge in the possibility of forgiveness and family connection. Layering biting dialogue with rich imagery and beautiful narrative, I am thrilled to share this quest with a team of greats for this exceptional play’s Toronto homecoming.”

Queen Maeve is written by two-time Governor General’s Award-winner Judith Thompson (White Biting Dog, The Other Side of the Dark). With performances by Ryan Bommarito (Tarragon debut, Strawberries in January: A Musical Fantasy/Centaur Theatre, Moonfall/Lionsgate), Clare Coulter (Top Girls/Tarragon Theatre, King Lear/World Stage Festival, By Design), Caroline Gillis (New Magic Valley Fun Town/Tarragon Theatre, Saving Graceland/Blyth Festival, Women Talking/MGM), Sarah Orenstein (Patience/Tarragon Theatre, Shakespeare in Love/Stratford, Albatross). Queen Maeve is directed by Mike Payette (Tarragon Artistic Director, Mischief/Tarragon Theatre, Choir Boy/Canadian Stage/Arts Club).

Much of Thompson’s early work was fostered within Tarragon Theatre, beginning in the 80s with Artistic Director Urjo Kareda, who championed her voice from the start. White Biting Dog premiered on the Tarragon stage in 1984, marking a long creative partnership that continued with landmark plays such as I Am Yours, Lion in the Streets, Perfect Pie, and others that helped define both Thompson’s career and Tarragon’s identity as a home for bold Canadian playwriting. Over the course of this collaboration, Andy McKim, first as a dramaturge and later as Associate Artistic Director, was part of the theatre’s playwright-centred leadership, contributing to the environment that supported Thompson’s work - a legacy of supporting Canadian artists that continues to this day.

Queen Maeve had its world premiere in September 2023 at Here For Now Theatre in Stratford, Ontario. It’s on stage for the Toronto premiere at Tarragon from March 3 - 29, 2026, opening March 11.

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Queen Maeve (Toronto premiere)

A Tarragon Theatre Production

Written by Judith Thompson

Directed by Mike Payette

March 3 - 29, 2026, opening March 11

Mainspace

A woman in her twilight years has seemingly made no impact on the world. Her secret is that she is actually the great Irish Warrior Queen Maeve, reincarnated into one of many deceptive forms.

From her bedroom, she confronts her past, losses she’s suffered, and mistakes she’s made in the name of love. Judith Thompson returns to Tarragon Theatre with her newest play, a masterwork of storytelling featuring Canadian theatre icon, Clare Coulter as Queen Maeve. Moving, heartbreaking, and beautiful, Queen Maeve intertwines magic with reality, and asks what it means to face your ‘twilight years’ with a sword in your hand.

CAST + CREATIVE

Written by Judith Thompson

Directed by Mike Payette

Assistant directed by Summer Mahmud

Production dramaturgy by Jeff Ho

Set & Costume design by Ken MacDonald

Lighting design by Jason Hand

Sound design by John Gzowski

Movement consultation by M. John Kennedy

Stage management by Em Aubin

Performances by Ryan Bommarito, Clare Coulter, Caroline Gillis,  Sarah Orenstein

Single Tickets range from $24 - $72 and can be purchased online at purchase.tarragontheatre.com, or by phone at 416-531-1827. Discounts are available for students, seniors, groups and arts workers. Contact the box office for more information.

Tarragon offers the most flexible subscription packages in the city with significant discounts on subscription pricing. Plus, allowing patrons to choose their productions, change their dates free of charge. Visit the website or call Patron Services today for more information.

For more information on Tarragon’s events and activities, visit www.tarragontheatre.com.