The Festival’s 55th season will feature 10 productions, including contemporary Shavian pieces and the world premieres of two commissioned works.
Of her final season as artistic director, Maxwell stated, “The 2016 season sums up the journey the Shaw Festival has taken during my time here. I arrived with a number of passions and priorities that focused on producing work that would showcase equality and diversity of plays and players. This season has newly realized pieces true to our mandate alongside work from brilliant contemporary Canadian and international voices, and an original production on the Festival Stage. These offerings are an excellent representation of the Shaw Festival today – a progressive, leading cultural and artistic voice in Canada and beyond.”
The two commissioned works include Lisa Codrington's adaptation of George Bernard Shaw’s thorny fable The Adventures of the Black Girl in Her Search, and Peter Hinton’s new version of Alice in Wonderland.
The complete season lineup, with descriptions by the Festival, follows:
FESTIVAL THEATRE
| Alice in Wonderland Adapted for the stage by Peter Hinton Music by Allen Cole Based on the book by Lewis Carroll A Treasured Family Favourite |
World Premiere Directed by Peter Hinton Commissioned by the Shaw Festival |
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| A compelling new version of Lewis Carroll’s classic and beloved tale of a young woman’s journey to adulthood. The ever-curious and ever-questioning Alice goes down the rabbit hole to a land of wonder; where logic is illogical and the absurd makes sense. Written specifically for the Shaw Festival’s Ensemble, Peter Hinton’sAlice in Wonderland will be set in the Victorian world of Oxford and use a dazzling combination of contemporary technology and old-fashioned magic. |
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| A Woman of No Importance By Oscar Wilde A Stylish Sophisticated Comedy (Originally produced in 1893) |
Last produced at The Shaw in 2000 Directed by Eda Holmes |
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| Mrs. Arbuthnot has long held a secret. But when her son is appointed secretary for the charismatic Lord Illingworth, it may not be secret for much longer. With a party at a country home as the backdrop, Oscar Wilde’s comedy explores the social masks men and women wear, and the double standards of aristocratic society. |
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| Sweeney Todd The Demon Barber of Fleet Street A Musical Thriller Music and Lyrics by Stephen Sondheim, Book by Hugh Wheeler From an adaptation by Christopher Bond Musical (Originally produced in 1979) |
Festival Premiere Directed by Jackie Maxwell |
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| Set in the dark corners of Victorian London, Sweeney Todd is the chilling musical tale of a man, seething with revenge, who returns to the city after being imprisoned for 15 years. A judicious meeting between Sweeney Todd and an unsuccessful pie saleswoman leads to a twisted, but beneficial partnership. This production continues the Shaw Festival’s longstanding relationship with Sondheim’s musicals, having previously produced A Little Night Music, Sunday in the Park with George and Follies. |
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| Uncle Vanya By Anton Chekhov Drama (Originally produced in 1898) |
Last produced at The Shaw in 1999 Directed by Jackie Maxwell |
| Having directed a newly adapted version of The Three Sisters in her first season, Artistic Director Jackie Maxwell bookends her time at the Shaw Festival with a production of Chekhov’s Uncle Vanya, a timeless exploration of the many twists and absurdities of unfulfilled love. A new version of the play is currently under discussion and will be announced at a later date. |
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| Mrs. Warren’s Profession By Bernard Shaw Drama (Written in 1893, Originally produced in 1902) |
Last produced at The Shaw in 2008 Directed by TBA |
| A love story… between a mother and a daughter. Young up-and-coming Vivie comes home to become acquainted with her mother, but is shocked to discover the source of the family’s wealth. Shaw criticizes social convention and sexual hypocrisy with his trademark wit as two strong-willed women attempt to build a relationship. |
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| “Master Harold”… and the Boys By Athol Fugard Drama (Originally produced in 1982) |
Festival Premiere Directed by Philip Akin |
| In this coming of age story set in South Africa during the apartheid era, Harold, a white teenaged boy, grows up in the company of the two black waiters who work in his mother’s tea room. When he learns his tyrannical and racist father is returning home, Harold succumbs to the cultural hatred fostered by apartheid, costing him and his friends dearly. This production will be the first time Athol Fugard’s work appears at the Shaw Festival. |
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ROYAL GEORGE THEATRE
| Our Town By Thornton Wilder Drama (Originally produced in 1938) |
Festival Premiere Directed by Molly Smith |
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| This Pulitzer Prize-winning drama is a classic tale of Americana set in the fictional town of Grover’s Corners between 1901 and 1913. Our Town finds beauty in the simple, fleeting moments of ordinary days. Molly Smith, renowned for her ability to dig deep into Americana, returns to the Shaw Festival having previously directed My Fair Lady in 2011. |
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| Engaged An Entirely Original Farcical Comedy in Three Acts By W.S. Gilbert Comedy (Originally produced in 1877) |
Festival Premiere Directed by Morris Panych |
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| Gilbert before Sullivan. In this rarely produced romantic romp, an English train is gently hijacked in the Scottish countryside with hilarious results. There are love triangles, suitors pursuing each other across the country and a man who falls in love with every woman he meets. Love will conquer all… as long as the coin purse is full. |
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| The Adventures of the Black Girl in Her Search for God | World Premiere | |
| Adapted for the stage by Lisa Codrington From the short story by Bernard Shaw Comedic Fable |
Directed by Ravi Jain Commissioned by the Shaw Festival (Lunchtime Production) |
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| Unfulfilled by the teachings from white missionaries, a young African girl embarks on a journey to find her own God. In this allegorical play, she encounters a number of Gods, each of whom try to convert her to their way of thinking. The original novella by Bernard Shaw, published in 1932, was met with public outcry labelling the author as a blasphemer. True to the work of Bernard Shaw, Lisa Codrington’s stage adaptation is an eyebrow-raising version of this anarchic tale written for modern audiences. |
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| The Dance of Death By August Strindberg A new version by Richard Greenberg Drama (Originally produced 2001) |
Festival Premiere Directed by Martha Henry |
| A provocative drama exploring marriage featuring lead roles built for the most accomplished stage actors. Alice and Edgar are approaching their 25th anniversary. They’re socially isolated and have alienated their children. All they have now is the mutual hatred that binds them together – unhappily ever after. The Dance of Death was the first naturalistic portrait of a marriage in modern drama, paving the way for renowned plays such as Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf? |
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Tickets for the Shaw Festival’s 2016 Season will go on sale this winter.
