Michael Spencer-Davis

ROMEO AND JULIET Comes to the Stratford Festival in June
by Stephi Wild - May 7, 2024

Shakespeare’s great romance Romeo and Juliet begins performances at the Festival Theatre today, featuring Jonathan Mason and Vanessa Sears in the title roles. At the helm is director Sam White, returning to Stratford from Detroit for her third season.

TWELFTH NIGHT Now on Stage at the Stratford Festival
by Chloe Rabinowitz - Apr 26, 2024

Get ready to be swept away in a whirlwind of passion, laughter and enchantment as one of Shakespeare’s beloved plays, Twelfth Night, takes to the Festival Theatre. Learn how to purchase tickets!

Disco-Era RICHARD II Now Streaming On Stratfest@Home
by Chloe Rabinowitz - Jan 31, 2024

Disco-era Richard II now available for worldwide streaming on Stratfest@Home. Revolutionary adaptation set in Studio 54 with glittering costumes and a dancing chorus of winged angels. Conceived and directed by Jillian Keiley, adapted by Brad Fraser.

Stratford Festival Unveils 2024 Casts and Creative Teams
by Chloe Rabinowitz - Nov 7, 2023

Get all the latest updates on the highly anticipated 2024 season at the Stratford Festival. Find out which talented actors have been cast in which productions, and get ready to experience the magic of live theater at one of the world's most renowned festivals.

LOVE'S LABOUR'S LOST is Now On Stage At The Stratford Festival
by Stephi Wild - Aug 23, 2023

The Stratford Festival continues its 2023 season with a Shakespeare classic, Love's Labour's Lost, directed by Peter Pasyk. This beloved comedy has been reimagined for modern audiences and starts previews today at the Studio Theatre.

Revolutionary Adaptation of RICHARD II to Hit the Stage at the Stratford Festival's Tom Patterson Theatre
by Chloe Rabinowitz - May 19, 2023

Jillian Keiley takes us into the glamorous and gritty world of Studio 54, at its thrilling heights in the late 1970s to early ’80s, with a revolutionary new version of Shakespeare’s Richard II, conceived by Keiley and adapted by Brad Fraser.

GRAND MAGIC to Begin Previews at the Stratford Festival This Weekend
by Chloe Rabinowitz - May 5, 2023

A world première translation of Eduardo De Filippo’s Grand Magic begins previews this Saturday, marking the first performances of the season at the Stratford Festival’s award-winning Tom Patterson Theatre.

THE MISER Featuring Colm Feore Now Available on Stratfest@Home
by Chloe Rabinowitz - Apr 5, 2023

The Miser starring Colm Feore is now available on the Stratford Festival’s streaming platform, Stratfest@Home.

HAMLET With Amaka Umeh Now Available On Stratfest@Home For Streaming Worldwide
by A.A. Cristi - Feb 22, 2023

The Stratford Festival's filmed performance of Hamlet is now available on Stratfest@Home for streaming worldwide.

Stratford Festival 2023 Special Holiday Presale Begins Next Week
by Chloe Rabinowitz - Dec 8, 2022

The Stratford Festival is putting the finishing touches on casting and will soon open its box office for a special holiday pre-sale for tickets to the 13 exciting shows of the 2023 season. With savings up to 25%, this is a perfect opportunity to secure tickets for your favourite shows or buy gifts for the theatre-lovers on your list.

Molière's THE MISER is Now on Stage in Stratford
by Stephi Wild - Aug 8, 2022

Artistic Director Antoni Cimolino directs Colm Feore in the title role of Molière's delightful satire, The Miser, beginning previews in the Festival Theatre on Tuesday, August 9, in the year of Molière's 400th birthday.

HAMLET, Starring Amaka Umeh, Begins Previews at the Stratford Festival Today
by Chloe Rabinowitz - May 17, 2022

A royal family crisis unfolds on stage at the Festival Theatre as Hamlet begins its run today. Making Festival history is Amaka Umeh, the first Black actor to play Hamlet at Stratford.

Stratford Festival Announces 2022 Casting
by Stephi Wild - Feb 2, 2022

February marks a new beginning at the Stratford Festival with members of the 2022 acting company set to start rehearsals. Over the coming months, these dynamic artists will immerse themselves in 10 extraordinary productions and lead the Festival into the post-pandemic future.

Stratford Festival Announces Casting For 2019 Season, Including OTHELLO and More
by Stephi Wild - Oct 16, 2018

Artistic Director Antoni Cimolino has announced key casting for the 2019 season, including Michael Blake as Othello and Amelia Sargisson as Desdemona in the season opener, Othello, one of Shakespeare's greatest and best-known tragedies.

Grand Theatre Announces the World Premiere of SILENCE
by Julie Musbach - Dec 22, 2017

he Grand Theatre is thrilled to announce the world premiere of SILENCE, which brings an untold Canadian story to life on stage. This inaugural production from the COMPASS New Play Development program features a cast that embodies the best in Canadian theatre with actors who are hearing, Deaf, and hard of hearing.

BWW Review: THE CHANGELING at the Stratford Festival is Disturbing and Exhilarating
by Lauren Gienow - Jul 4, 2017

This season at the Stratford Festival has proven to be a stellar one, and Jackie Maxwell's production of Thomas Middleton and William Rowley's THE CHANGELING on the Tom Patterson Theatre stage is no exception. The questionable morals and values of the characters, and the intense relationships between certain characters leave the audience feeling uncomfortable (as was likely intended by the playwrights) but the performances by the members of the company and the overall impact of the production itself, leaves the audience feeling exhilarated.

Grand Theatre Announces Casting for Upcoming Season
by A.A. Cristi - Jun 29, 2017

The Grand Theatre is thrilled to announce an extraordinary line-up of local and national, returning and debuting artists in the 2017/18 Season. The season features a stunning artistic presence including Tara Rosling, Benedict Campbell, Catherine Joell MacKinnon and Daniel Williston. In addition, the Grand welcomes nationally and internationally renowned directors including Peter Hinton, Tracey Flye, Carey Perloff, and the Grand's Artistic Director Dennis Garnhum, who makes his Grand directing debut in his first season. Single tickets go on sale Tuesday July 4, 2017.

BWW Review: Stratford Festival's TIMON OF ATHENS is a Powerful Cautionary Tale
by Lauren Gienow - Jun 4, 2017

TIMON OF ATHENS opened at Stratford Festival's Tom Patterson Theatre on Friday night. It is probably one of the more relatable cautionary tales that Shakespeare has produced, which explains why the Festival continues to have it set in modern times. Director, Stephen Ouimette takes this production on for a second time, as he also directed it in Stratford in 2004. I did not have the opportunity to see his previous production, but this one is impressive.

BWW Review: THE AENEID at the Stratford Festival is an Important Piece of Art
by Lauren Gienow - Sep 3, 2016

The Stratford Festival's production of THE AENEID, currently playing in repertory at the Studio Theatre, is not your standard version of Virgil's classic epic. Director, Keira Loughran brings an old story into the modern world-and does so to great effect with the World premiere of Maureen Labonte's translation of Oliver Kemeid's unique and inspired version.

BWW Reviews: POSSIBLE WORLDS at Stratford Festival
by Lauren Gienow - Jul 19, 2015

Stratford Festival's Production of POSSIBLE WORLDS, directed by Mitchell Cushman, opened at the Studio Theatre this week. I had the opportunity to see this play one day early, during its very last preview performance. I can assure you that this play is unlike anything else you will at the Stratford Festival this season. Thought-provoking, imaginative, and at times bizarre, this play may not be everyone's cup of tea, but anyone who sees it will certainly exit the theatre with an appreciation for the talented cast and crew who brought it to life. They will also likely find themselves thinking about it for the duration of the evening.