A MIDSUMMER NIGHT’S DREAM – REVIEW OF 2026 STRATFORD FESTIVAL PRODUCTION

Reviewed by James Karas

A Midsummer Night’s Dream is the second play by William Shakespeare produced this season by the Stratford Festival. It is a hilarious success and has all the ingredients of a superb production.

We all have our personal views of what we want to see in a production of a play by the bard. I prefer fidelity to the text and creativity. Director Gaham Abbey is faithful to Shakespeare’s text without being slavish and he lets his imagination roam so that we get the best of creativity and some infidelity.

The production is done in the theatre-in-the-round Tom Patterson. The set consists of a large, white tree trunk that has fallen across the stage and a large globe hanging overhead. The tree stays in place and is very useful, but the globe turns and presents a kaleidoscope of colours. There is a rich array of lights and projections for the floor and the stage in general.

As everyone knows, Midsummer has four sets of lovers. The first is King Theseus and Hippolyta who are about to get married and impatiently wait for their wedding night. Then we have the fairies King Oberon and Queen Titania who are already married but are having a serious tiff over the possession of a child. Oberon will punish her by making her fall in love with the first thing that she sees on waking up which turns out to be an “ass”.

The real fun is with the young Athenians, Lysander (Jordin Hall) and Hermia (Vivien Endicott-Douglas), who run away from Athens and are followed by Demetrius (Thomas Duplessie) who also loves Hermia and Helena (Jessica B. Hill) who loves Demetrius. Puck magically but mistakenly induces Lysander to fall madly in love with Helena, reject Hermia and cause war to be declared among the lovers.

The funniest part of the play is the entertainment prepared by the town tradesmen, the “mechanicals” for Theseus’ wedding. They put on Pyramus and Thisbe, the tragic comedy of the lovers of Roman mythology.

From left: Steven Hao as Snug, Aaron Krohn as Francis Flute, 

Sarah Dodd as Rita Quince, Sara-Jeanne Hosie as Snout and 

Michael Man as Robin Starveling, A Midsummer Night's Dream. 

Stratford Festival 2026. Photo: David Hou

Oberon has magical powers and Puck carries out his orers. There are fairies accompanying Titania and Oberon and the explanation for everything may lie in the title of the play.

Let me praise fine acting. The mechanicals are hilarious individually and as an ensemble. A couple of male roles are played very well by women: Quince is played by Sarah Dodd and Snout is played by Sara-Jeanne Hosie with wonderful results. The effervescent Bottom is played by the effervescent Michael Spencer-Davis. Michael Man plays Starveling and the piano. Yes, they have music accompaniment for their great production. Aaron Krohn is Francis Flute and Thisbe; Steven Hao is Snug and the Lion and with the fast-moving and hilarious skit I can’t recall all the double roles played by all.

Abbey has molded them into a comic ensemble that had the audience in the palm of their hands laughing,

The young lovers’ scenes are choreographed as much as they are directed. The men challenge each other to fight; the young women engage in a barrage of angry insults. Helena is taller than Hermia and the latter calls her a painted Maypole. It is all delightful and an outpouring of poetry that its words are converted into music.  

Andre Sills as Oberon and Sara Topham as Titania are superb and they develop from a bickering pair to a loving family. In this version the little boy that Oberon demands from Titania is in fact a lively little girl played with gusto by Vivienne Abbey. Now the fairies become a family instead of a feuding duo. Marvelous touch.

Evan Buliung as Theseus and Ijeoma Emesowum as Hippolyta along with Tim Campbell as Egeus, Hermia’s father, play relatively minor roles. A waste of talent? They form the bookends of the play and the first two have a wonderful wedding thanks to the reconciliation of all and the performance of the mechanicals.

Mike Nadajewski as Puck is fast on his feet and his tongue. Even better, he is not afraid to engage the audience and get applause and laughter because he can do it. Wonderful performance.

The production gains a great deal from Lorenzo Savoini’s set design, Kevin Lamotte’s motley lighting design and the projection and video designs by Normal Studio. Joshua Quinlan’s costume designs provide tuxedos for the aristocratic men, long gowns for the ladies and more colourful attire for the fairies. The mechanicals wear simple workers’ clothes. All work very well.

The production opens with fairies jumping out of the stage floors and singing something that I did not get. The play itself opens with Theseus and Hippolyta, and I have no idea what Abbey had in mind with the additional scene. I may add that some of the actors had little idea of the intonation of iambic pentameters, but I enjoyed the production so much that I will leave it at that.

Quibbling aside, this is an outstanding production.

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A Midsummer Night’s Dream by William Shakespeare, produced in collaboration with Groundling Theatre, opened on May 27, and will run in repertory until September 26, 2026, at the Tom Patterson Theatre, Stratford, Ont.

James Karas is the Culture Editor of The Greek Press, Toronto

GUYS AND DOLLS – REVIEW OF 2026 STRATFORD FESTIVAL PRODUCTION

Reviewed by James Karas

It is opening week at the Stratford Festival and if you are lucky or dedicated to the theatre you can see seven productions in one week. There is nothing better.

After The Tempest we were treated to lighter fare, the musical Guys and Dolls. First produced in 1950, it has the classic format of lively music, songs with a melody and wonderful lyrics and a plot that induces laughter and floats on the lighter side.

The plot involves New York’s underworld, the crap players, the serious gamblers and a couple of love stories one of which involves the love of a gambler for a Salvation Army sergeant whom he convinces to go to Cuba with him.

A musical at Stratford means Donna Feore and she is the star of this production as director and choreographer. As director, she does excellent work in handling the large cast, delivering the humour and a fine overall production. The opening night audience loved it. 

But her achievement and I dare say love is choreography and the production features dazzling dances. She believes in precision, disciplined performances, a dazzling display of athleticism and simply extraordinary dancing. The rest is a bonus. 

The star of the show is New York City where the dedicated crap shooters are looking for a place to ply their trade or is it hobby. The police, you see, are not fond of gambling and want to arrest its practitioners. To make it short, the gentlemen find a Salvation Army mission in Manhattan in which to enjoy their trade.

Jennifer Rider-Shaw as Miss Adelaide, Dan Chameroy as 

Sky Masterson and Olivia Sinclair-Brisbane as Sarah Brown. 

Photo: Dariane Sanche.

More specifically, let us see what two leaders of the underworld are doing   Sky Masterson (Dan Chameroy) is attracted to Salvation Army Sergeant Sarah (Olivia Sinclair-Brisbane), and the impecunious Nathan Detroit (Mark Uhre) bets $1000 that Sky cannot take Sarah to Cuba. What are the chances of that happening? Do I need to tell you that Eros will stick his fingers here even though these people are not Greek?

And did you know that Nathan has been engaged to Miss Adelaide (Jennifer Rider-Shaw) for twelve years, according to him. But Mis Adelaide has told her mother that they are married and in fact have five or six children. The conjugal entanglements are an obvious source of humour, and the actors make sure they get the laughter. But we need and get one hell of a show. The brightly lit stage shows off New York and Havana, and the music generates life and excitement. The costumes are tantamount to a fashion show as the ladies perform at the Hot Box Club.

The quality of singing has a wide range from the reasonable to the good. The cast has some Stratford veterans and some newcomers. A credit to the solid foundations of the repertory company.

 Colourful characters abound, of course. Nicely-Nicely Johnson (Steve Ross) who is in for the comedy and some singing, but no dancing. Big gambler from Chicago Big Julie (Juan Chioran) with a voice all his own, and characters with nicknames like Ox, Horse and Rusty. On the side of the angels, we have General Matilda (Starr Domingue) Arvide (Stephen Patterson), Lt. Branigan (Nehassaiu DeGannes), and a huge cast including Gamblers, Hot Box Dolls, Mission Band, Guys, not to mention Gangsters, Runyonland Citizens, Havana Dancers, Bridesmaids and Cops. You get the idea. I bow to all of them and give them a standing ovation. Far too many to speak individually about them

The artistic team gets huge marks for a show that needs and displays their talents. Set Designer Michael Gianfrancesco, Costume Designer Dana Osborne, Lighting Designer Bonnie Beecher, Sound Designer Haley Parcher and Music Director Franklin Brasz all have crucial and obvious roles in putting the show together.

The musical and this production provide everything for a thoroughly entertaining evening at the theatre, but the most outstanding feature is Donna Feore’s choreography and its execution.
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Guys and Dolls by Frank Loesser (music and lyrics), Jo Swerling and Abe Burrows (book) based on a story and characters by Damon Runyon, opened on May 26 and will continue in repertory until November 1, 2026, at the Festival Theatre, Stratford, Ont. For more information go to:  www.stratfordfestival.ca

James Karas is the Culture Editor of The Greek Press, Toronto.

THE TEMPEST - REVIEW OF 2026 STRATFORD FESTIVAL PRODUCTION

Reviewed by James Karas

Out of this world! 

That may be a depiction of the island where Prospero was exiled by his brother or a description of Antoni Cimolino’s production of The Tempest, one of Shakespeare’s last plays. Cimolino has lavished his finesse and ample directorial talents on a stunning production that one may want to treat as his farewell to a Festival that he has served so well.

As we know, The Tempest opens with a violent storm that causes the sinking of a ship and the death of all its passengers. Cimolino and set and costume designer Julie Fox have devised a dramatic and memorable opening. A huge sail is raised on the stage with rope ladders going to the top. Thunder and lightning and violent winds batter he ship’s crew and passengers. The opening scene of the play is frequently shortened but, in this production, Cimolino plays it to the fullest. Fantastic opener.

Prospero took over the uncivilized island from the witch Sycorax whose son the brute Caliban he tried to “civilize”. That did not go well, and Caliban tried to rape Prospero’s daughter Miranda and he is still considered a barbarian.

The island is thought of as being inhabited by Prospero, his daughter, the spirit Ariel (the wonderful Marissa Orjalo) and Caliban. Cimolino has some wild creatures and other spirits living there including Iris (Michelle Giroux), Ceres (Jenna-Lee Hyde) and Juno (Allison Lynch).

From left: Geraint Wyn Davies as Prospero, Ashley Dingwell as 
Miranda and Dakota Jamal Wellman as Ferdinand, The Tempest. 
Stratford Festival 2026. Photo: David Hou.

Prospero is a loving and protective father of his teenage daughter Miranda. He has magical powers and was able to cause the shipwreck of the opening scene in which his usurping brother Antonio and his collaborator Alonso, King of Naples are passengers. Geraint Wyn Davies plays Prospero as a benevolent, wise man, properly underplayed in contrast to the evil baddies of the past and now present on the island. Gonzalo of the text becomes Gonzala in this production, a paragon of virtue and decency played by the superb Fiona Reid.

Caliban (Jonathan Goad) is bitter about his servitude to Prospero and about his loss of freedom. Caliban is played as a clown and our sympathy for him wanes. Excellent work by Goad.

The romance of the play falls on Ferdinand (Dakota Jamal Wellman), the son of King Alonso, and Miranda. She has never seen a man before and he has not seen anyone as beautiful as her. What more do you want? Okay, this will lead directly to love and marriage and fun for us as we watch fine acting by Wellman and Ashley Dingwell.

The three scenes with Stephano (Ben Carlson), Trinculo (Josue Laboucane) and Caliban as drunken conspirators who want to take over the rule of island are hilarious. Cimolino has the expertise of veteran actors, and the result is an explosion of laughter. Trinculo is variously described as a servant or butler or jester to King Alonso. Cimolino makes him the King’s chef who is dressed accordingly. The three roll on the stage, are drunk out of their minds and give superb performances.

The magical atmosphere of the play is created by Berthold Carriere’s music, Ranil Sonnadara’s sound designs, Immogen Wilson’s lighting designs and Jason Miller’s creative planning, Kudos to all of them.

The set consists of huge rock that can be used as a lookout and turned to serve as Prospero’s cell or cave. Sparse and perfect.

Cimolino’s genius lies in his attention to details. He can get a laugh from the utterance of a single word, a slight pause, a gesture or an intonation. The word Milan is pronounced as we do today with the accent on the second syllable which sounds as if it has two “a”s. In Shakespeare’s time the accent went on the first syllable and the last syllable was short. Cimolino has the word pronounced as it is spoken today at the beginning so we know what he is talking about and then it is switched to Elizabethan intonation so as not to interfere with the poetry. Marvelous.

I said thus production is out of this world and it is so because we are in a world of magic and transformation. There are many scenes where we witness magical changes. Ariel, for example, can tap someone on the shoulder and we see change. But the ultimate transformation comes at the end when Prospero has given up his powers. The change comes from the transformation of human attitudes. The play calls for Prospero to take revenge against his evil brother and the King of Naples who deprived him of his position and sent him into exile. But the play ends with a display of benevolence, forgiveness, reconciliation and one may say on a note of grace. As Prospero says, “the rarer action is in virtue than in vengeance.”

And for us, the rarer action is to take us out of this world through a great night at the theatre.

Ave atque vale, Mr. Cimolino.
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The Tempest by William Shakespeare opened on May 25 and will run in repertory until October 24, 2026, at the Festival Theatre, Stratford, Ontario. www.stratfordfestival.ca

JAMES KARAS IS THE CULTURE EDITOR OF THE GREEK PRESS, TORONTO,

WERTHER – REVIEW OF 2026 CANADIAN OPERA COMPANY PRODUCTION

Reviewed by James Karas

Jules Massenet’s Werther has had a rocky history, but it has joined the standard repertoire even if it is with infrequent productions. The Canadian Opera Company last performed it in 1992. Thirty-four years later, it is offering us a new production, a co-production in fact with the Opera de Montreal and the Vancouver Opera. Nice to see Canadian companies co-operating. 

The libretto is based on Goethe’s novel The Sorrows of Young Werther, his sorrows being that he cannot get the woman he loves. That is hardly a unique occurrence and disappointment in love for the duration of a play or a novel, means that you take your moping and life goes on. You may take the case of King Edward VIII who give up a kingdom for the woman he loved.

In the opera’s creaky plot Werther is in love with Charlotte, and she has no objection to reciprocating his grand passion except for the fact that she is married and not prepared to betray her husband. And adultery is not an option. This is noble love.

Massenet’s librettists provide some padding like rehearsing Christmas carols in July, meeting some local people to help with the advancement of the plot and an extended death scene. If a man is willing to give up his life for love, he is entitled to some of our time.

The COC production by Alain Gauthier with sets designed by Olivier Laudreville and costumes designed by Leilah Dufour Forget is very good and there is nothing they could do about the creaky plot. But to Gauthier’s credit he remains faithful to the feel of the opera.

The opera opens with the ever-reliable bass Robert Pomakov as the Bailiff trying to get his six children to rehearse Christmas carols in July. They will get them right by Christmas.  

Werther, our hero, enters the yard of the Bailiff’s house and he is in a state of ecstasy. He has not seen Charlotte, the woman that will make him more ecstatic which in his case is impossible. He is at the peak. He wonders if he is awake or dreaming. This is paradise where the woods sigh like a harp. He goes on praising nature, the sun, the walls, the hedges in almost erotic language. The expression of that powerful ardor in the opening scene and to the end of the opera is in the hands and vocal chords of tenor Russell Thomas. Through solos and duets his defining romantic being is maintained with unfailing sonority.

 Victoria Karkacheva and Russell Thomas in Werther. Photo: Michael Cooper

The inspirer of his passion is not nature or the hedges and flowers, but the lovely Charlotte sung by soprano Victoria Karkacheva in her debut with the COC. Charlotte in the hands of Karkacheva has everything to offer as a woman but there a couple obstacles. She is first betrothed and then married to Albert (bass-baritone Gordon Bintner – fine performance). And she promised her mother that she will marry Albert. Karkacheva has a lovely voice and she expresses passion and restraint but eventually tells Werther that she does love him and they kiss. In this opera a kiss is the equivalent of a celestial experience.      

Soprano Simone Osborne sang the role of Sophie, Charlotte’s teenage sister. We like her character and her lovely singing except that on a couple of occasions that orchestra drowned her out.

Johannes Debus conducted the COC Orchestra in the outpouring of romantic music (it’s a package deal) that rounded off the evening.

The set by Landreville consisted of some moveable walls and a view of the background when we are in the Bailiff’s yard. The background is a bland colour and it is at odds with Werther’s aria praising nature. Would some lush greeneries not have been more appropriate? Maybe it would make no difference. Werther sees or dreams of whatever he wants anyway.

Director Gauthier does a highly commendable job by giving us a well-thought out, solid and enjoyable production.    

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Werther by Jules Massenet with a libretto by Edouard Blau, Paul Milliet and Georges Hartmann is being performed seven times by the Canadian Opera Company until May 23, 2026 at the Four Seasons Centre for the Performing Arts, 145 Queen Street West, Toronto, Ontario. For details see www.coc.ca

James Karas is the Culture Editor of The Greek Press, Toronto 

DOG MAN: THE MUSICAL – REVIEW OF 2026 CAA THEATRE PRODUCTION

Reviewed by James Karas

A few questions. Do you read graphic novels? Have you read any graphic novels by Dav Pilkey? Are you between 6 and 12 years old? Do you have offspring or friends in that age group? If the answer is “yes”, you should go and see Dog Man: The Musical now playing at the CAA Theatre in Toronto.

The musical’s natural audience is the youngster but there is enough energy and laughter generated by the event to entertain adults. After all, those kids cannot go to the theatre by themselves, can they? 

Kevin del Aguila wrote the book and lyrics and Brad Alexander composed the music and Dav Pilkey’s  cartoon characters of the graphic novels jumped out  and became the personages of the musical. The six of them are George (Troi Lennoxx Gaines), Harold (Mundo Ballejos), Petey (Anthony Rodriguez), Dog Man (Nick Manna), Flippy (Glory Yepassis-Zembrou) and Li’l Petey (Sadie Jayne Kennedy). You or your companions probably know them all by heart.

With boisterous (that means really loud) music and energy to propel a supersonic jet, George and Harold welcome us to the show and we are just getting started.  

We meet Dog Man who was a nice cop but like many of them he was not very bright. (This does not apply to Toronto police officers who are nice and very bright, just in case one of them stops me for a traffic violation). The not-too-swift cop owned a very intelligent dog and when it met its unfortunate demise (it died) its brain was transferred to the cop who became a very intelligent officer, like a Toronto cop. With floppy ears and dog’s nose, so to speak, we have a well-done Dog Man in Manna’s hands. He cannot speak but he is ready to fight for justice.

 The cast of Dog Man: The Musical.  Photo Credit: Jeremy Daniel.

Good guys need bad guys and in Dog Man we have the gnarling, super active Petey. He is so bad he wants to clone himself so we can have one more criminal. What he gets is a cute, chatty, effervescent and funny kitten called Lil Petey. But she is not evil and in fact sings “Happy Song.” What is worse, she becomes friends with Dog Man and they all sing “The Perfect Mashup”.

Flippy is a telekinetic (I don’t know what the word means either) fish and there is a Robot that is supposed to make the kitty become evil. But the  dastardly and very funny villains are no match for Dog Man, Li’l Petey and law and order. All the actors take on other roles with maximum speed and minimum fuss. There are only six actors and far more roles to fill. They do it with humour, energy and plain gusto.

The set by Timothy R. Mackabee is supposed to be a treehouse but it looks like a colorful room that can be changed to different locations with little fuss. The costumes are again colorful with touches of humour, all intended to fit the high-octane performances by the actors.

There are thirteen musical numbers that emphasize  rambunctiousness and comic spirit that suit the plot and I admit that I cannot recall many tunes. The singing involves the company in every number and aims at moving the plot and entertaining us rather than impressing us or becoming embedded in our memory.

Director and Choreographer Jen Wineman sets the relentless pace and maintains it throughout,

In a theatre with a large number of youngsters, I find myself enjoying the enthusiastic reactions and participation of the audience as much as the show. When I saw the performance on Friday, May 8 I was disappointed that the youngsters were not engaged with the stage as I hoped they would be. I have no idea why that happened and it may have been just one of those nights that actors dread.
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Dog Man: The Musical by Kevin Del Aquila (book and lyrics), Brad Alexander (music), adapted from the books by Dav  Pilkey, continues until June  14, 2026, at the CAA Theatre, 651 Yonge St, Toronto ON, M4Y 1Z9  www.mirvish.com/

James Karas is the Culture  editor of The Greek Press, Toronto

CICADAS - REVIEW OF 2026 PRODUCTION AT TARRAGON THEATRE

Reviewed by James Karas

Cicadas are large insects that make annoying, loud, high-pitched sounds during hot summers. They are also the title of a play created by Chris Thornborrow and David Lee that is now playing at the Tarragon Theatre in Toronto. The play is about a haunted house and I am not sure what the connection with cicadas is but that may simply reflect my ignorance of the lives of the creatures.

Cicadas, the play, is about a couple, Janie (Monica Dottor) and Trim (Ryan Hollyman) who buy a house in the Trinity Bellwood neighborhood of Toronto and according to the program the play “is a modern eco-thriller from the minds of….David Yee and…. Chris Thornborrow that serves as mystery and warning.” Climate dramaturg Vicki Stroich is listed as part of the Creative Team.

The set by Jawon Kang represents a house with a first and second floors and a door leading to a mysterious basement. In the opening scene we see a woman on the second floor slithering to the main floor, grabbing a large sheer curtain and wrapping it around herself in a type of dance routine and disappearing. 

We then meet the couple and their real estate agent checking the house out with a view to purchasing it. Ellora Patnaik plays the agent and several other roles in the play. She warns them that the house is haunted and has been unoccupied for many years. She recommends that they not buy it. Trim is a contractor and knows about construction and they buy the house.

We know that the house is haunted and it will be haunted until the final curtain and we have been warned that no one should go in the basement. This is 2032 so current residents of the neighborhood have no immediate concerns?

Ellora Patnaik_Ryan Hollyman_Monica Dottor. Photo: Jae Yang

They go into the basement and find a lot of water on the floor. Was it two feet? Very disturbing especially when the insurance agent tells them that they do not have coverage for it. The water will disappear and return miraculously or is there a stream or two under the house?

The real estate agent (I think) opens a panel in a wall and is sucked in and is never seen again. The ghosts haunting the house mean business. Janie is pregnant and wants to give birth at home. The warm-water flooded basement may be ideal for underwater birth. There is a hilarious scene where Trim bangs his head, faints and Janie’s water breaks. There are many laugh-out loud moments.

The couple’s child is abducted and they search for it frantically. They even hire a spiritualist or medium to advise them about the whereabouts of their child. Trim considers her a charlatan and she is sent packing.

Finally, a building inspector from the city visits and tells them that the house is condemned and uninhabitable. Considering its condition and location it is worth nothing.

I provide these details to give you an idea about the plot outline. That does not tell the whole story, of course. The play has some hilarious and some serious parts and Trim and Janie have some horrific scenes. It is noteworthy that the play has a live band that provides background music befitting the situation. It is like watching a film with a good soundtrack that accentuates the action. The musicians deserve to be mentioned and applauded. They are Amahl Arulanandam, Marc Blouin, Nathen Petitpas and Westley Shen. Superb.

Dottor and Hollyman go through a gamut of emotions and suspenseful moments as their situation deteriorates from a scream at some unusual noise (the horror movie standard), to genuine tragedy from the loss of their child to the loss of their house.   

Full marks to Nina Lee Aquino for outstanding direction of a quirky play.

The program lists Yee and Thornborrow as creators and I suppose they both composed music and wrote the text. But I still can’t figure out what the Climate Dramaturg offers. If your real estate agent tells you to stay away from a haunted house, listen to her? Stay away from Trinity Belwood? If you own a house there already, get the hell out of there?

You should see the play whether you live in that neighborhood or not.
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Cicadas created by David Yee and Chris Thornborrow, a Tarragon Theatre and NAC English Theatre co-production in association with fu-Gen Asian Theater Company continues until May 24, 2026, at the Tarragon Theatre, 30 Bridgman Ave. Toronto, Ontario.  www.tarragontheatre.com

James Karas is the Culture Editor of The Greek Press, Toronto

COME FROM AWAY – REVIEW OF 2026 PRODUCTION AT GRAND THEATRE, LONDON

Reviewed by James Karas

The numbers 9/11 may mean almost nothing to most people around the world but they are embedded in the consciousness of Americans as a reminder of the events of September 11, 2001. Most of them would remember precisely where they were when they heard about the attack on the two towers of the World Trade Centre. Almost three thousand people were killed by the attacks and the United States declared an all-out war on terrorism. 

One can hardly imagine a pleasant consequence of the terrorist attacks, but there is one in Canada. All planes were ordered to land immediately and 38 of them landed in Gander, Newfoundland. A town of 9000 found itself with 7000 visitors from numerous airlines. The townspeople reacted with simultaneous and unbelievable acts of humanity, and gathered all their resources to welcome and care for the unexpected visitors.

That encounter of distress and decency on a massive scale, gave Irene Sankoff and David Hein the idea of writing a musical about the event called Come From Away. The musical opened in 2015, fourteen years after the terrorist attacks. It was a hit and was produced around the world. It became a legendary success and continues to be produced almost 25 years after the tragic events of 9/11.

The redoubtable Grand Theatre of London has produced the musical using an all-Canadian cast. That alone deserves a round of applause when one considers the number of road  productions that have been seen across Canada. 

The cast of Come from Away. Photo: Dehlia Katz

Come From Away has twelve actors  that play a variety of roles. We start with the residents of Gander, a quiet town that goes about its business until news of something horrific filters through. It is 9/11 and 38 planes land in its large airport. The twelve townspeople change chairs and become passengers on a plane that is forced to sit on the tarmac for hours.

The townspeople go into high gear preparing to receive, house, feed and take care of 7000 people. There is comedy as they try to figure out what to get. Medications, tampons, food for pets including monkeys, sleeping accommodations and…and…

The musical is written through and performed at a brisk pace. The dozen or so musical numbers are performed by the company except for several solos. The titles tell the story of the stranded passengers and the townspeople. “38 Planes,” “Blankets and Bedding, “28 Hours/Wherever We Are” (the time spent in the plane after landing), “Phoning Home,” “Screech” (the local moonshine).

There is humour like trying to find translators for the international guests. Anyone speak Moldovan? The Mayor (Darrin Baker) leads with “Welcome to the Rock”. There is the Black man (Joema Frith) who is sent to take people’s barbecues and bring them to a central location. You do that where he comes from, he tells us, and they will shoot you! And Hannah (Divine Brown) whose son is a firefighter in New York and she finds out that he is one of the victims in the Twin Towers. She sings the solo “I am here.” Nick (Steven Gallagher) and Diane (Lori Nancy Kalamanski) find romance and sing “Stop the World”

Then there is Janice (Kelly Holiff) the cub reporter, nervous and lost on her first assignment, the police officer Oz (Sheldon Elter), the teacher Beulah (Darlene Spencer). It is difficult to remember all the roles the cast took but I give equal praise to all. But there is also a knock. Newfoundlanders have a beautiful, lilting accent all their own. Unfortunately I did not hear any of it although there appeared to be some attempts at it. The Creative Team lists four dialect coaches and with an international group of visitors they may have had their hands full.

The set by Scott Penner consists of chairs pinned to all sides of the stage from floor to ceiling on a dark background. The only props are chairs and a couple of tables and that is all that is needed.

Director Julie Tomaino maintains a lively pace with some pauses in the face of tragedy. The comedy is intrinsic to the situation such as trying to buy all that maybe needed. How about tampons? Back to the drug store. Baby food? Oh, yes, back to…

Tomaino has chosen to have most singing and band playing at fortissimo volume. This was unnecessary and at times it seemed inappropriate. Less volume for tragic events would be more appropriate.

The nine thousand residents of Gander looked after and entertained 7000 visitors from around the world for five days back in 2001. The Grand Theatre of London entertained us almost 25 years after the tragic events of 9/11 thanks to Irene Sankoff and David Hein.
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Come From Away by Irene Sankoff and David Hein (Book, Music and Lyrics) opened on May 1 and continues until May 31, 2026, at the Spriet Stage of the Grand Theatre, 471 Richmond St. London, Ontario. www.grandtheatre.com/

James Karas is the Culture Editor of The Greek Press, Toronto