Stratford Festival 2025 casting

Those returning to key roles after some time away from the Stratford stages include Maev Beaty, Tim Campbell, Shakura Dickson, Sara Farb, Aaron Krohn, Yanna McIntosh, Tom Rooney and Liam Tobin.

Returning from this season to key roles are Graham Abbey, Christopher Allen, Celia Aloma, Sean Arbuckle, Dan Chameroy, Laura Condlln, Sarah Dodd, Austin Eckert, Jesse Gervais, Jonathan Goad, Jordin Hall, Jessica B. Hill, Sara-Jeanne Hosie, Jenna-Lee Hyde, Derek Kwan, Josue Laboucane, Jeff Lillico, Julie Lumsden, Amanda Lundgren, Tom McCamus, Seana McKenna, Marissa Orjalo, Lucy Peacock, Irene Poole, Jennifer Rider-Shaw, Steve Ross, André Sills, Olivia Sinclair-Brisbane, Sara Topham, Mark Uhre, Rylan Wilkie and Geraint Wyn Davies. 

The season welcomes a number of actors who will make their Stratford debut in key roles in 2025, including Harper Rae Asch, Yoshie Bancroft, Ashley Dingwell, Michele Shuster, Caroline Toal and Nadine Villasin.

Rounding out the 2025 company are Cydnee Abbott, Eric Abel, Gabriel Antonacci, Carla Bennett, Devon Michael Brown, Andrew Chown, Jarret Cody, David Collins, Aidan deSalaiz, Christine Desjardins, Thomas Duplessie, Justin Eddy, Ijeoma Emesowum, Katarina Fiallos, Henry Firmston, Jacklyn Francis, June Fukumura, Michelle Giroux, Jordan Goodridge, Steven Hao, Manami Hara, Evonny Harker, Harmony Holder, Isla Horner, Aisha Jarvis, Bonnie Jordan, Matthew Kabwe, Hiro Kanagawa, Alex Kelly, John Kirkpatrick, Bethany Kovarik, Kelsey Lacombe, Fae Lewis, Allison Lynch, Caitlyn MacInnis, Gracie Mack, Anthony MacPherson, Jordan Mah, Silvae Mercedes, Jamie Murray, Sofia Otta, Doug Oyama, Olivia Padfield, Anthony Palermo, Stephen Patterson, Joe Perry, Ali Powell, Jessica Reddy, Jason Sermonia, Makambe K. Simamba, Maria Vacratsis, Emilio Vieira, Addison Wagman and Dakota Jamal Wellman.

The 2025 Stratford Festival Season:

FESTIVAL THEATRE

As You Like It

By William Shakespeare
Director: Chris Abraham

Rediscover Shakespeare’s tale of transformation and resilience, in a production directed by Chris Abraham, whose Much Ado About Nothing was a critical and box office hit last season. 

Director Chris Abraham’s production of Shakespeare’s pastoral comedy As You Like It will feature Christopher Allen as Orlando, Sara Farb as Rosalind and Aaron Krohn as Jaques with Sean Arbuckle as Duke Frederick, Seana McKenna as Duchess Senior, and Steve Ross as Touchstone.

The cast also includes Celia Aloma, Gabriel Antonacci, Andrew Chown (Oliver), Ashley Dingwell, Thomas Duplessie, Jacklyn Francis, Jesse Gervais, Jessica B. Hill (Phoebe), Hiro Kanagawa (Corin), Jeff Lillico (Le Beau), Silvae Mercedes (Audrey), Joe Perry, Makambe K. Simamba (Celia), Olivia Sinclair-Brisbane and Nadine Villasin.

In addition to Chris Abraham, the creative team includes Set and Costume Designer Julie Fox, Lighting Designer Imogen Wilson, Composer Ron Sexsmith and Composer and Sound Designer Thomas Ryder Payne.

In a world rocked by political upheaval, a Duchess’ daughter, Rosalind, faces exile from the city to the countryside. She flees with her cousin Celia, and the pair discover new identities and the prospect of new love, even as they confront their deepest fears.

Abraham, who is the Artistic Director of Toronto’s Crow’s Theatre, has directed a string of extremely popular productions for the Festival, including Tartuffe, The Taming of the Shrew, A Midsummer Night’s Dream, Othello and The Matchmaker. His recent Crow’s production of Natasha, Pierre and the Great Comet of 1812 was the runaway hit in Toronto and will be reprised as part of the upcoming Mirvish season.

Annie

Book By Thomas Meehan
Music by Charles Strouse
Lyrics by Martin Charnin
Original Broadway Production Directed by Martin Charnin
Based on “Little Orphan Annie”® by permission of Tribune Content Agency, LLC
Director and Choreographer: Donna Feore
Music Director: Laura Burton

Donna Feore is back with a musical for the whole family! Annie, winner of seven Tony Awards, is one of the most popular musicals ever written. It’s filled with memorable and oh-so-hummable songs, including “Tomorrow”, “It’s the Hard Knock Life” and “You’re Never Fully Dressed Without a Smile.”

It tells the story of a loveable orphan, Annie, who is stuck in an orphanage run by the dreadful Miss Hannigan. The child dreams of being reunited with her parents, but instead finds happiness with the wealthy Daddy Warbucks, who becomes not only her protector but also her hero, finding wealthy homes for all her friends at the orphanage.

This iconic family-friendly musical will hit the Stratford stage in a production directed and choreographed by Donna Feore, featuring Harper Rae Asch in the title role, Dan Chameroy as Oliver Warbucks, and Laura Condlln as Miss Hannigan, with Amanda Lundgren as Lily St. Regis, Jennifer Rider-Shaw as Grace Farrell, and Mark Uhre as Rooster.

The cast will also include Cydnee Abbott (Pepper), Eric Abel, Carla Bennett, Devon Michael Brown, Jarret Cody, Christine Desjardins, Henry Firmston (Bert Healy), Jordan Goodridge, Evonny Harker, Harmony Holder (Molly), Isla Horner (July), Sara-Jeanne Hosie (Mrs. Pugh), Bonnie Jordan, Alex Kelly, Bethany Kovarik, Derek Kwan (Drake), Fae Lewis, Gracie Mack, Anthony MacPherson, Jordan Mah, Jamie Murray (Star-To-Be), Sofia Otta (Duffy), Olivia Padfield, Stephen Patterson (President Roosevelt, Lt. Ward), Ali Powell, Jessica Reddy (Kate), Jason Sermonia, Michele Shuster and Addison Wagman (Tessie).

In addition to Donna Feore, the creative team includes Music Director Laura Burton, Set and Costume Designer Michael Gianfrancesco, Lighting Designer Kimberly Purtell and Sound Designer Haley Parcher.

Feore’s list of hit musicals grows longer with every passing season and includes Chicago, Billy Elliot the Musical, The Rocky Horror Show, The Music Man, Guys and Dolls, The Sound of Music, Fiddler on the Roof – and another show about a sad little orphan, Oliver! Feore’s recent credits also include the world premières of the musicals Summer Stock and The Griswold’s Broadway Vacation, and the multimedia orchestral production Life Reflected, which after opening in Ottawa toured Canada and Europe.

Sense and Sensibility

By Kate Hamill
Based on the novel by Jane Austen
Director: Daryl Cloran

This production of Jane Austen’s beloved classic will use an adaptation by Kate Hamill, one of the most exciting and oft-produced playwrights working today. Audiences will enjoy the vibrancy of her script, which clearly reflects her genuine love of Austen and of classical theatre. Her adaptation is filled with playfulness, humour and emotional depth, as well as substantial roles for women – and men – which makes Sense and Sensibility an ideal showcase for our exceptional actors.

The play follows the Dashwood sisters, who have been left destitute after the sudden death of their father. The girls find romance – and suffer heartbreak – as they try to regain social stability for their family in gossipy 18th century England. 

Director Daryl Cloran’s production of Kate Hamill’s adaptation of Jane Austen’s beloved classic Sense and Sensibility will feature Jessica B. Hill as Elinor Dashwood and Olivia Sinclair-Brisbane as Marianne Dashwood, with Andrew Chown as John Willoughby and Seana McKenna as Mrs. Jennings.

The cast will also include Christopher Allen, Celia Aloma, Ashley Dingwell, Thomas Duplessie (Edward Ferrars, Robert Ferrars), Sara Farb (Fanny), Jesse Gervais, Jordin Hall, Jenna-Lee Hyde, Aaron Krohn, Josue Laboucane, Julie Lumsden, Steve Ross (Sir John Middleton), Makambe K. Simamba, Caroline Toal and Rylan Wilkie.

The production will be directed by Daryl Cloran, who is Artistic Director of Edmonton’s Citadel Theatre and has credits at major theatres across the country, including a wildly popular Beatles-inspired production of As You Like It, which has toured widely. Earlier in his career, Cloran chalked up a number of credits at the Stratford Festival, including as assistant director on Caesar and Cleopatra starring Christopher Plummer.

Dangerous Liaisons

By Christopher Hampton
From the novel Les Liaisons Dangereuses by Choderlos de Laclos
Director: Esther Jun

In pre-Revolutionary France, the Marquise de Merteuil and her sometime lover the Vicomte de Valmont amuse themselves by plotting the seduction of two women of virtue: the virginal Cecile Volanges and the respectably married Mme de Tourvel. But as their cynical game proceeds, the players’ motives grow deeper – and more deadly. 

Directed by Esther Jun, the romantic drama Dangerous Liaisons will feature Celia Aloma as La Presidente de Tourvel, Jesse Gervais as Le Vicomte de Valmont, Jessica B. Hill as La Marquise de Merteuil, with Ashley Dingwell as Cecile Volanges, Seana McKenna as Madame de Rosemonde and Nadine Villasin as Madame de Volanges.

The cast will also include Christopher Allen, Gabriel Antonacci, Thomas Duplessie (Azolan), Sara Farb (Emilie), Jacklyn Francis, Silvae Mercedes, Joe Perry, Makambe K. Simamba and Olivia Sinclair-Brisbane.

In addition to Esther Jun, the creative team includes Set Designer Teresa Przybylski, Costume Designer Nadine Grant, Lighting Designer Arun Srinivasan and Composer and Sound Designer Richard Feren.

The play was written by Christopher Hampton in 1985, adapted from the 1782 novel Les Liaisons Dangereuses by Pierre Choderlos de Laclos. Hampton also wrote the screenplay for the hugely successful 1988 film starring Glenn Close and John Malkovich. This will be the second production of this play at the Stratford Festival. It was first produced to great acclaim in 2010. 

Esther Jun, who is Director of the Festival’s Langham Directing Workshop, will direct, after such recent successes as Cymbeline, Les Belles Soeurs and Little Women at the Festival and Kim’s Convenience, which she staged most recently in London, UK, receiving tremendous critical and audience response. Esther was the Assistant Artistic Director of Tarragon Theatre before joining the Festival.

AVON THEATRE

Macbeth

By William Shakespeare
Created in collaboration with Ex Machina
Director: Robert Lepage

Visionary director Robert Lepage takes on Shakespeare’s tragedy of unchecked corruption and heinous self-interest. 

Set in the milieu of Quebec’s biker gangs, the production will reflect on violence and the allegiances that drive it, revealing the horrors that grow unhindered once the seeds of evil are planted in the soul. 

Obsessed by omens and urged on by his wife’s ambition, a heroic figure takes his destiny into his own hands. He murders his way to the top, only to find himself plunged ever deeper into tyranny as he battles vainly against enemies, real and imagined, from both sides of the grave.

Shakespeare’s tragedy of unchecked corruption and heinous self-interest, Macbeth, directed by Robert Lepage, will feature Tom McCamus as Macbeth and Lucy Peacock as Lady Macbeth, with Graham Abbey as Banquo and Tom Rooney as Macduff.

The cast will also include David Collins (Duncan), Aidan deSalaiz (Witch 1), Austin Eckert (Malcolm), Justin Eddy (Witch 2), Michelle Giroux, Matthew Kabwe (Seyton), John Kirkpatrick, Anthony Palermo (Witch 3), André Sills (Ross), Maria Vacratsis (Porter), Emilio Vieira (Lennox) and Dakota Jamal Wellman (Murderer).

In addition to Robert Lepage, the creative team includes Set Designer Ariane Sauvé, Costume Designer Michael Gianfrancesco, Lighting Designer Kimberly Purtell and Composer and Sound Designer John Gzowski.

Lepage, Artistic Director of Ex Machina, is celebrated around the world for his stunning, boundary-breaking work. His landmark production of Shakespeare’s little-known play Coriolanus took Stratford audiences by storm in 2018. Just imagine what he will do with this illustrious tale, the play whose title must not be uttered!

Dirty Rotten Scoundrels

Book by Jeffrey Lane
Music and Lyrics by David Yazbek
Based on the film “Dirty Rotten Scoundrels” written by Dale Launer and Stanley Shapiro & Paul Henning
Original Broadway production directed by Jack O’Brien
Director: Bobby Garcia
Choreographer: Stephanie Graham
Music Director: Franklin Brasz

Like this season’s La Cage aux Folles, this razzle-dazzle show, in the vein of The Producers, is set on the French Riviera. It features a conman who woos wealthy women and pockets their money to fund a glamorous lifestyle. When a competitor comes to town, they team up to raise the stakes but soon find themselves in unhealthy, though hilarious, competition. A final con – to prove who is the better hustler – sees both men get their just reward.

Director Bobby Garcia will direct the musical comedy Dirty Rotten Scoundrels in his Stratford debut featuring Shakura Dickson as Christine Colgate, Jonathan Goad as Lawrence and Liam Tobin as Freddy Benson, with Sara-Jeanne Hosie as Muriel, Derek Kwan as Andre Thibault and Michele Shuster as Jolene.

The cast also includes Eric Abel, Carla Bennett, Devon Michael Brown, Jarret Cody, Christine Desjardins, Henry Firmston, Jordan Goodridge, Aisha Jarvis, Bonnie Jordan, Alex Kelly, Kelsey Lacombe, Amanda Lundgren, Gracie Mack, Jordan Mah, Jamie Murray, Stephen Patterson, Ali Powell and Jason Sermonia.

In addition to Bobby Garcia, the creative team includes Choreographer Stephanie Graham, Music Director Franklin Brasz, Set Designer Lorenzo Savoini, Costume Designer Sue LePage, Lighting Designer Michael Walton and Sound Designer Ranil Sonnadara.

Made famous in the film starring Steve Martin and Michael Caine, Dirty Rotten Scoundrels delivers laughs galore and is certain to entertain audiences at the Avon Theatre.

It will be directed by Bobby Garcia, making his Stratford debut. Garcia has directed a string of major musicals, primarily in Hong Kong, Manila and Singapore, with credits including Beautiful: The Carole King Musical, Fun Home, Waitress, In the Heights, Matilda, The Bridges of Madison County, Shrek, Aladdin, Urinetown, Dreamgirls and many more. 

The show will be choreographed by Stephanie Graham, who did the choreography for this season’s Twelfth Night. She has worked as a director and choreographer across Canada and won the 2015 Dora Award for outstanding choreography Opera/Musical for The Wild Party. 

Anne of Green Gables

A new adaptation by Kat Sandler
Based on the novel by Lucy Maud Montgomery
Director: Kat Sandler

Is there a Canadian title with more global recognition than Anne of Green Gables? More than 56 million copies have been sold, and it has been translated into 30 languages. 

Anne of Green Gables by Kat Sandler is a bold adaptation of Lucy Maud Montgomery’s timeless tale of imagination, resilience and the transformative power of love. Set in the picturesque village of Avonlea, it follows the adventures of Anne Shirley, an irrepressible orphan with a vivid imagination and an unyielding spirit. 

Sandler, who will also direct, is known for her deeply funny yet poignant plays and has written and directed extensively across Canada. She has enormous affection and respect for this story and wants to bring it vibrantly to life for another generation. The story of an outsider, an orphan, who finds happiness and wins the hearts not only of her adoptive family but of her doubting community is a story for the ages.

The world première of Kat Sandler’s bold adaptation of the timeless tale Anne of Green Gables, directed by Sandler, will feature Caroline Toal as Anne Shirley with Tim Campbell as Matthew Cuthbert and Sarah Dodd as Marilla Cuthbert.

The cast includes Yoshie Bancroft, Maev Beaty (Rachel Lynde), Ijeoma Emesowum, Jordin Hall (Gilbert Blythe), Steven Hao (Jane Andrews), Manami Hara, Jenna-Lee Hyde, Josue Laboucane (Moodie Spurgeon), Julie Lumsden (Diana Barry), Allison Lynch, Doug Oyama, Irene Poole and Rylan Wilkie.

In addition to Director Kat Sandler, the creative team includes Set and Costume Designer Joanna Yu, Lighting Designer Davida Tkach and Sound Designer Debashis Sinha.

TOM PATTERSON THEATRE

The Winter’s Tale

By William Shakespeare
Director: Antoni Cimolino

Artistic Director Antoni Cimolino will at last have the opportunity to direct one of his most beloved Shakespeare plays, The Winter’s Tale, a story about the intense power of human emotions and their ability both to bring people together and tear them apart. 

King Leontes, obsessed by suspicions of infidelity, puts his pregnant wife, Hermione, on trial for her life. He comes to his senses only when his actions have cost him both wife and children. But true love can work miracles and even the bitterest winter contains the seeds of spring.

The Winter’s Tale is one of Shakespeare’s final romances, a bittersweet drama of wrath and regret – culminating in one of the most poignant reunions ever written. Full of wonderful surprises and coincidences, this colourful and wildly entertaining story speaks to our deepest fears and greatest hopes. 

Forgiveness

By Hiro Kanagawa
Adapted from the book “Forgiveness: A Gift From My Grandparents” by Mark Sakamoto
Director: Stafford Arima

Adapted from the acclaimed 2018 Canada Reads-winning memoir by Mark Sakamoto, this moving and heartfelt play by Hiro Kanagawa tells the story of Sakamoto’s grandparents and their harrowing experiences during the Second World War. In the face of tremendous adversity and horrific transgressions, they chose not to live a life of anger but rather to embrace and teach forgiveness.

The production will be directed by Stafford Arima, who is the Artistic Director of Theatre Calgary and has a string of Broadway, Off Broadway and West End credits to his name, including as director of the original Broadway production of the musical Allegiance.

His memorable production of Jacques Brel Is Alive and Well and Living in Paris, featuring Brent Carver, was a highlight of the 2010 season.

The cast also includes Gabriel Antonacci (Cooper), Sean Arbuckle (Ralph’s Father), Tim Campbell, Jacklyn Francis (Phyllis, Ralph’s Mother), June Fukumura (Miyoko, Mrs. Yamamoto), Steven Hao (Ron, Ichiro), Manami Hara (Tomi), Hiro Kanagawa (Yosuke, Kato), Allison Lynch (Diane, Socialite), Silvae Mercedes, Doug Oyama (Stan, Pat), Joe Perry and Nadine Villasin.

In addition to Stafford Arima, the creative team features Set and Costume Designer Lorenzo Savoini, Lighting Designer Kaileigh Krysztofiak, Projection Designer Sammy Chien (Chimerik), Composer Allison Lynch and Sound Designer Olivia Wheeler.

Ransacking Troy

By Erin Shields
Director: Jackie Maxwell
Choreographer: Esie Mensah

Written by Erin Shields, the dynamo behind 2018’s Paradise Lost, Ransacking Troy is a compelling adaptation of the Trojan War narrative through the lens of its female players. Funny, intriguing and always thought-provoking, this retelling of The Iliad and The Odessey whisks audiences away on a bold adventure. 

After nine and a half years of war, Penelope is tired of waiting for Odysseus to return home, so she gathers a band of Greek women to set sail for Troy. An epic journey ensues as the women struggle to bring about a peaceful end to the war and imagine the future they want to create when it’s through. 

The production will be directed by Jackie Maxwell, former Artistic Director of the Shaw Festival. Maxwell has directed extensively in Canada and beyond and was at the helm of Shields’s Paradise Lost, another Stratford commission, which was a huge hit for the Festival in 2018. She also directed a haunting production of The Changeling for the Festival in 2017.  

The world première of Erin Shields’ Ransacking Troy, directed by Jackie Maxwell, will feature Maev Beaty as Penelope and Odysseus and Irene Poole as Clytemnestra, Iphigenia and Agamemnon with Yanna McIntosh as Hecuba and Sara Topham as Aegiale and Helen.

The cast also includes Sarah Dodd (Gaylax, Anax, Andromache), Ijeoma Emesowum (Psamathe, Briseis), Katarina Fiallos, Caitlyn MacInnis (Cur, Hecamede, Polyxena) and Marissa Orjalo.

In addition to Jackie Maxwell, the creative team includes Choreographer Esie Mensah, Set and Costume Designer Judith Bowden, Lighting Designer Michael Walton, Composer Deanna Choi and Sound Designer Thomas Ryder Payne.

STUDIO THEATRE

The Art of War

By Yvette Nolan
Director: Keith Barker

The Art of War by Yvette Nolan is a dramatic examination of the role of artists in war and in peace. 

During the Second World War, Nick is sent to the front lines as an imbedded painter. What he witnesses, what he paints, will transform not only him, but Canada’s idea of itself.

This moving play will be directed by Keith Barker. Barker is Director of the Festival’s Foerster Bernstein New Play Development Program and the former Artistic Director of Native Earth. He has extensive credits as a director, dramaturge and actor, including his role as Louis Riel in the hit 2023 production of Women of the Fur Trade.  

Keith Barker’s production of The Art Of War features Josue Laboucane as Nick with Jordin Hall as Newman, Jenna-Lee Hyde as Madga, Julie Lumsden as Heather and Eva and Rylan Wilkie as Dennis, Matthaeus.

In addition to Keith Barker, the creative team includes Set Designer Teresa Przybylski, Costume Designer Patricia Reilly, Lighting Designer Logan Cracknell and Sound Designer Adam Campbell.

Tickets for the 2025 season will go on sale to Members of the Stratford Festival beginning November 10 and to the public on December 16.

HERE FOR NOW THEATRE

Here For Now is an independent theatre company based in Stratford Ontario seating up to 65 patrons in a black box style setting, that challenges and inspires its audiences by producing a bold annual theatre season comprised of new or underproduced plays.
24 St. Andrew St, Stratford. Box office is open for the 2025 season.
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