So much theatre, so little time! Thankfully, so far this list isn’t very long, but I’ll update it as I hear about more exciting things!
In the GTA
Sankofa: The Soldier’s Tale Retold – Art of Time Ensemble
Sankofa: The Soldier’s Tale Retold reimagines Igor Stravinsky’s L’Histoire du Soldat in a new libretto by poet Titilope Sonuga. Through the journey of a fictional soldier attempting to enlist in WWI, this Soldier’s Tale is set against the historical context of the No. 2 Construction Battalion — the only Canadian battalion composed of Black soldiers to serve in the First World War. In a psychological battle with the devil on the road to enlisting, the soldier embodies the battalion’s resilience and enduring struggle against racism, discrimination and historical erasure. Like the symbol of the Sankofa bird from which this story draws its name (a word in the Twi language of Ghana which means to go back and retrieve what was forgotten), this work blends past and future as the rhythm of Sonuga’s poetry weaves through Stravinsky’s original music. Sankofa is an invitation to honour a difficult history while moving toward a more promising future.
October 24 – 27
Harbourfront Centre Theatre – 231 Queens Quay W
Sankofa: The Soldier’s Tale Retold — Art of Time Ensemble
Jekyll and Hyde the Musical: In Concert – Doctor Bird Productions
Doctor Bird Productions is thrilled to bring Jekyll & Hyde in Concert to the Meridian Arts Centre this Halloween.
The epic struggle between good and evil comes to life on stage in the musical gothic thriller, Jekyll & Hyde. Based on the classic story by Robert Louis Stevenson and featuring a thrilling score from multi-Grammy- and Tony-nominated Frank Wildhorn and double-Oscar- and Grammy-winning Leslie Bricusse.
This concert production will include a live orchestra led by popular Toronto musical director, Ethan Rotenberg, and a dance ensemble led by choreographer and dancer, Emilia Ballester. Artistic Director Manuele Mizzi steps off the stage to direct a cast of rising talent including Carlos Bastarrachea (Jekyll & Hyde), Maren Richardson (Emma Carew) and Emma Bergin (Lucy Harris).
October 25 & 26
The Greenwin Theatre at the Meridian Arts Centre – 5040 Yonge St
Edgar Allan Poe’s Tales of the Grotesque – While Mills Theatre Co.
After its sold-out run of 2023, the must-see event of the Halloween season is back—and as bone chilling as ever! Experience what critics have called “clever”, and audiences have dubbed, “the best immersive production I’ve seen!” With new twists, familiar tales, and its unique brand of horror, Tales of the Grotesque brings literature’s most depraved characters to life … and death.
In this haunting adaptation of the works of Edgar Allan Poe, join the visitors of the melancholy House of Usher on a candlelit journey into the macabre. Despite their apprehensions, a stubborn doctor, a resentful medium, and a murderer attend the funeral of an eccentric recluse—only to question the circumstances surrounding her untimely death. As they outstay their welcome, they uncover evidence of a connection between their disturbing pasts and the sinister presence stalking their every move. With their secrets exposed, they must summon their ghosts to survive the supernatural forces at work, and confront the meddlesome housekeeper who knows more than she claims. An immersive horror opera set within the oldest surviving building from the Town of York, Tales of the Grotesque invites visitors to explore Victorian Toronto through the eyes of history’s most twisted author … and come tapping at the door to the unknown.
October 16 – November 2
Campbell House Museum – 160 Queen Street West
Upcoming Events | White Mills Theatre Co.
Letters to God – Soundstreams
Letters to God features the world-renowned Fujii Percussion Ensemble and two of Canada’s most prestigious choral ensembles. Fujii Percussion Ensemble from Japan—comprising mother Mutsuko Fujii and daughters Haruka and Rika Fujii—alongside Toronto’s Soundstreams Choir 21, The Canadian Children’s Opera Company, pianist Gregory Oh, and percussionist Ryan Scott. A highlight of the evening will be Akira Miyoshi’s Letters to God, a moving piece that brings children’s poignant letters, celebrated for their simplicity, humor, and emotional clarity, to life.
The program also includes:
- Melody McKiver’s river woman: An Indigenous-inspired auditory journey offering a fresh perspective on nature and life.
- R. Murray Schafer’s Seventeen Haiku: A theatrical work transforming Japanese poetry into vivid musical landscapes.
- Akira Miyoshi’s Conversation, suite for marimba: a solo marimba piece performed by Mutsuko Fujii.
- Toru Takemitsu’s Seasons: A masterful choral composition for percussion blending the sounds of nature with Takemitsu’s transcendent style.
- Claude Vivier’s Pulau Dewata: A lively work capturing Bali’s vibrant rhythms and cultural essence.
- Songs for Ishikawa: A collection of traditional Japanese folk songs from Ishikawa, the epicenter of the earthquake disaster on New Year’s Day 2024, arranged by Haruka Fujii & Rika Fujii – a world premiere.
October 24
Trinity-St. Paul’s Centre – 427 Bloor St. W
The Flin Flon Cowboy – THEATRE PASSE MURAILLE AND THE FLIN FLON COWBOY COLLECTIVE
heatre Passe Muraille, in co-production with Flin Flon Cowboy Collective and in association with Why Not Theatre, is thrilled to bring the World Premiere of The Flin Flon Cowboy, a new autobiographical musical that brings the remarkable life of Ken Harrower to the stage. The Flin Flon Cowboy is an unflinching exploration of identity, freedom, and the power of love, featuring original songs by Ken Harrower and Johnny Spence performed live alongside a country band. Directed by co-creator Erin Brandenburg, this deeply personal theatrical experience runs from October 19 to November 2, 2024.
October 19 – November 2
Theatre Passe Muraille – 16 Ryerson Ave
The Flin Flon Cowboy – Theatre Passe Muraille
Sheer Blind Velocity – Slayboy and Factory Theatre
SHEER BLIND VELOCITY RIPS THROUGH SLAYBOY’S LIFE IN THE FAST LANE AS HE BOUNCES FROM ONE DISASTER TO THE NEXT. FROM A CHILDHOOD OBSESSION WITH SPEED TO A MULTITUDE OF PERSONAS; FILM DIRECTOR, PSYCHIC, STREET ARTIST AND LEATHER-CLAD MOTORCYCLE-RIDING DRUG AND SEX ADDICTED PARTY ANIMAL. THE MULTI MEDIA ONE MAN SHOW IS AN EXPLOSION OF SOUND, VISUAL EYE-CANDY, AND COMICAL STORIES. IT’S A WHIRLWIND ROLLERCOASTER RIDE OF ENERGY THAT REFLECTS THE FASTER-THAN-FAST-PACED WORLD OF TODAY AND SOCIETY’S BLIND OBSESSION WITH SHINY NEW THINGS. BUCKLE UP!
October 26 @9pm
Factory Theatre – 125 Bathurst St
SHEER BLIND VELOCITY — Factory Theatre
In Montreal
Two Birds One Stone – Teesri Duniya Theatre
Rimah Jabr, a Muslim Palestinian, and Natasha Greenblatt, a Jewish Canadian, come together as co-writers in Two Birds One Stone, a heartfelt and charged conversation. This thought-provoking and compelling narrative explores the essence of friendship, delves into the complexities of privilege, and reflects on the search for home and freedom.
October 25 – November 5
Rangshala Studio, Cité-des-Hospitalières,251 av. des Pins OuestTwo Birds One Stone | Teesri Duniya Theatre Montreal – Change the World One Play at a Time
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