2019/20 Season Principal Casting Preview
World Curious London Proud
LONDON, ON, October 4, 2019 – Artistic Director Dennis Garnhum has announced principal casting for the 2019/20 season including Deborah Hay and Mark Uhre in Disney and Cameron Mackintosh’s MARY POPPINS, Gavin Crawford, who takes on all 40 roles in the hilarious FULLY COMMITTED, Rebecca Northan in EVERY BRILLIANT THING and THIS LONDON LIFE, and Alexis Gordon starring as Ma in the North American premiere in ROOM, based on the award-winning novel by Emma Donoghue.
“This year, we are celebrating London in many ways,” says Dennis Garnhum. “Our city’s stories and people are a vital part of this season at the Grand, from Morris Panych’s hilarious take on the absurdities of being the ‘other’ London, to artists like Deborah Hay and Emma Donoghue, whose performances and work will shine on our stages, and to our new 100 Schools tour production, inspired by our city’s own students.” The 11 productions across two stages include two world premieres, a North American premiere, and new works by exciting Canadian visionaries, allowing the Grand to continue bringing the world to London, and London to the world.
The 2019/20 season launches in October with the world premiere comedy, THIS LONDON LIFE, commissioned by the Grand through COMPASS, our New Play Development program. Written and directed by award-winning Canadian actor and playwright, Morris Panych, THIS LONDON LIFE “tells the story of two Londons, parodying their many similarities—and their differences,” describes Dennis Garnhum. After a successful run of BLIND DATE at the 2019 Edinburgh Fringe Festival, Rebecca Northan returns as the morally questionable Mrs. Simpson. Making his Grand Theatre debut is Ryan Shaw, a young elementary student from Petrolia, Ontario. Allister MacDonald plays Jimmy, a man who arrives in ‘this’ London, but is under the impression he is in ‘that’ London.
In the tradition of grand holiday productions, audiences will delight in the classic musical, Disney and Cameron Mackintosh’s MARY POPPINS, soaring onto the Spriet Stage, November 26 to December 29. The magical production will feature the talents of Deborah Hay as Mary Poppins, and Mark Uhre as Bert, as they both return home to London in this wonder-filled story that combines what Dennis Garnhum describes as “uplifting melodies and big-hearted characters.” Also joining the cast of Mary Poppins is Jan Alexandra Smith, as The Birdwoman and Miss Andrew.
Gavin Crawford, well-known for his weekly CBC Radio show Because News, as well as his eight successful years on This Hour Has 22 Minutes, will start the new year off with a “fast-paced, tour-de-force performance” in the one person show, FULLY COMMITTED, directed by Steven Gallagher.
Alexis Gordon, who plays Winifred Banks in Disney and Cameron Mackintosh’s MARY POPPINS, will return to the Grand in March, taking on the role of Ma, in Emma Donoghue’s stage adaptation of her award-winning novel ROOM. Presented in partnership with Covent Garden Productions and David Mirvish, the play makes its Canadian debut on the Spriet Stage in London, the home of Ms. Donoghue, before moving to the CAA Theatre in Toronto.
The Grand Theatre is also excited to celebrate Indigenous Canadian storytelling with the stunning play HONOUR BEAT, written by Tara Beagan and directed by Falen Johnson, co-host of the CBC podcast The Secret Life of Canada.
Closing the season on the Spriet Stage, the Grand Theatre will present the funny and heartwarming new Canadian musical, GROW. Before they must commit to the Amish faith forever, 19-year-old twins Hannah and Ruth leave the comfort of their sheltered community to explore the outside world for the first time. After finding themselves stranded in one of Toronto’s roughest neighbourhoods, all their plans go up in smoke and they end up working at an illegal marijuana grow-op. GROW is an outrageously fun, big-hearted musical, that explores sisterhood, community, and the legalization of a once-forbidden weed. Another successful production developed through the Canadian Music Theatre Project at Sheridan College, GROW is written by Matt Murray, and features songs by Colleen Dauncey and Akiva Romer-Segal (THE LOUDER WE GET formerly PROM QUEEN).
The Grand’s McManus Stage features four plays this season, starting with Human Cargo Theatre’s THE RUNNER, a Dora Award-winning production starring Gord Rand as Jacob, the Z.A.K.A. volunteer.
Actor, director, playwright, and improviser, Rebecca Northan, makes a second appearance at the Grand Theatre in the one-person show EVERY BRILLIANT THING. Playing on the McManus Stage January 21 to February 2, 2020, the show explores the question “what makes life worth living?” Described by The Guardian as “one of the funniest plays you will ever see about depression,” the production will prompt audiences to reflect upon the every-day, small joys that keep us living.
The McManus line-up finishes with a powerful piece, BETWEEN BREATHS, from Artistic Fraud of Newfoundland. Based on the life of Dr. Jon Lein—known as “the Whale Man”— the play moves backwards in time from his final moments, through his incredible work rescuing whales, while he struggles with relentless paralysis and dementia.
JUNO’S REWARD, a new play written by Artistic Associate Megan Watson, will come to the McManus for March Break. Starring Natalia Gracious, Stephen Ingram, and Faly Mevamanana, the production will also feature new music from Natalia’s brother Richard Gracious, a local singer-songwriter. JUNO’S REWARD will also be featured in this year’s 100 School’s Program which tours elementary school gymnasiums and auditoriums across London and surrounding area from February 20 to May 15, 2020, all at no cost to the schools.
For additional casting and creative team preview listings, see the following pages.
Tickets for the 2019/20 Season are now on sale at grandtheatre.com, by phone, and at the box office.
The Grand Theatre 2019/20 Season is proudly sponsored by BMO Financial Group.
About the Grand Theatre
Under the leadership of Artistic Director Dennis Garnhum and Executive Director Deb Harvey, the Grand is a leading cultural hub proudly located in the heart of downtown London, Ontario. The Grand offers diverse, relevant, and original stories from around the globe through collaborations with national and international performing arts organizations and is committed to developing, producing, and premiering original homegrown stories through COMPASS, a New Play Development Program. The Grand supports educational programming and youth mentorship such as the High School Project, the only program of its kind in North America, and 100 Schools, a community initiative that brings professional theatre to London area schools at no cost.
A not-for-profit regional theatre, the Grand produces and presents professional theatre on two stages: the Spriet Stage (839 seats) and the McManus Stage (144 seats). The Grand’s season runs from September to May.
For more information, including artists’ bios, contact:
Jennifer Matthews, Communications Manager
519 672 9030 ext. 411 jmatthews [at] grandtheatre.com (jmatthews[at]grandtheatre[dot]com)
● ● ●
THIS LONDON LIFE
By Morris Panych
October 15 to November 2, 2019
CAST
| RAE-ANN | Cynthia Jimenez-Hicks |
| JIMMY | Allister MacDonald |
| MRS. SIMPSON | Rebecca Northan |
| WALTER WINCH | Ryan Shaw |
| EMERY | Braeden Soltys |
| NAN | Wendy Thatcher |
CREATIVE TEAM
| PLAYWRIGHT | Morris Panych |
| DIRECTOR | Morris Panych |
| SET & COSTUME DESIGNER | Ken MacDonald |
| LIGHTING DESIGNER | Kim Purtell |
| SOUND DESIGNER | Keith Thomas |
| STAGE MANAGER | Suzanne McArthur |
| ASSISTANT STAGE MANAGER | Sandi Becker |
| APPRENTICE STAGE MANAGER | Darius Hahn |
| CHILD SUPERVISOR | Linda Martin |
| CHILD SUPERVISOR | Chrystine Robinson |
THE RUNNER
By Christopher Morris
Presented by Human Cargo Theatre
November 5 to 16, 2019
CAST
| JACOB | Gord Rand |
CREATIVE TEAM
| PLAYWRIGHT | Christopher Morris |
| DIRECTOR | Daniel Brooks |
| ASSOCIATE DIRECTOR | Severn Thompson |
| SET & COSTUME DESIGNER | Gillian Gallow |
| LIGHTING DESIGNER | Bonnie Beecher |
| COMPOSER & SOUND DESIGNER | Alexander MacSween |
| PRODUCTION MANAGER & ASSOCIATE LIGHTING DESIGNER |
Jeff Prybus |
| STAGE MANAGER | Judy Farthing |
| ASSISTANT STAGE MANAGER | Ada Aguilar |
| PRODUCER | Devon Jackson |
| GRAPHIC DESIGNER | Eric Dizon |
| ARTISTIC DIRECTOR of NAPESH THEATRE TEL AVIV |
Howard Rypp |
Disney and Cameron Mackintosh’s
MARY POPPINS
A Musical based on the stories of P.L Travers and the Walt Disney film
November 26 to December 29, 2019
CAST
| MRS. CORY | Christy Adamson |
| MICHAEL BANKS | Hayden Baertsoen |
| NELEUS | Jak Baradell |
| GEORGE BANKS | Ben Carlson |
| ENSEMBLE | Michael Cox |
| WINIFRED BANKS | Alexis Gordon |
| ENSEMBLE | Josh Graetz |
| MARY POPPINS | Deborah Hay |
| MRS. BRILL | Phoebe Hu |
| ENSEMBLE | Heather Kosik |
| ENSEMBLE | Jamie Murray |
| ENSEMBLE | Shakeil Rollock |
| ENSEMBLE | Antonette Rudder |
| ENSEMBLE | Michele Shuster |
| BIRD WOMAN/MISS ANDREW | Jan Alexandra Smith |
| ROBERTSON AY | Giovanni Spina |
| BERT | Mark Uhre |
| JANE BANKS | Abigail Verhaeghe |
| ENSEMBLE | Sandy Winsby |
| ENSEMBLE | Robert Yeretch |
CREATIVE TEAM
| DIRECTOR | Megan Watson |
| MUSICAL DIRECTOR | Craig Fair |
| CHOREOGRAPHER | Stephen Cota |
| SET DESIGNER | Lorenzo Savoini |
| COSTUME DESIGNER | Dana Osborne |
| LIGHTING DESIGNER | Bonnie Beecher |
| PROJECTION DESIGNER | Jamie Nesbitt |
| SOUND DESIGNER | Brian Kenny |
| STAGE MANAGER | Kelly Luft |
| ASSISTANT STAGE MANAGER | Jordan Guetter |
| ASSISTANT STAGE MANAGER | Katerina Sokyrko |
| APPRENTICE STAGE MANAGER | Skye Monoghan |
| CHILD SUPERVISOR | Cassandra di Felice |
| CHILD SUPERVISOR | Linda Martin |
| CHILD SUPERVISOR | Heather Raycraft |
| CHILD SUPERVISOR | Chrystine Robinson |
FULLY COMMITTED
By Becky Mode and Mark Setlock
January 14 – January 26, 2020
CAST
| SAM | Gavin Crawford |
CREATIVE TEAM
| DIRECTOR | Steven Gallagher |
| SET DESIGNER | Michael Gianfrancesco |
| LIGHTING DESIGNER | Michael Walton |
| SOUND DESIGNER | Verne Good |
| STAGE MANAGER | Michael Hart |
| APPRENTICE STAGE MANAGER | Cody Burns |
EVERY BRILLIANT THING
By Duncan Macmillan
with Jonny Donahoe
January 21 to February 2, 2020
CAST
| NARRATOR | Rebecca Northan |
CREATIVE TEAM
| DIRECTOR | Liza Balkan |
| SET & LIGHTING DESIGNER | Poe Limkul |
| SOUND DESIGNER | Richard Feren |
| STAGE MANAGER | Renate Hanson |
| APPRENTICE STAGE MANAGER | Zack Grosh |
HONOUR BEAT
By Tara Beagan
February 4 to February 22, 2020
CAST
| ANNA-RAE | Andrea Menard |
| RAE-ANNA | Tracey Nepinak |
CREATIVE TEAM
| PLAYWRIGHT | Tara Beagan |
| DIRECTOR | Falen Johnson |
| SET DESIGNER | Tamara Marie Kucheran |
| COSTUME DESIGNER | Samantha McCue |
| PROJECTION DESIGNER | Alex Williams |
| SOUND DESIGNER | Verne Good |
| STAGE MANAGER | Chantal Hayman |
| APPRENTIC STAGE MANAGER | Jessica Campbell-Maracle |
BETWEEN BREATHS
By Robert Chafe
Presented by Artistic Fraud of Newfoundland
February 25 to March 7, 2020
CAST
| Brianna Gosse |
| Darryl Hopkins |
| Steve Maloney |
| Steve O’Connell |
| Berni Stapleton |
| Kevin Woolridge |
CREATIVE TEAM
| PLAYWRIGHT | Robert Chafe |
| DIRECTOR | Jillian Keiley |
| MUSICAL DIRECTOR | Kellie Walsh |
| SET & COSTUME DESIGNER | Shawn Kerwin |
| LIGHTING DESIGNER | Leigh Ann Vardy |
| ASSISTANT LIGHTING DESIGNER | Emily Sousanna |
| ORIGINAL MUSIC BY | The Once |
| SOUND DESIGNER & TECHNICAL DIRECTOR |
Brian Kenny |
| ASSISTANT SOUND DESIGN | Pat Dempsey |
| PRODUCER & TOUR MANAGER | Patrick Foran |
| STAGE MANAGER | Mara Bredovskis |
ROOM
By Emma Donoghue
Music & Lyrics by Cora Bissett
and Kathryn Joseph
Presented by Grand Theatre, Covent Garden Productions, and David Mirvish
Original Partners: Theatre Royal Stratford East, National Theatre of Scotland, and Abbey Theatre in Dublin
March 10 to March 28, 2020
CAST
| GRANDAD | Stewart Arnott |
| BIG JACK | Brandon Michael Arrington |
| GRAN | Tracey Ferencz |
| MA | Alexis Gordon |
| INTERVIEWER/POLICE OFFICER | Shannon Taylor |
| OLD NICK | Ashley Wright |
CREATIVE TEAM
| PLAYWRIGHT | Emma Donoghue |
| DIRECTOR | Cora Bissett |
| SET & COSTUME DESIGNER | Lily Arnold |
| LIGHTING DESIGNER | Bonnie Beecher |
| PROJECTION DESIGNER | Andrezj Goulding |
| SOUND DESIGNER | John Gzowski |
| STAGE MANAGER | Bea Campbell |
| ASSISTANT STAGE MANAGER | Suzanne McArthur |
| APPRENTICE STAGE MANAGER | Cody Burns |
| CHILD SUPERVISOR | Linda Martin |
| CHILD SUPERVISOR | Chrystine Robinson |
GROW
Book by Matt Murray
Music by Colleen Dauncey
Lyrics by Akiva Romer-Segal
April 14 to May 2, 2020
CAST
| ENSEMBLE | Clea McCaffery |
| SAMUEL | Izad Etemadi |
| GLORIA | Christina Gordon |
| HANNAH | Arinea Hermans |
| SKOR | Adam Sanders |
| RUTH | Jenny Weisz |
CREATIVE TEAM
| DIRECTOR | Dennis Garnhum |
| MUSIC SUPERVISOR/ORCHESTRATIONS | Wayne Gwillim |
| CHOREOGRAPHER | Linda Garneau |
| SET & COSTUME DESIGN | Bretta Gerecke |
| STAGE MANAGER | Kelly Luft |
| ASSISTANT STAGE MANAGER | Andrea Baggs |
| APPRENTICE STAGE MANAGER | Darius Hahn |
JUNO’S REWARD
By Megan Watson
London and Area Tour
February 20 to May 15, 2020
March Break on the McManus
March 16 to March 21, 2020
CAST
| Natalia Gracious |
| Stephen Ingram |
| Faly Mevamanana |
CREATIVE TEAM
| PLAYWRIGHT | Megan Watson |
| DIRECTOR | Megan Watson |
| SET & COSTUME DESIGNER | Christine Urquhart |
| STAGE MANAGER | Anna Spencer |
