Grand Theatre Launches the Canada Life Pay-What-You-Can Program for 2023/24

Pay What You Can, sponsored by Canada Life

Multi-year investment from Canada Life will fund the program over the 23/24 and 24/25 Seasons

October 5, 2023 – London ON – In an ongoing, concerted effort to enhance arts accessibility within the city of London, the Grand Theatre is pleased to launch the Canada Life Pay-What-You-Can (PWYC) program for their 2023/24 Season. Made possible by a generous 2-year $100,000 donation by Canada Life, the program enables a minimum of 150 patrons to purchase same-day tickets for the first Sunday matinee of each Spriet Series production – at a price they are comfortable paying.

“As London’s cultural hub, the Grand Theatre believes that everyone deserves the opportunity to experience exciting, inspiring, and visceral live entertainment,” remarks Grand Theatre Executive Director, Evan Klassen. “Thanks to this substantial donation by our friends at Canada Life, the Grand is now in the exciting position to remove certain financial barriers and welcome a multitude of new patrons into our space to enjoy world class theatre through the Pay-What-You-Can program.”

The Canada Life Pay-What-You-Can program will fall on the first Sunday matinee of each of the six Spriet Series productions. On these corresponding Sundays, the Grand will have a minimum of 150 tickets reserved for patrons to purchase. Out of those 150 tickets, 100 will be available for sale at 12:01 a.m. the day of the performance for online sales. Instead of paying the normal ticket price for these performances, patrons will choose how much they would like to pay, with options ranging from $5 - $60. The remaining 50 seats will be available for sale at 1:00 p.m. in person at the Grand Theatre Box Office. Operating on a first-come, first-served basis, patrons will receive the best seat(s) available at the time of booking. Cash, credit, and debit will be accepted for these limited tickets, which are final sale due to their deeply-discounted nature.

The first production where patrons will be able to take advantage of Pay-What-You-Can pricing is the Grand’s Spriet Series opener:
Ins Choi’s Kim’s Convenience on Sunday, October 22 at 2:00 p.m.

The remaining performances for the 2023/24 season are:

Charlie and the Chocolate Factory - Sunday, November 26 at 1:00 p.m.
The Invisible - Sunday, January 21 at 2:00 p.m.
In Seven Days - Sunday, February 18 at 2:00 p.m.
CLUE - Sunday, March 17 at 2:00 p.m.
Million Dollar Quartet - Sunday, April 21 at 2:00 p.m.

“At Canada Life, we believe the exploration of arts and culture can be a catalyst for positive change,” says Christy Bacik, Regional Vice-President, Advisor Solutions, Canada Life. “Theatre has the potential to open our minds and motivate us to see new ideas and perspectives. By removing a barrier to access, we can ensure that individuals have the opportunity to benefit from the experiences the theatre provides. That’s why we’re proud to support the Grand Theatre’s new Pay-What-You-Can program. We know it’s important to find ways to make theatre more inclusive and welcoming so we can foster the overall well-being of communities where we live and work.”

Pay-What-You-Can pricing joins the many ways in which the Grand Theatre ensures affordable access to the arts and live entertainment. In addition to this new program, the Grand also offers: the annual Holiday Wish for Kids event – providing free admission to over 400 under-served children from our community, student subscription and rush pricing, special pricing for community groups, and subsidized student matinees.

To learn more about Canada Life Pay-What-You-Can pricing, please visit: grandtheatre.com/canada-life-pay-what-you-can. Additional facts, photos, and updates can also be found by following @thegrandlondon and #PWYCANLife on Facebook, X, Instagram, and TikTok.

The Grand Theatre wishes to acknowledge and honour the original stewards of the land on which our Theatre stands. Gratitude and recognition are extended to the Attawandaron (also known as Neutral), Anishinaabeg, Haudenosaunee, and Lunaapewak peoples for preserving this land where we gather and create art.

About the Grand Theatre – World Curious. London Proud.

In the heart of downtown London, Ontario lies one of Canada’s oldest regional theatres and a leading cultural hub of today: the Grand Theatre. Under the leadership of Artistic Director Rachel Peake, and Executive Director Evan Klassen, the Grand proudly presents diverse, relevant, and original stories from around the globe – and around the corner – on its two stages. The not-for-profit theatre is committed to developing, producing, and premiering original stories through its COMPASS New Play Development program. Further, it is an ardent supporter of educational programming, as demonstrated through initiatives like the High School Project and Subsidized Student Matinees. For more information, visit: grandtheatre.com.

For more information please contact:
Caitlin Core, Communications Manager
ccore [at] grandtheatre.com (ccore[at]grandtheatre[dot]com)
519-672-9030 ext. 266