Let's Get This Shaw on the Road

What happens when a creative team strips down a complex, surrealist masterwork to its rawest essentials? Director Philip Akin and actor Sophia Walker join movement director Spike to discuss their upcoming production of Adrienne Kennedy’s Ohio State Murders . The semi-autobiographical play follows a celebrated writer who returns to her alma mater, only to unravel a history of deep personal trauma a...

What happens when a creative team strips away the clutter of a turn-of-the-century classic to find its modern, urgent heartbeat? Director Tim Carroll, set and costume designer Ximena Pinilla, and composer Claudio Vena sit down with movement director Alexis Milligan to pull back the curtain on their minimalist reimagining of George Bernard Shaw’s Heartbreak House . Tim Carroll marks his 11th season...

In this episode, we tour the brand-new Shaw Artists' Village to see how this cultural hub is transforming life on and off the stage.  We sit down with lead sponsor Jim Burton to discuss the new Burton Center for Lifelong Creativity, and chat with Pragna Desai about the village’s community programming. Head of Wardrobe Jason Bendig and Associate Head Janet Ellis take us behind the scenes of co...

What happens when you trap two powerhouse comedic actors in a high-stakes British farce filled with split-second timing, physical torture, and a mountain of Tiger Balm? Actors Peter Fernandes and Martin Happer drop by to talk about reuniting for One for the Pot and unleashing a masterclass in chaotic energy on the Shaw Festival stage. They pull back the curtain on the grueling athletic precision r...

What happens when you trap a creative trio under the porch with a classic storybook masterpiece, an arsenal of folksy percussion, and a script that culminates in a massive, chaotic food fight? Director and adapter Fiona Sauder, fight and movement director Jack Davidson, and composer Jeffrey Newberry join us to talk about bringing The Wind in the Willows to life with the breathless, playful energy...

What happens when you trap three actors backstage with 70 lightning-fast quick changes, a literary masterpiece, and a script that requires absolute comic precision? Actors Damien and Jeff Irving join us to talk about bringing P.G. Wodehouse’s iconic characters to life with the breathless energy of a high-wire circus act. They share how they navigate the meticulous, ego-free chemistry required for...

What happens when a high-stakes psychological game of cat-and-mouse blurs the line between harmless fantasy and devastating reality? Actors Patrick Galligan and Sepehr Reybod join us to dissect Anthony Shaffer’s fiendishly clever mystery-thriller, Sleuth , and what it takes to power a two-man masterclass in tension. They share how they navigate the play’s intense, shifting power dynamics, the uniq...

How do you approach an iconic mega-musical when its original star casts such a massive shadow? Director Eda Holmes and actor Sara Farb join us to talk about pulling Funny Girl out of the history books and staging it with the freshness and urgency of a brand-new piece of theatre. They share what it’s like to navigate the complex, bittersweet arc of Fanny Brice’s meteoric rise and turbulent personal...

We're back! With more interviews with cast and creatives, plus we get to meet some of the folks who keep the gears turning behind the scenes. New episodes begin next Thursday. Tickets to all of our shows are available now at shawfest.com .  Hosted by Alexis Milligan Produced by Kelly Wong Original Music by Travis Seetoo We want to hear from you! Drop us a line at podcast@shawfest.com

Every theatre has its story. Few have lived as many lives as the Royal George. In this special documentary episode, we celebrate the life of a building that became the beating heart of the Shaw Festival. From its beginnings as a vaudeville house in 1915 to its transformation into one of Canada’s most beloved theatres, the George has witnessed a lifetime of stories.  As it prepares for its next cha...

How do you keep a holiday classic feeling brand new? Director Kate Hennig and choreographer Allison Plamondon join us to talk about reimagining Irving Berlin's White Christmas for today’s audiences, while honouring the timeless music, movement, and nostalgia that define it. They share what collaboration looks like behind the scenes, how storytelling through dance brings emotional truth to fam...

How do you bring yourself to an iconic role? In this episode, actors Michael Therriault and Graeme Somerville reflect on A Christmas Carol , one of the Shaw Festival’s most beloved traditions. They talk about what it means to step into Scrooge’s shoes, the rhythms of a show that blends puppetry, song, and transformation, and the balance between ritual and reinvention. Along the way, they share bac...

What happens when the star of the show is someone who’s never rehearsed a line? In this episode, director-performer Rebecca Northan and actor Kristopher Bowman take us inside Murder-on-the-Lake , a one-of-a-kind theatrical experiment at the Shaw Festival. Each performance of this improvised murder mystery features a different audience member in a central role, supported by a cast of quick-thinking...

What does it mean to rehearse with care, rigour, and trust? Director Kimberley Rampersad and actor Virgilia Griffith join us for a deep and moving conversation about Blues for an Alabama Sky at the Shaw Festival, from its political weight to its lyrical beauty. They talk about how Pearl Cleage’s 1995 play resonates today, how costumes and choreography influence character, and how actors and direct...

How do you honour two of the greatest voices in jazz history? Ella & Louis creators and performers Alana Bridgewater and Jeremiah Sparks join us to talk about the personal stories, musical research, and collaborative energy behind their new show at the Shaw Festival. From scatting origins to Oscar Peterson’s early recordings, this episode covers the legacy of Ella Fitzgerald and Louis Armstron...

What does a career in the theatre look like across generations? In this episode, we bring together Shaw Festival veteran Sharry Flett and rising star Taran Kim to talk about their work on May I Have the Pleasure? , a new dance-theatre piece that plays with memory, music, and the social rituals that shape us. From first gigs and unexpected inspirations to the rehearsal dynamics that build real trus...

What does it mean to pursue the self, and what does it cost? In this episode, playwright Will Eno and director Tim Carroll talk about Gnit , Eno’s wild and thoughtful reimagining of Ibsen’s Peer Gynt , now on stage at the Shaw Festival. From existential longing to awkward small talk, they explore what makes this modern fable so strangely human, and why Gnit ’s detours and dead ends speak to someth...

What does real suspense feel like on stage? In this episode, actors Sochi Fried and Bruce Horak dive into their roles in Wait Until Dark at the Shaw Festival, a play full of menace, vulnerability, and razor-sharp tension. They talk about trust, sensory awareness, and the risks of staging a thriller in a real space, in real time. From soundscapes and silence to darkness and danger, they figure out...

What happens when you blend tabletop role-playing games with the works of George Bernard Shaw and C.S. Lewis? In this episode, Travis Seetoo and Cosette Derome join us to talk about The Roll of Shaw: Through the Wardrobe , a unique live show at the Shaw Festival where fantasy storytelling meets improvisation, audience participation, and the deep winter of Narnia. From drawing monsters to running s...

How do you take a cabaret of French songs and transform it into a fully staged, immersive experience inside a Spiegeltent? In this episode, Jay Turvey and Matt Alfano reflect on the creation of La Vie en Rose at the Shaw Festival, a collaboration rooted in movement, music, and memory. Drawing on everything from Edith Piaf to Gene Kelly, from historical Parisian dance to physical theatre, the show...

How do you bring a 1905 play into the present without losing its punch? In this episode, director Peter Hinton-Davis and designer Gillian Gallow share their creative process behind Major Barbara at the Shaw Festival, from deep research and instinctive design to the urgent questions that make Shaw’s satire feel startlingly relevant in 2025. Together, they explore what it means to approach a George...

Real-life partners Marla McLean and Graeme Somerville talk about co-creating and co-starring in Dear Liar , a play based on the 40-year correspondence between George Bernard Shaw and Mrs. Patrick Campbell. They reflect on building a show together, discovering the complexities of this real-life relationship, and how letters can come alive on stage. From their rehearsal room to their home life, this...

What happens when a beloved British farce collides with a pair of seasoned performers who love to push each other to the edge of laughter? In this episode, actors Mike Nadajewski and Julia Course talk about bringing Tons of Money to life, corpsing on stage, and the art of comedic timing. They share stories from their early days at Shaw, how trust builds between scene partners, and what it means to...

Step through the wardrobe with director Selma Dimitrijevic and designer Judith Bowden as they reflect on their collaboration for The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe . They discuss first meetings and fast trust to the everyday bravery it takes to build Narnia from scratch. They talk about what it means to arrive in a rehearsal room without a roadmap, how design can hold memory, and why vulnerabili...

What happens when you revisit a 1930s musical with a 21st-century sensibility? In our series premiere, associate artistic director Kimberley Rampersad and music director Paul Sportelli talk about the artistic choices, personal histories, and deep trust that shape Anything Goes at the Shaw Festival. From a game-changing audition to a day that actors say is better than Christmas, this conversation c...