A hit British play touring the world will make its only Canadian stop at London’s Grand Theatre.
Barber Shop Chronicles from the National Theatre in Great Britain’s will be on the Grand’s Spriet Stage next season running from Nov. 15-24.
It’s one of the highlights of the Grand’s 2018-2019 season announced Thursday that includes a couple of blockbuster musicals – Cabaret and Mamma Mia! – a return of Vigilante, the hit rock musical about the Donnelly family massacre in Lucan in 1880 which sold out in 2017, and The Wars, adapted by Grand artistic director Dennis Garnhum from the award winning Canadian book by the late Timothy Findley to commemorate the 100th anniversary of the end of the First World War.
We live at a time when our freedom is so cherished because of the men and women who served in those wars and protected it for us.
It’s an ambitious season, featuring 12 plays – eight on the main Spriet Stage and four on the smaller McManus Stage in the basement – and involving 130 artists including actors and musicians.
“Diversity,” said Garnhum when asked for words to describe the season.
Garnhum said bringing Barber Shop Chronicles to London is one of the biggest coups of his career.
Another highlight of the season is the staging of Margaret Atwood’s The Penelopiad to be directed by Canadian acting star, Megan Follows, of Anne Of Green Gables fame.
“It’s a very contemporary, Greek spectacle,” said Garnhum, who approached Follows, who has acted in the play, to direct.
Mamma Mia! the musical based on the music of the Swedish pop group, ABBA, will be a co-production with the Charlottetown Festival that will run at the Grand April 23-May 11 before returning to Prince Edward Island for the summer.
Garnhum also is excited about staging The Wars, which he adapted from Findley’s book.
“It’s going to be a very Canadian moment,” Garnhum said.