A Guide to Stratford Festival Season 2025
Stratford, Ontario, is not only renowned for its picturesque landscapes but also for its vibrant cultural scene, and 2024 promises to be an extraordinary year for festivals and events. From world-class theater productions to lively celebrations of arts and music, Stratford Festival Season 2024 is set to captivate visitors and locals alike.
1. Stratford Festival: The Epitome of Theatrical Excellence
The crown jewel of Stratford's cultural calendar, the Stratford Festival is a celebration of world-class theater. Running from April to October, the festival showcases a diverse repertoire of plays and musicals performed by some of the finest talents in the industry. From Shakespearean classics to contemporary masterpieces, the festival promises an immersive and unforgettable theatrical experience.
Website: Stratford Festival
Season: April-October
Walking Time from Henry House:
Tom Patterson Theatre: 1 min
Studio Theatre: 4 min
Avon Theatre: 5 min
Festival Theatre: 11 min
2. Tom Patterson Theatre
The Tom Patterson Theatre is an architecturally stunning and intimate venue located along the Avon River. With state-of-the-art technical capabilities, the theatre showcases exceptional performances and fosters a profound connection between the audience and the artists.
Walking Time from Henry House: 1 min
The Winter’s Tale
By William Shakespeare
Director: Antoni Cimolino
Artistic director Antoni Cimolino directs one of his most beloved Shakespeare plays, “The Winter’s Tale,” one of Shakespeare’s final romances, a bittersweet drama of wrath and regret – culminating in one of the most poignant reunions ever written.
Forgiveness
By Hiro Kanagawa
Adapted from the book “Forgiveness: A Gift From My Grandparents” by Mark Sakamoto
Director: Stafford Arima
Stafford Arima, the Artistic Director of Theatre Calgary, has a string of Broadway and West End credits to his name, including as director of the original Broadway production of the musical “Allegiance.” His memorable production of “Jacques Brel Is Alive and Well and Living in Paris,” featuring Brent Carver, was a highlight of the 2010 Stratford seaason.
Ransacking Troy
By Erin Shields
Director: Jackie Maxwell
Choreographer: Esie Mensah
Written by Erin Shields, the dynamo behind 2018’s “Paradise Lost,” “Ransacking Troy” is a compelling adaptation of the Trojan War narrative through the lens of its female players. Funny, intriguing and always thought-provoking, this retelling of “The Iliad and The Odessey” whisks audiences away on a bold adventure.
3. Studio Theatre
With its cozy ambiance and flexible seating arrangement, the Studio Theatre creates an intimate connection between performers and spectators
Walking Time from Henry House: 4 min
The Art of War
By Yvette Nolan
Director: Keith Barker
Yvette Nolan, who directed the 2023 hit “Women of the Fur Trade” has written a dramatic exploration of artists’ roles in war and peace.
During the Second World War, Nick is sent to the front lines as an embedded painter. What he witnesses, what he paints, will transform not only him but Canada’s idea of itself.
Keith Barker has extensive credits as a director, dramaturge and actor, including his role as Louis Riel in “Women of the Fur Trade. ”
4. Avon Theatre
The theater boasts a unique character, with its intimate atmosphere and expertly designed stage, captivating audiences with every performance.
Walking Time from Henry House: 5 min
Macbeth
By William Shakespeare
Created in collaboration with Ex Machina
Director: Robert Lepage
Robert Lepage’ landmark production of Shakespeare’s little-known play “Coriolanus” took Stratford audiences by storm in 2018.
Set in the milieu of Quebec’s biker gangs, Lepage’s “Macbeth” will reflect on violence and the allegiances that drive it, revealing the horrors that grow unhindered once the seeds of evil are planted in the soul.
Dirty Rotten Scoundrels
Book by Jeffrey Lane
Music and Lyrics by David Yazbek
Based on the film “Dirty Rotten Scoundrels” written by Dale Launer and Stanley Shapiro & Paul Henning
Original Broadway production directed by Jack O’Brien
Director: Bobby Garcia
Choreographer: Stephanie Graham
Music Director: Franklin Brasz
Bobby Garcia has directed a string of major musicals, primarily in Hong Kong, Manila and Singapore, with credits including “Beautiful: The Carole King Musical,” “Fun Home,” “Waitress,” “Urinetown, “Dreamgirls” and more.
Stephanie Graham did the choreography for this season’s “Twelfth Night.” She has worked as a director and choreographer across Canada and won the 2015 Dora Award for outstanding choreography Opera/Musical for “The “Wild Party.”
Anne of Green Gables
A new adaptation by Kat Sandler
Based on the novel by Lucy Maud Montgomery
Director: Kat Sandler
Kat Sandler is known for her deeply funny yet poignant plays, including “Mustard,” for which she was awarded the Dora Mavor Moore Award for Outstanding New Play in 2016. She has written and directed extensively across Canada.
5. Festival Theatre
As the flagship venue of the esteemed Stratford Festival, the Festival Theatre showcases a diverse range of performances, including Shakespearean classics and contemporary works.
Walking Time from Henry House: 11 min
As You Like It
By William Shakespeare
Director: Chris Abraham
Rediscover Shakespeare’s tale of transformation and resilience, in a production directed by Chris Abraham, whose Much “Ado About Nothing” was a critical and box office hit last season.
Annie
Book By Thomas Meehan
Music by Charles Strouse
Lyrics by Martin Charnin
Original Broadway Production Directed by Martin Charnin
Based on “Little Orphan Annie”® by permission of Tribune Content Agency, LLC
Director and Choreographer: Donna Feore
Music Director: Laura Burton
Donna Feore is back with a musical for the whole family. “Annie,” winner of seven Tony Awards, is one of the most popular musicals ever written. It’s filled with memorable and oh-so-hummable songs, including “Tomorrow”, “It’s the Hard Knock Life” and “You’re Never Fully Dressed Without a Smile.”
Sense and Sensibility
By Kate Hamill
Based on the novel by Jane Austen
Director: Daryl Cloran
This production of Jane Austen’s beloved classic will use an adaptation by Kate Hamill, one of the most exciting and oft-produced playwrights working today.
Daryl Cloran is the artistic director of Edmonton’s Citadel Theatre and has credits at major theatres nationwide, including a wildly popular Beatles-inspired production of “As You Like It,” which he’s directing this October at The Grand Theatre in London, On.
Earlier in his career, Cloran chalked up several credits at the Stratford Festival, including as assistant director on “Caesar and Cleopatra” starring Christopher Plummer.
Dangerous Liaisons
By Christopher Hampton
From the novel Les Liaisons Dangereuses by Choderlos de Laclos
Director: Esther Jun
Esther Jun, who is director of the Festival’s Langham Directing Workshop, will direct, after such recent successes as “Cymbeline,” “Les Belles Soeurs” and “Little Women” at the Festival and “Kim’s Convenience,” which she staged most recently in London, UK, receiving tremendous critical and audience response.
Next Step? Book a Stay at Henry House or Duncan House.
We hope you found this information helpful in planning you next stay in our enchanting city of Stratford, Ontario.
If you want to be located within a 6 min stroll of most of the attractions, please consider staying with us at the Henry House.
