If seeing live theatre is one of your favourite ways to spend an afternoon or evening, check out this regularly updated list of upcoming plays in Ottawa, Eastern Ontario and beyond. From comedies of manners to thought-provoking dramas, there should be something on this list to appeal to just about every theatre fan. To quote Bugs Bunny, “Overture, curtains, lights. This is it, you’ll hit the heights. And oh what heights we’ll hit. On with the show, this is it.”
Note: Did I miss a play from your favourite local company? Or do you have photos of an upcoming production that I could add to this post? Please email me! I’ll be updating this post regularly to add plays as they are announced.
Alice and the World We Live In, Grand Theatre, Kingston (October 24 to November 16, 2024)
Theatre Kingston presents Alice and the World We Live In, a play for two people that asks the big questions: How do you deal with the unexpected loss of the person you love most? When you are mired in grief, what gives you the strength to go on? Is it better to have loved and lost than never to have loved at all? Following the death of her husband in a terrorist attack, Alice must grapple with them all.
Snow in Midsummer, National Arts Centre, Ottawa (October 30 to November 9, 2024)
Snow in Midsummer is an NAC English Theatre presentation of a Shaw Festival production. Dou Yi, a young widow wrongfully executed for murder, has cast a curse on her town: if she is innocent, a summer snowfall and a drought will befall the townspeople. Three years later, a wealthy businesswoman arrives in the parched and locust-plagued town to revive its failing factory. When her daughter encounters a haunting apparition, the townspeople are compelled to confront their past in this adaptation of a 13th-century Yuan Dynasty drama.
Sex Please, We’re Sixty, Northwind Centre, Constance Bay (November 5 to 10, 2024)
The Rural Root Theatre Company is presenting the farce Sex Please, We’re Sixty. Three spirited female B&B guests discover they are the targets of “Bud the Stud’s” unsolicited romantic intentions, and they devise a plan to turn the tables on him. Has Bud finally met his match?
Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland, Gladstone Theatre, Ottawa (November 6 to 9, 2024)
The University of Ottawa Theatre Club is staging a theatrical version of the classic children’s tale Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland at the Gladstone Theatre in Little Italy. It sounds like a great way to introduce your kids to the Mad Hatter, the Cheshire Cat and the other colourful characters Alice meets after she tumbles down the rabbit hole.
Dangerous Liaisons, Ron Maslin Playhouse, Kanata (November 6 to 16, 2024)
Kanata Theatre is presenting Dangerous Liaisons, a tale of seduction among French aristocrats before the French Revolution. The plot focuses on the Marquise de Merteuil and the Vicomte de Valmont—once lovers, now rivals—who amuse themselves by ruining others, and who ultimately destroy each other.
Calendar Girls, Osgoode Community Centre (November 8 to 17, 2024)
ITR Theatre is staging Calendar Girls, the tale (based on a true story) of a group of middle-aged women in a small English town who decide to raise money for charity by posing nude for a calendar.
The Wizard Is … Odd!?, Almonte Old Town Hall (November 8 to 17, 2024)
Written by Rob Riendeau and with music by Mike McCormick and friends, The Wizard Is … Odd!? is an original musical about a father and daughter who move from a big city to a very small town. There, they get caught up in the local community theatre production of The Wizard of Oz, complete with a host of interesting characters. In the process, they learn a lot about growing up, getting along and living in community.
100 Years From Now: An Original Musical, Orleans and Brockville (November 9 to 11, 2024)
In 100 Years From Now: An Original Musical, two brothers and the women they love tell the tales of their triumphs and tragedies in the years surrounding the First World War. The production is based on the life of Mae Belle Sampson, one of the first women to enlist in the Canadian Army Medical Corps. It will be at the Shenkman Arts Centre in Orleans on November 9, at the Brockville Arts Centre on November 10 and at the Grand Theatre in Kingston on November 11.
Beowulf in Afghanistan, GCTC, Ottawa (November 12 to 24, 2024)
Beowulf in Afghanistan tells the story of a Canadian soldier fighting in Afghanistan who is injured in an attack and knocked unconscious. In his mind, he enters the mythological world of the medieval poem Beowulf. By navigating the hero’s journey as described in the poem, he escapes war alive, with a unique perspective on the stories we tell about war, heroes and monsters.
Surveillée et punie, National Arts Centre, Ottawa (November 14 to 16, 2024)
Surveillée et punie is a production of NAC French Theatre. Folk singer Safia Nolin has repeatedly been the target of insults about her body, her sexual orientation and her background. Rather than keeping quiet about this venomous speech, she worked with colleagues to turn it into a libretto, performed with a choir. By turning the vitriol into song, the performers hope to banish it, as well as shatter the belief that society is growing more tolerant. In French.
A Christmas Carol: The Musical, Perth and District Collegiate Institute (November 14 to 17, 2024)
The Perth Community Choir is presenting A Christmas Carol: The Musical, a musical theatre adaptation of the classic Dickens story. The script, score and choreography of this version have proven so durable that one production of the show ran for 10 straight Decembers at Madison Square Garden in New York City!
A Good Man Found, Arts Hub Brockville (November 14 to 17, 2024)
The Brockville Theatre Guild is presenting A Good Man Found. Isaac Alexander and his son, Tom embark on their annual getaway into the wilderness where an unexpected encounter unwittingly opens unspoken old wounds and painful loss. Ultimately, they must choose between surrendering to darkness or embracing the power of honesty and forgiveness.
The Lion in Winter, Gladstone Theatre, Ottawa (November 15 to 23, 2024)
At Christmas in 1183, the Plantagenets are gathering to celebrate the season and learn about Henry II’s succession plan. But with Eleanor of Aquitaine, Richard Lion Heart and Philip King of France hurling insults and intrigues at each other, The Lion in Winter isn’t all eggnog and mistletoe. And you thought your Christmas family gathering was stressful.
Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, Meridian Theatres @ Centrepointe, Nepean (November 15 to 24, 2024)
Orpheus Musical Theatre is presenting the family favourite Charlie and the Chocolate Factory. When young Charlie wins a ticket to the Wonka Chocolate Factory, it’s the chance of a lifetime to feast on sweets and chocolates. Inside, he and the other winners encounter a magical world full of amazement and treats … but Charlie is the only one who doesn’t succumb to greed and selfishness.
I Live Here!, St. Barnabas Anglican Church, Deep River (November 21 to 23, 2024)
I Live Here! is a stage adaptation of a short story by Shirley Jackson. The comedy about the trials and tribulations of finding and keeping an apartment in New York City in the 1950s is presented by the Deep River Players. Tickets also include live music and a Greek buffet dinner.
Hôtel des deux mondes, Shenkman Arts Centre, Orleans (November 21 to 24, 2024)
In the metaphysical thriller Hôtel des deux mondes, presented by Théâtre du Village d’Orléans, no one knows how the main character came to a strange hotel-like place, or when he will be able to leave, or where he is headed. Only Dr. S. knows everything, but he refuses to share the story. In French.
Our Town, North Grenville Municipal Centre, Kemptville (November 21 to 24, 2024)
Set in the early 1900s, Our Town chronicles the everyday lives of the residents of Grover’s Corners, touching on themes of love, family and the passage of time. Through its minimalist staging and universal themes, the play invites the audience to reflect on the simple yet profound beauty of daily life. Presented by North Grenville Community Theatre.
The King’s New Clothes, Merrickville Community Centre (November 21 to 24, 2024)
The King’s New Clothes is a family-friendly pantomime adaptation of the classic folktale that looks at the pitfalls of conformity and the importance of speaking your truth.
A Christmas Carol: The Musical, Station Theatre, Smiths Falls (November 22 to 24, 2024)
Students from Rideau District High School will presenting A Christmas Carol: The Musical at the Station Theatre in Smiths Falls. It’s the familiar beloved tale of Scrooge, Marley, Tiny Tim and various ghosts, but with music and dancing!
Steel Magnolias, Elmwood School, Ottawa (November 22 to December 1, 2024)
The Linden House Theatre Company is presenting Steel Magnolias, a play The Guardian called “a brilliant depiction of friendship that manages to be witty, warm, uplifting, and, just when you thought you were safe, utterly heartbreaking. It’s also frequently laugh-out-loud funny.”
The SpongeBob Musical, Gladstone Theatre, Ottawa (November 28 to December 7, 2024)
Tototoo Theatre is presenting The SpongeBob Musical, an all-singing, all-dancing version of the popular animated children’s show. When SpongeBob and his friends find out that a volcano is about to destroy Bikini Bottom, they must come together to save their undersea home. And when an unexpected hero rises up, they learn that the power of optimism can save the world.
The Winter Wonderettes, Studio Theatre Perth (November 28 to December 8, 2024)
The Winter Wonderettes is the last of four musicals focusing on four high school friends at different events in their lives: a prom night, a retirement party and two reunions. The shows feature lots of golden oldies—basically, a lot of singing and dancing hung on a light storyline. The Winter Wonderettes is set during a 1968 Christmas party in a small-town hardware store.
The Homecoming: A Christmas Story, Domino Theatre, Kingston (November 28 to December 14, 2024)
The Homecoming: A Christmas Story is adapted from the book by Earl Hamner, Jr. (which was later adapted into the TV show The Waltons). The story follows the Spencer family, living in Virginia during the Great Depression. With his father having to work a long way from home, Clay-Boy has unusual responsibility for his brothers and sisters and is worried because his father is long overdue in getting home.
Miracle on 34th Street, Upper Canada Playhouse, Morrisburg (November 28 to December 15, 2024)
In Miracle on 34th Street, an elderly man named Kris Kringle gets hired to play Santa at Macy’s department store. However, he falls afoul of management when he starts directing parents to other stores to buy the toys they’re seeking. Macy’s tries send him to a psychiatric hospital, but a court confirms him as the real deal—much to the delight of a small girl named Susan.
Seasons of Love, Carleton Place Town Hall (November 29 and 30, 2024)
The Mississippi Mudds theatre company is presenting Seasons of Love, billed as “an evening of music, song and theatre, accompanied by cocktails and hors d’oeuvres.”
Roald Dahl’s Matilda the Musical, Meridian Theatres @ Centrepointe, Nepean (December 4 to 8, 2024)
Roald Dahl’s Matilda the Musical focuses on a little girl with astonishing wit, intelligence and psychokinetic powers. She impresses her teacher, Miss Honey, but the school’s mean headmistress isn’t a fan. The fun lies in watching Matilda outwit the headmistress and live life on her terms. This show is presented by Suzart Productions.
Cispersonnages en quête d’auteurice, National Arts Centre, Ottawa (December 5 to 7, 2024)
In Cispersonnages en quête d’auteurice, a group of professional actors with disabilities struggle to find an idea for a future play. Everything that comes to mind has its own taboos and flavour-of-the-month trigger warnings. Can you play a man if you’re a woman, an Italian if you aren’t Italian? Ultimately, can you ever play anything other than yourself? Is art subject to our many virtuous impulses more open than ever or more suffocated? It’s a 21st-century update of Luigi Pirandello’s absurdist 1921 play. In French, but with English surtitles on December 6.
It’s a Wonderful Life—A Live Radio Play, Smiths Falls Community Theatre (December 6 to 15, 2024)
If reliving the classic movie travails of George Bailey is one of your holiday traditions, you’ll likely be intrigued by the concept of It’s a Wonderful Life—A Live Radio Play. Staged as though actors were performing an audio-only version of the play in an old-time radio studio, it still tells the story of reluctant businessman Bailey, his Christmas Eve despair and the angel Clarence who comes to his rescue.
Goodnight Moon and the Runaway Bunny, Grand Theatre, Kingston (December 8, 2024)
Goodnight Moon and the Runaway Bunny is Mermaid Theatre of Nova Scotia’s theatrical version of two beloved children’s books. Goodnight Moon is a celebration of familiar nighttime rituals, while The Runaway Bunny‘s pretend tale of leaving home evokes reassuring responses from his loving mum.
Bear Grease—Holiday Special, National Arts Centre, Ottawa (December 10 to 14, 2024)
Bear Grease—an Indigenous take on the beloved musical Grease—had a sold-out run at the NAC last year. This year, it’s back with a festive twist to the well-known story of a shy bobby soxer and the greaser she falls for. This new version blends the classic tunes and dance numbers with some Christmas surprises.
FLOP! An Improvised Musical Fiasco, GCTC, Ottawa (December 10 to 22, 2024)
In FLOP! An Improvised Musical Fiasco, performers scramble to get a new musical onstage even though the playwright has quit, there’s no sheet music, the choreographer has been cancelled and the director has gone into rehab.
Les musiciens de l’orage, National Arts Centre, Ottawa (December 14 and 15, 2024)
Les musiciens de l’orage is a theatre version of the beloved children’s book of the same name, aimed at children aged 5 to 10. The audience follows Harold into the heart of a thunderstorm to get a good look at what’s really going on inside. Do child musicians in the sky cause thunder and lightning? That’s the premise of this play, which combines Baroque elements (painted decor, forced perspective, optical illusions) with the latest in set design trickery. In French.
O Christmas Tea (December 17, 18, 20, 21 and 22, 2024)
O Christmas Tea is a pantomime-tinged play that blends British propriety with wordplay, physical comedy, interactive elements and a love for the unexpected. When catastrophe strikes James and Jamesy’s Christmas tea party, flooding the world with tea, the duo conjure wildly funny solutions to stay afloat. You can see it at the Brockville Arts Centre on Tuesday, December 17; at the Grand Theatre in Kingston on Wednesday, December 18; at the Shenkman Arts Centre in Orleans on Friday, December 20; and at the Meridian Theatres @ Centrepointe on December 21 and 22.
A Christmas Carol, Meridian Theatres @ Centrepointe, Nepean (December 17 to 21, 2024)
This solo performance of A Christmas Carol has all the Dickens characters you have grown to love—Marley, the Cratchit Family, the Ghosts of Christmas, and of course, Ebenezer Scrooge himself—each of them rendered by Ottawa actor/writer/standup comedian Pierre Brault.
Pierre Brault will be remembered fondly by audiences who attended last season’s Will Somers. Pierre is a renowned Ottawa-based multi-award-winning actor, writer, and stand-up comedian whose previous solo shows include 5 O’ Clock Bells, Portrait of an Unidentified Man and Blood on the Moon, which have toured right across the county and as far away as Ireland and New Zealand. Blood on the Moon ran at the National Arts Centre for an astounding 16 weeks!
The Awakening, Gladstone Theatre, Ottawa (December 18 to 21, 2024)
The Awakening, presented by Paper Pictures Productions, is a one-woman cabaret. It blends dialogue and song to explore the profound themes of memory, self-discovery, resilience and the eternal quest for identity. The performance centres on a woman in the midst of a life-altering transformation as she peels back the layers of her life, confronting past traumas, societal expectations and her own internalized fears.
The Jersey Nights Before Christmas Show, Shenkman Arts Centre, Orleans (December 13, 18 and 19, 2024)
The Jersey Nights Before Christmas Show features four vocalists, a live band, the music of Frankie Valli and The Four Seasons, nostalgic hits by other artists of the era and a special presentation of Christmas classics. You can see it at the Grand Theatre in Kingston on Friday, December 13; Meridian Theatres @ Centrepointe on Wednesday, December 18; and at the Shenkman Arts Centre in Orleans on Thursday, December 19.
Cinderella (A Panto), Ron Maslin Playhouse, Kanata (December 27 to 30, 2024)
In this traditional British pantomime version of Cinderella by tlc Creative, the title character lives a life of drudgery, bullied by her stepsisters, Salmonella and Listeria. Prince Charming holds a ball to find his bride to be, and Cinderella’s magical fairy godmother helps get her to the dance. Bring the kids to a fun holiday production where the audience will be encouraged to boo the villain and cheer for the hero.
Qaumma, National Arts Centre, Ottawa (January 15 to 17, 2025)
Qaumma, the Inuktitut word for light, is a sculptural theatre production about Inuit women who carve out their own legacies despite the disruption of colonization. The producers of this NAC Indigenous Theatre production invite the audience to “dance in the enduring bright colours of family amidst social fragmentation as they keep the fire burning for generations.”
Salesman in China, National Arts Centre, Ottawa (January 16 to 25, 2025)
NAC English Theatre is presenting the Stratford Festival production of Salesman in China. In 1983, playwright Arthur Miller went to China, joining forces with actor Ying Ruocheng and the Beijing People’s Art Theatre. Their ambitious project? Staging a Mandarin-language production of Death of a Salesman, with Ying portraying Willy Loman and Miller—despite not speaking a word of Mandarin—directing. Together, they face the challenge of presenting a play deeply rooted in the American Dream to a Communist Chinese audience, and learn about the power of art to bring these two worlds together.
The Road to Mecca, Domino Theatre, Kingston (January 16 to February 1, 2025)
The Road to Mecca focuses on Miss Helen, an old Boer woman in South Africa who creates odd concrete sculptures, which she calls her Mecca. A narrow-minded minister, who considers her sculptures a public nuisance, wants to send her to an old folks’ home.
Why It’s imPossible, GCTC, Ottawa (January 21 to February 2, 2025)
Why It’s imPossible is billed as “a play about parenting in precarious times.” Single mom Beth is struggling to stay afloat as her child explores their gender. In the process, Beth learns to balance her urge to protect her child with her desire to support them.
Deux femmes en or, Shenkman Arts Centre, Orleans (January 23, 2025)
In Deux femmes en or, Violette is on maternity leave, and she decides to ask her neighbour Florence about a strange noise she’s heard. Florence, who is off work, has decided to stop taking her antidepressants. New friends whose spouses are absent, unfaithful or simply “out of the picture,” they decide to break the monotony of everyday life. How far will they go? You can find out in this updated sex comedy presented by MIFO. In French.
Misery: The Play, Gladstone Theatre, Ottawa (January 23 to February 1, 2025)
In Misery: The Play, William Goldman’s adaptation of the popular Stephen King novel, Annie Wilkes rescues romance novelist Paul Sheldon from a car crash. As his “number one fan,” she then holds him captive in her secluded home. While Paul is convalescing, Annie reads his latest book and becomes enraged when she discovers he has killed off her favourite character, Misery Chastain.
The Magic School Bus: Lost in the Solar System (January 25 and 26, 2025)
Aimed at kids aged 5 to 10, The Magic School Bus: Lost in the Solar System follows a class that gets lost on the way to the planetariu. Ms. Frizzle saves the day by blasting into outer space for an interplanetary field trip—but rivalries old and new threaten to tear the students apart in this one-hour musical. It’s at the Meridan Theatres @ Centrepointe on January 25 and the Grand Theatre in Kingston on January 26.
Epidermis Circus: The Weirdest Puppet Show You’ve Ever Seen, Meridian Theatres @ Centrepointe, Nepean (January 30 to February 1, 2025)
Epidermis Circus: The Weirdest Puppet Show You’ve Ever Seen is a spicy puppet cabaret, hosted by a sassy grandma who keeps trying to steal the show. It’s performed by Ingrid Hansen, who is also a puppeteer for Jim Henson Company’s Fraggle Rock. For ages 14 and up.
The Girl on the Train, Ron Maslin Playhouse, Kanata (February 5 to 15, 2025)
In The Girl on the Train, based on the best-selling novel of the same name, Rachel Watson longs for a different life. Her only escape is the perfect couple she watches through the train window every day, happy and in love—or so it appears. When Rachel learns that the woman she’s been secretly watching has suddenly disappeared, she finds herself as both a witness and a suspect in a thrilling mystery presented by Kanata Theatre.
Late Company, Gladstone Theatre, Ottawa (February 5 to 15, 2025)
Elevator Theatre Company is staging this production of Late Company, written by Ottawa-born playwright Jordan Tannahill and set in an Ottawa suburb. One year after the suicide of their teenage son Joel, Debora and Michael Shaun-Hastings have dinner with their son’s bully and his parents. During the evening, blame shifts from one person to the next, raising questions no one is prepared to answer.
The Gruffalo’s Child, Meridian Theatres @ Centrepointe, Nepean (February 8 and 9, 2025)
One wild and windy night, the Gruffalo’s Child ignores her father’s warnings about the Big Bad Mouse and tiptoes out into the deep dark wood. She follows snowy tracks and encounters mysterious creatures—but the Big Bad Mouse doesn’t really exist… does he? This production of The Gruffalo’s Child is aimed at kids aged 3 to 10. It’s at the Meridian Theatres @ Centrepointe in Nepean on February 8 and at the Grand Theatre in Kingston on February 9.
Controlled Damage, National Arts Centre, Ottawa (February 13 to 22, 2025)
In 1946, Viola Desmond enters the whites-only section of the Roseland Theatre in New Glasgow, Nova Scotia. Unaware that the theatre is segregated, she takes a seat on the main floor instead of the balcony, where Black patrons are expected to sit. Although she offers to pay the one-cent tax difference, Viola is dragged from the theatre, jailed and charged with tax evasion. Controlled Damage, an NAC English Theatre/Neptune Theatre Co-Production, examines how this act of bravery set off a powerful wave of change.
There Goes the Bride, Smiths Falls Community Theatre (February 14 to 23, 2025)
In the mood for a farce? In There Goes the Bride, a harried father of the bride and his patient wife are stick-handling their daughter Judy’s lavish wedding. Colourful guests arrive, Dad hallucinates a gorgeous admirer and complications galore ensue.
The Children, Gladstone Theatre, Ottawa (February 19 to March 8, 2025)
The Children is billed as “a black comedy about hope and marriage in the face of disaster.” Produced by Bear & Co., it hinges on an accident at a nuclear plant. In the recovery, three friends confront an impossible question: What is the cost of love?
Au cœur de la rose (Généalogie d’une tristesse), National Arts Centre, Ottawa (February 27 to March 1, 2025)
Billed as a “poetic insular drama,” Au cœur de la rose (Généalogie d’une tristesse) is a maritime tale by Pierre Perrault. It takes place on an island with a lighthouse, where a pair of taciturn parents live with their daughter. One day during a storm, the sea spits out a schooner, along with its captain and sailor. The young woman immediately strikes out for freedom. In French.
Beautiful: The Carole King Musical, Meridian Theatres @ Centrepointe, Nepean (February 28 to March 9, 2025)
Orpheus Musical Theatre presents Beautiful: The Carole King Musical, which tells the true story of Carole King’s rise to fame as a singer-songwriter. We are introduced to Carole when she is 16 and pitching her first song in New York. The musical sees her through marriage, childbirth, adultery, divorce and the pursuit of personal happiness, all against a backdrop of 1960s and 1970s musical hits.
Almost, Maine, Domino Theatre, Kingston (March 6 to 22, 2025)
Almost, Maine, is a comedy about a town so far north, it’s almost not in the United States. It’s almost in Canada. And it’s not quite a town, because its residents never got around to getting organized. So it almost doesn’t exist. One cold, clear night, as the Northern Lights hover in the star-filled sky above, the residents of Almost, Maine find themselves falling in and out of love in unexpected and hilarious ways.
Vierge, GCTC, Ottawa (March 18 to 30, 2025)
In Vierge, sixteen-year-old Divine’s family joins a new church, where she learns the world around her is not as it seems. With heart and humour, Vierge follows four Congolese-Canadian girls as they navigate Christianity, virginity and teenage hormones.
Silent Sky, Gladstone Theatre, Ottawa (March 19 to 29, 2025)
Silent Sky, based on the true story of 19th-century astronomer Henrietta Leavitt and her female colleagues, explores a woman’s place in society during a time of immense discoveries. Reclaiming their accomplishments, Henrietta and her female peers change the way we understand both the heavens and Earth. The show is a production of the Three Sisters Theatre Company.
Jim Henson’s Fraggle Rock: Back to the Rock LIVE, Meridian Theatres @ Centrepointe, Nepean (March 20, 2025)
Jim Henson’s musical, fun-loving Fraggles star in Fraggle Rock: Back to the Rock LIVE, the first-ever live touring show based on The Jim Henson Company’s franchise and the Emmy-winning Apple TV+ original series. Suitable for children aged 3 and up.
Maurice, National Arts Centre, Ottawa (March 20 to 22, 2025)
In Maurice, actor Anne-Marie Olivier steps into the true story of Maurice Dancause, who suffered a stroke at age 33 and spent nine days in a coma, waking up a total stranger to himself. He had to relearn everything, from speaking to eating and holding a spoon. Each night, the show will go in a new direction with a conversation partner chosen at random from the crowd. In French.
The Secret to Good Tea, National Arts Centre, Ottawa (March 20 to 29, 2025)
In The Secret to Good Tea, Maggie has spent a lifetime building a wall between herself and her memories—as well as between herself and Gwynn, her journalist daughter. Rosanna Deerchild’s play shows Maggie and Gwynn working to dismantle that wall, uncover Maggie’s story, and deepen the bond between mother and daughter.
This Is the Story of the Child Ruled by Fear, Grand Theatre, Kingston (March 25 to March 30, 2025)
This Is the Story of the Child Ruled by Fear is an unusual production about how to live with the unfolding emergencies of our world. It’s the story of the rise and fall of an imaginary civilization in an imaginary land. In this immersive experience, the audience helps tell a story about worry and wonder, loneliness and community, beauty and despair.
Home, I’m Darling, Ron Maslin Playhouse, Kanata (March 26 to April 5, 2025)
In Kanata Theatre’s production of the comedy Home, I’m Darling, a fed-up female manager decides to live an I Love Lucy lifestyle. She becomes a stay-at-home wife, complete with 1950s clothing, appliances and décor, while her husband works as a real estate agent. What could possibly go wrong?
Batailles, National Arts Centre, Ottawa (March 29 and 30, 2025)
Batailles is an acrobatic theatre piece aimed at children aged 8 to 14. Five people compete and form alliances to take possession of a couch, trying out every arrangement they can think up. At times, the five combine forces to achieve feats worthy of the greatest human pyramids; at other times, they kick up dust in a ferocious war. In French.
Trident Moon, National Arts Centre, Ottawa (April 2 to 12, 2025)
In August 1947, six women—three Muslim and three Hindu—hide in the back of a truck as it speeds through newly divided Hindustan. Alo, only recently their servant, now seeks revenge against her employers. The conflict inside mirrors the chaos in the streets, but when the truck halts and a stranger breaks open the door, the women must unite to survive in Trident Moon, a National Arts Centre English Theatre/Crow’s Theatre co-production.
Classique(s), National Arts Centre, Ottawa (April 24 to 26, 2025)
Classique(s) attempts to answer the question: “What is a classic? Why do some plays grace stages to this day, while others sleep beneath the thick blanket of time?” In French.
Unity (1918), Domino Theatre, Kingston (April 24 to May 10, 2025)
Unity (1918) delves into the lives of a small Saskatchewan town during the first World War and the Spanish Flu outbreak. Infused with biting dark humour and a deeply human touch, Kevin Kerr’s Governor General’s Award-winning play tells the story of ordinary townsfolk quarantined under the shadow of death.
1979, Gladstone Theatre, Ottawa (April 25 to May 3, 2025)
Phoenix Players’ production of Michael Healey’s comedy 1979 explores a pivotal night in the short prime ministerial tenure of Joe Clark. That evening, a veritable hall of fame of Canadian political names visits Joe, including his wife Maureen McTeer, finance minister John Crosbie, foreign minister Flora MacDonald, former prime minister Pierre Trudeau, aspiring Conservative candidate Brian Mulroney and Stephen Harper (then a lowly gofer). Each one of them has sound political advice for Joe, but he is determined to stick to his principles, even if it means triggering an election everyone knows is a bad idea.
Jonas and Barry in the Home, Station Theatre, Smiths Falls (April 25 to May 4, 2025)
Smiths Falls Theatre is presenting Jonas and Barry in the Home, a comedy by Canadian theatre mainstay Norm Foster. It revolves around two retirees searching for friendship, love, sex and elusive happiness in an assisted living home.
Rapunzel: The Musical, Grand Theatre, Kingston (April 27, 2025)
The Netherlands’ Theatre Terra presents Rapunzel: The Musical. In this classical fairytale, a witch takes a young girl from her mother. The witch calls the girl Rapunzel and locks her up in a high tower, in the middle of the woods. The girl’s only visitor is the witch, who crawls up the tower on Rapunzel’s long braids. Then, one day, a prince appears. For children aged 4 and up.
Joséphine et les grandes personnes, National Arts Centre, Ottawa (May 3 and 4, 2025)
Joséphine et les grandes personnes, aimed at children aged 7 to 12, pretends to be “a theatre conference for kids.” Joséphine delivers an enlightening exposé on grown-ups, in 10 lessons. Kids will learn how to interact with grownups and interpret their non-verbal cues, their whims and their complicated hair (prickly beards, moustaches, unibrows, bald patches!). In spite of herself, the young girl also lets you in on her own family’s life, which isn’t all sunshine and roses. In French.
I Hate Hamlet, Ron Maslin Playhouse, Kanata (May 7 to 17, 2025)
Produced by Kanata Theatre, the comedy I Hate Hamlet sees television actor Andrew Rally struggling with the challenges of taking on his theatre dream role of Hamlet. He’s also dealing with a girlfriend he can’t seduce andthe ghost of John Barrymore.
Mahabharata, National Arts Centre, Ottawa (May 13 to 24)
Mahabharata is a contemporary adaptation of the four-thousand-year-old Sanskrit epic, a foundational text of South Asian culture. It delves into the rivalry between the Pandava and Kaurava clans and the devastating war that ensues. This Why Not Theatre production is presented in two parts: Karma: The Life We Inherit (May 13 to 24) and Dharma: The Life We Choose (May 14 to 24).
Next to Normal, Gladstone Theatre, Ottawa (May 14 to 24, 2025)
Elevator Theatre Company is presenting Next to Normal, a musical that explores how one suburban household copes with crisis and mental illness. It takes audiences into the minds and hearts of each character, presenting their family’s story with love and sympathy. The original Broadway production of Next to Normal won three Tony Awards and the Pulitzer Prize for Drama.
Hair, Gladstone Theatre, Ottawa (May 29 to June 7, 2025)
It’s time to get groovy, friends: Tototoo Theatre is bringing its production of Hair to the Gladstone Theatre. The iconic musical celebrates 1960s counterculture in all its barefoot, long-haired, bell-bottomed, beaded and fringed glory (or excess, depending on your point of view). After a night of peace, love and protest, you’ll come out humming famous tunes such as “Aquarius,” “Good Morning, Starshine,” “Hair,” “I Got Life” and “Let The Sunshine In.”
The Music Man, Meridian Theatres @ Centrepointe, Nepean (May 30 to June 8, 2025)
“We’ve got trouble, right here in River City. That starts with T and that rhymes with P and that stands for POOL.” If that line got your toes tapping, then you might just be interested in Orpheus Musical Theatre’s production of The Music Man. When smooth-talking con man Harold Hill arrives in a small, tight-knit town in Iowa, he expects to dupe its residents with his elaborate moneymaking scheme. The problem? Stern librarian Marian Paroo doesn’t quite buy Harold’s story.
The Rise of the BlingBling—Le diptyque, National Arts Centre, Ottawa (May 31 and June 1, 2025)
The Rise of the BlingBling—Le diptyque is billed as a “mystical pop epic” This retelling of the life of Jesus is the tale of a young man who wants to save the world through dance, theatre, kung-fu, mime, musical comedy, lip synching and angels on roller skates. In French.
Decrepitude Blues, Domino Theatre, Kingston (June 5 to 21, 2025)
Decrepitude Blues is a comedy about getting older. Tomorrow is Warren Winter’s 70th birthday. But he’s not happy about it. He’s not happy about much of anything. And no one comes to his birthday party. The only thing he hasn’t lost is his dark sense of humour, as he wryly confronts one indignity after another.
Rhythm Around the World, Gladstone Theatre, Ottawa (June 11 to 14, 2025)
Rhythm Around the World is a production of The Iron Cabaret featuring Ottawa dancers, aerialists, pole dancers and burlesque artists that explores the global roots of its performers through music, costume and dance. Styles range from African drums to classical Indian dance, and from Spanish flamenco to French can-can.
Marguerite: le feu, National Arts Centre, Ottawa (June 12 and 13, 2025)
Set in Quebec in 1740, the French-language Marguerite: le feu is a multidisciplinary NAC Indigenous Theatre production. It illuminates the trial of Marguerite Duplessis, an Indigenous woman declaring her freedom from slavery.
The Savannah Sipping Society, Station Theatre, Smiths Falls (June 20 to 29, 2025)
Smiths Falls Theatre is staging the comedy The Savannah Sipping Society, in which four Southern women who need to escape from their ruts get together at an impromptu happy hour. There, they decide to reclaim the enthusiasm for life they’ve lost through the years.
The Giant’s Garden, Station Theatre, Smiths Falls (August 15 to 24, 2025)
In the Deep Dark Forest, beyond the Stream of Sorrows and Sinking Spirits, lies the Giant’s Garden—a place forbidden to outsiders.But when the Giant goes away, the children sneak in to play—until the Giant comes home. The Giant’s Garden is a family-friendly musical about bravery, the importance of friendship, and the power of love.
Murder on the Rerun, Station Theatre, Smiths Falls (October 17 to 26, 2025)
Smiths Falls Theatre is presenting Murder on the Rerun, the tale of a ghost who tries to find out who murdered her in a witty, sophisticated, yet suspenseful look at the upper crust of Hollywood. When an Oscar-winning screenwriter is found dead at the bottom of a staircase in a Vermont ski lodge, her four friends and her husband all say she fell. But did she? And if she didn’t, why are those closest to her trying to cover up the real story?
Miracle on 34th Street: The Play, Station Theatre, Smiths Falls (December 5 to 14, 2025)
In Miracle on 34th Street: The Play, an elderly man named Kris Kringle gets hired to play Santa at Macy’s department store. However, he falls afoul of management when he starts directing parents to other stores to buy the toys they’re seeking. Macy’s tries send him to a psychiatric hospital, but a court confirms him as the real deal—much to the delight of a small girl named Susan.
Looking for more tips on things to see and do in and around Ottawa? Subscribe to my free weekly newsletter or order a copy of my book, Ottawa Road Trips: Your 100-km Getaway Guide.
As the owner of Ottawa Road Trips, I acknowledge that I live on, work in and travel through the unceded, unsurrendered territory of the Algonquin Anishinaabeg Nation. I am grateful to have the opportunity to be present on this land. Ottawa Road Trips supports Water First, a non-profit organization that helps address water challenges in Indigenous communities in Canada through education, training and meaningful collaboration.
