Plays in Ottawa, Eastern Ontario and beyond—Theatre for every taste

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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 update this post regularly to add plays as they are announced.

Once, Gladstone Theatre (June 3 to 13, 2026)

Elevator Theatre Company is presenting Once, the Tony Award-winning musical about an Irish musician and a Czech immigrant whose chance encounter sparks a transformative journey of love, music and self-discovery. Set in Dublin’s vibrant music scene, it celebrates the power of music to heal and inspire, with a score blending folk, rock and soaring ballads.

Very Heaven, Domino Theatre, Kingston (June 4 to 20, 2026)

Very Heaven delves into the complexities of family dynamics, memory and grieving. Set in a country house in Quebec, the narrative follows three sisters—Harriet, Juliet and Lee—who reunite at their childhood home to scatter their mother’s ashes. As they navigate the tensions of their estranged relationships, long-held secrets emerge.

Danny & Delilah, Upper Canada Playhouse, Morrisburg (June 4 to 28, 2026)

In the new Norm Foster comedy Danny & Delilah, friendships are found in unlikely places. Danny, a retired widower and grumpy Toronto Maple Leafs fan, isn’t sure what to think when his daughter Sherry brings home a Pakistani student who needs a place to stay. He and Delilah have little in common at first, yet somehow they manage to connect.

Pressure, Ottawa Little Theatre (June 10 to 27, 2026)

Pressure takes place on the eve of D-Day in June 1944, when 300,000 troops are ready to invade Europe. Success or devastating failure hangs on an accurate weather prediction. Eisenhower must choose between conflicting forecasts from his American celebrity weatherman and the chief meteorological officer for the Allied Forces. The intense thriller explores the responsibilities of leadership and the personal toll of taking a stand.

The Foursome, Smiths Falls Station Theatre (June 19 to 28, 2026)

In the Norm Foster comedy The Foursome, Rick, Ted, Donnie and Cameron are home for their 15-year college reunion. They head out for a round of golf, but the conversation doesn’t revolve around beer and final exams. Instead, they find themselves discussing colonoscopies, home-security systems, alcoholism, Buddhism and more.

The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee, Marble Arts Centre, Tweed (June 26 to July 5, 2026)

In The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee, six tweens vie for the spelling championship of a lifetime. While candidly disclosing hilarious and touching stories from their lives, the kids spell their way through a series of words, hoping never to make a spelling mistake. This comedy includes audience participation, so you might want to brush up your knowledge of tricky words!

The Beaver Club, Upper Canada Playhouse, Morrisburg (July 2 to 26, 2026)

In the new comedy The Beaver Club, four women head out on a cross-country road trip from Toronto to Dildo, Newfoundland. The raucous journey is filled with chaos, confessions, old memories and new beginnings, as the members of the Beaver Club deal with their past, present and future and discover that life is better when they face the world together.

The Play That Goes Wrong, Studio Theatre Perth (July 2 to 12, 2026)

In the hit Broadway farce The Play That Goes Wrong, a college drama club is staging a play called The Murder at Haversham Manor. With a falling-apart set, a concussed leading lady and a corpse that refuses to play dead, this murder mystery goes hilariously off the rails.

The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee, Bancroft Village Playhouse, Bancroft (July 8 to 19, 2026)

In The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee, six tweens vie for the spelling championship of a lifetime. While candidly disclosing hilarious and touching stories from their lives, the kids spell their way through a series of words, hoping never to make a spelling mistake. This comedy includes audience participation, so you might want to brush up your knowledge of tricky words!

10-Minute Play Festival, Ron Maslin Playhouse, Kanata (July 24 to 26, 2026)

In its sixth annual 10-Minute Play Festival, Kanata Theatre will present seven short plays helmed by seven different directors, all in a single afternoon or evening show.

Forever Plaid, Almonte Old Town Hall (July 30 to August 1, 2026)

Once upon a time, four guys (Sparky, Smudge, Jinx and Frankie) discovered a shared love of music. They got together to emulate their idols: The Four Freshmen, The Hi-Lo’s and The Crew Cuts. Rehearsing in the basement of Smudge’s family’s plumbing supply company, they became “Forever Plaid.” But on the way to their first big gig, a school bus broadsides the “Plaids” and kills them instantly. At the end of their lives, the musical story of Forever Plaid begins.

Whose Wives Are They Anyway?, Upper Canada Playhouse, Morrisburg (July 30 to August 23, 2026

In Whose Wives Are They Anyway?, co-workers David and John check into The Oakfield Golf and Country Club for a golfing weekend without their spouses. They unexpectedly run into their new boss, Ms. Hutchison, who insists on meeting their wives. In a panic, John persuades Tina, the hotel’s receptionist, to play the role of his wife—but he also has to play David’s wife. The farce ramps up when their real wives arrive!

Golden Girls: The Laughs Continue, National Arts Centre, Ottawa (August 7, 2026)

Golden Girls: The Laughs Continue is just what the title says: a follow-up to the TV series about four funny retirees sharing a Florida house. In this outing, Sophia is out on bail after being busted by the DEA for running a drug ring. Blanche and Rose have created a sex app for seniors, and Dorothy has a young, sex-crazed lover.

No Strings Attached, Smiths Falls Station Theatre (August 14 to 23, 2026)

The family musical No Strings Attached is a fun adaptation of the classic tale of Pinocchio. When rebellious teenager Carl is magically transformed into the famous marionette, he meets some familiar characters—including a cricket with attitude, a devious fox and cat, and the memorable Blues Fairy—along with some new ones. After a string of poor choices, Carl/Pinocchio finally does something good by saving Geppetto from a giant shark. 

Fiddler on the Roof, Bancroft Village Theatre, Bancroft (August 19 to September 6, 2026)

Set in the village of Anatevka, Fiddler on the Roof centres on Tevye, a poor milkman, and his five daughters. With the help of a tight-knit Jewish community, Tevye tries to protect his daughters and ground them in traditional values in the face of changing social mores and the growing anti-Semitism of Czarist Russia. With beloved songs such as “Sunrise, Sunset,” “If I Were a Rich Man” and “Matchmaker, Matchmaker,” Fiddler on the Roof is a musical theatre staple.

Murder for Two, Marble Arts Centre, Tweed (August 28 to September 6, 2026)

In Murder for Two, small-town cop Marcus Moscowicz dreams of becoming a detective. When Great American Novelist Arthur Whitney is murdered, Marcus jumps at the chance to prove his sleuthing skills. Was the culprit Arthur’s scene-stealing wife Dahlia, prima ballerina Barrette Lewis or suspiciously friendly psychiatrist Dr. Griff? Marcus doesn’t have much time to find the killer.

Rough Crossing, Ron Maslin Playhouse, Kanata (September 9 to 19, 2026)

Kanata Theatre is staging Tom Stoppard’s light-hearted comedy Rough Crossing, based on a play by Ferenc Molnar and set in the 1930s. Two Hungarian playwrights and a young French composer set sail from Cherbourg to New York, to present their latest musical comedy, The Cruise of the Dodo. Their plan to surprise the play’s stars—dim bulb Ivor and glamorous Natasha—with a new song go awry when they overhear a declaration of love between the two actors.

The Long Weekend, Upper Canada Playhouse, Morrisburg (September 10 to October 4, 2026)

The Long Weekend is one of Norm Foster’s most-produced comedies. Successful lawyer Max and his wife Wynn are about to show off their beautiful new summer home to their best friends, wannabe writer Roger and his wife Abby. What’s meant to be a relaxing holiday weekend turns into a battle of wits as their pasts catch up with them, old scores get settled and the so-called best friends discover how they really feel about each other.

The Hollow, Smiths Falls Station Theatre (October 16 to 25, 2026)

An unhappy weekend of romantic entanglements explodes into murder in the Agatha Christie mystery The Hollow. The cast of memorable characters—many of them suspects—includes hosts Sir Henry and Lucy Angkatell, lothario Dr. Cristow, Cristo’s boring wife Gerda, his mistress Henrietta (a sculptor) and his former lover Veronica (a Hollywood star), and visitors Edward and Midge. Nearly everyone has a motive for murder, but who did the deed?

Rogers v. Rogers, GCTC, Ottawa (October 20 to November 1, 2026)

Step inside one of the most dramatic boardroom showdowns in Canadian history, as Edward Rogers fights for control of the telecom empire that his father Ted Rogers built. (Meanwhile, a shrewd public servant is determined to derail the company’s billion-dollar takeover of Shaw Communications.) Rogers v. Rogers has been adapted for the stage by Michael Healey, based on Rogers v. Rogers: The Battle for Control of Canada’s Telecom Empire by Alexandra Posadzki.

Peter Pan, Upper Canada Playhouse, Morrisburg (November 6 and 7, 2026)

DuffleBag Theatre is bringing its touring production of Peter Pan to the Upper Canada Playhouse in Morrisburg. Many kids will love the tail of a magical boy who refuse to grow up, and the children who join him in his adventures.

Emilie: La Marquise Du Châtelet Defends Her Life Tonight, Ron Maslin Playhouse, Kanata (November 18 to 28, 2026)

In Emilie: La Marquise Du Châtelet Defends Her Life Tonight, an 18th-century noblewoman comes back from the afterlife to defend her scientific legacy and her romantic choices. By all accounts, she lived an amazing life, flouting contemporary prejudices about what women could understand and do. For instance, she wrote a groundbreaking paper on the nature of fire, as well as a celebrated commentary on Isaac Newton’s Principia Mathematica. On top of all that, she found time for numerous affairs, including one with the writer and philosopher Voltaire.

Snow White: The Panto, Marble Arts Centre, Tweed (November 27 to December 5, 2026)

This production of Snow White follows the grand British tradition of pantomime, where audiences cheer the hero and boo the villain, Tweed & Company. The producers promise flashy musical numbers, outrageous costumes, comedy, magic, mayhem and lots of audience participation for the whole family.

Liars at a Funeral, GCTC, Ottawa (December 1 to 13, 2026)

When an estranged family gathers to mourn the passing of their matriarch, the funeral becomes a dysfunctional reunion. Secrets unravel, long-buried truths emerge and a family curse keeps siblings apart in the comedy Liars at a Funeral. Can this eccentric family of liars navigate the road to reconciliation?

The Gift of the Magi and Other Christmas Stories to Warm the Heart, Smiths Falls Station Theatre (December 4 to 13, 2025)

Eight stories in all will be featured in this performance by Smiths Falls Community Theatre. Along with the O. Henry classic The Gift of the Magi, about a penniless young couple who struggle to buy each other a wonderful Christmas present, you can enjoy the Philip Van Doren Stern story The Greatest Gift (the inspiration for the movie It’s a Wonderful Life). The show also features tales by Lucy Maud Montgomery, Hans Christian Anderson and others.

Snow White: The Panto, Bancroft Village Playhouse, Bancroft (December 9 to 19, 2026)

This production of Snow White follows the grand British tradition of pantomime, where audiences cheer the hero and boo the villain, Tweed & Company. The producers promise flashy musical numbers, outrageous costumes, comedy, magic, mayhem and lots of audience participation for the whole family.

A Snow White Christmas, Ron Maslin Playhouse, Kanata (December 27 to 30, 2026)

A Snow White Christmas is playwright Norm Foster’s riff on the beloved fairy tale. The family-friendly Kanata Theatre production follows Snow White in the years after her marriage. She has fallen on hard times and is looking for happiness. Who will help? Will she find her way?

Cabaret, Ron Maslin Playhouse, Kanata (February 3 to 13, 2027)

In a Berlin nightclub, as the 1920s draw to a close, a garish master of ceremonies assures his audience that they will soon forget all their troubles. With the Emcee’s bawdy songs as wry commentary, the musical Cabaret explores the dark, tumultuous life of Berlin’s natives and ex-pats as Germany slowly yields to the emerging Third Reich. Young American writer Cliff falls in love with English singer Sally Bowles, while their landlady tentatively begins a romance with Jewish fruit seller.

Hurricane Diane, GCTC, Ottawa (February 9 to 21, 2027)

In Hurricane Diane, the title character is a butch permaculture gardener with supernatural abilities—because she’s actually the Greek god Dionysus. Having shown up in the modern day to rally followers and restore the Earth to its natural state, she begins with four housewives in a suburban cul-de-sac. Pulitzer Prize-finalist Madeleine George’s comedy skewers our willful ignorance in the face of climate change.

Misery, Ron Maslin Playhouse, Kanata (March 24 to April 3, 2027)

The thriller Misery—by William Goldman, based on the Stephen King novel—follows romance novelist Paul Sheldon. After his “number one fan,” Annie Wilkes, rescues him from a car crash, he wakes up 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. Annie forces Paul to write a new Misery novel, and he quickly realizes she has no intention of letting him leave.

Age Is a Feeling, GCTC, Ottawa (April 6 to 18, 2027)

How many chances do you get to change the course of your life? What will you leave unsaid when you go? Haley McGee’s solo show Age Is a Feeling charts the seminal moments, rites of passage and turning points that make up an adult life. Along the way, it examines the way our connection with mortality shapes the way we live.

The Beaux’ Strategem, Ron Maslin Playhouse, Kanata (May 12 to 22, 2027)

Kanata Theatre is staging Thornton Wilder and Ken Ludwig’s adaptation of The Beaux’ Strategem by George Farquhar. It tells the story of two penniless young rogues who leave London and roam from town to town in search of love and fortune. To find a wealthy heiress for at least one of them to marry, they pose as master and servant, exchanging roles from one town to the next.

Waiting for Godot – Inuktitut, National Arts Centre, Ottawa (May 19 to 29, 2027)

In Waiting for Godot – Inuktitut, Vladimir and Estragon wait endlessly for someone named Godot. Hungry, battered, bored and deeply bound to one another, they rely on their wit and companionship to make life bearable. Samuel Beckett’s legendary play will be performed in Inuktitut, with subtitles and sections in English. It will be produced in association with Great Canadian Theatre Company, NAC Indigenous Theatre and the NAC’s National Creation Fund, and tickets will be available only through a five-show subscription.

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