Jonathan Church announces Mary Poppins, Chicago and more in first season at Stratford Festival in Canada

The Stratford Festival in Canada has announced its 75th season, marking the first season under new artistic director Jonathan Church.

The 2027 season will feature 13 productions, including Shakespeare’s Hamlet, The Merchant of Venice and The Taming of the Shrew, the musicals Mary Poppins and Chicago, the Canadian premieres of Wolf Hall and Bring Up the Bodies, and a new Canadian musical based on Mordecai Richler’s Jacob Two-Two Meets the Hooded Fang.

Church, who previously spent a decade as artistic director of Chichester Festival Theatre, will direct Wolf Hall and Bring Up the Bodies, Mike Poulton’s adaptations of Hilary Mantel’s novels.

The productions will be staged at the Avon Theatre throughout June, July and August, with scheduling allowing audiences to see both plays on consecutive days and, in some cases, on the same day.

Hamlet, directed by former Stratford artistic director Des McAnuff, will open on 13 July, the anniversary of the Festival’s inaugural performance in 1953. The production will be set in postwar Europe against the backdrop of a growing Soviet threat.

Mary Poppins will be directed by Jonathan O’Boyle and Stephen Mear, with Mear also serving as choreographer. Vanessa Sears will play the title role. The musical will feature songs including “A Spoonful of Sugar”, “Chim Chim Cher-ee” and “Let’s Go Fly a Kite”.

Donna Feore will direct and choreograph Chicago, which returns to Stratford following her 2022 production. The musical features music by John Kander, lyrics by Fred Ebb and book by Bob Fosse and Ebb.

Eric McCormack will return to Stratford to play Garry Essedine in Noël Coward’s Present Laughter, directed by Richard Ouzounian. McCormack previously spent five seasons at the Festival in the 1980s before becoming known internationally for Will & Grace.

Saul Rubinek will return to Stratford for the first time since 1969 for three productions exploring Shylock, Jewish identity and family history.

Rubinek will play Shylock in The Merchant of Venice, directed by Chris Abraham. He will also appear in Playing Shylock, written by Mark Leiren-Young and directed by Martin Kinch, and All in the Telling, a new play by Rubinek receiving its world premiere and directed by Abraham.

All in the Telling is being developed in collaboration with Starvox Entertainment and Crow’s Theatre, while Playing Shylock is produced in association with Starvox Entertainment.

At the Tom Patterson Theatre, Krista Jackson will direct The Taming of the Shrew, while Stafford Arima will direct the world premiere of Jacob Two-Two Meets the Hooded Fang.

The new musical is based on Richler’s children’s book, with a book by David S Craig and music and lyrics by Anika Johnson and Britta Johnson. Jesse Robb will choreograph the production, which is being presented in partnership with Theatre Calgary.

Kat Sandler’s adaptation of Anne of Green Gables, first presented by Stratford in 2025, will return for a three-week run at the Avon Theatre in September before travelling to the Citadel Theatre in Edmonton in October.

Yvette Nolan will direct Daniel David Moses’ Almighty Voice and His Wife at the Studio Theatre. The play explores the relationship between two Cree people during the colonial upheaval of Saskatchewan in the 1890s.

The Festival will also announce further events for the Meighen Forum at a later date.

The 2027 season will introduce earlier performance times, with matinees beginning at 1.30pm and evening performances at 7.30pm. Some matinees, particularly those aimed at school audiences, will begin at noon.

Several Stratford productions will also transfer to other Canadian theatres. The King James Bible Play by Charlotte Corbeil-Coleman will be presented at the National Arts Centre in Ottawa from 11 to 21 November 2026, while The Diviners, based on Margaret Laurence’s novel with text by Vern Thiessen and Yvette Nolan, will run at the National Arts Centre from 12 to 23 January 2027.

Salesman in China by Leanna Brodie and Jovanni Sy will be presented by Mirvish Productions at Toronto’s Royal Alexandra Theatre from 8 June to 25 July 2027, while Anne of Green Gables will be staged at the Citadel Theatre in Edmonton in October 2027.

Church said: “As I begin my Stratford adventure in the Festival’s 75th season, I’m reflecting on Tyrone Guthrie’s bold journey to Stratford in 1953 and on the spirit of adventure that brought Tom Patterson’s dream for this remarkable theatre into being. The greatest tribute we can pay that legacy is not simply to look back, but to continue moving forward with curiosity, courage and imagination.”

A further casting announcement is expected in the coming weeks.