November is nearly upon us. The Halloween decorations will soon be stashed away, and out comes the Christmas gear. Between all the decorating, shopping, and putting on the snow tires, nights for entertainment and relaxation are very welcome. Burlington and the surrounding area have an exciting pre-holidays theatre lineup this month that encompasses riotous comedy and lively musical performances. Here’s what’s on the schedule.
At Dundas Little Theatre, Brian Morton will direct a play in which everything is pure and utter chaos, and nothing goes as it should. On Friday, November 6, 2026, the theatre will premiere its ambitious production of the outrageous The Play That Goes Wrong by Henry Lewis, Jonathan Sayer, and Henry Shields. The playwright trio’s tale is the silliest attempt to put on a serious play since the blunders of “the mechanicals” in William Shakespeare’s A Midsummer Night’s Dream.
A community theatre staffed by Agatha Christie enthusiasts wants to stage a 1920s murder mystery that will rival Murder on the Orient Express. It’s a well-intentioned endeavour, and the passion is there, but there is a major problem: they’re all completely and hilariously incompetent at their jobs. The actors can’t remember their lines to save their lives, props disappear right when the actors need them, the shoddily constructed set falls apart, and everyone’s lost the plot. Crime, as a result, accidentally becomes comedy. Tickets can be purchased here. Ticket prices vary.
Also on Friday, November 6, 2026, Drury Lane Theatre on New Street will present a festive production of A Christmas Story: The Musical at a time when the kids of Burlington will be scribbling out their wish lists to Santa Claus. The parents in the audience would probably rather get their kids iPads than what the star of the show is asking for.
Nine-year-old Ralphie Parker wants a weapon for Christmas. Specifically, he wants a (take a deep breath) Red Ryder Carbine Action 200-shot Range Model air rifle. But all the adults in his life condemn his greatest wish as an inappropriate gift for a young boy. And so he schemes and schemes to get his hands on the gun of his dreams, with hilarious results. Danny Harvey is the director of this year’s fall offering, teaming up with music director Donna Dunn-Albert and choreographer Laura Moniz. Tickets to Drury Lane Theatre’s A Christmas Story: The Musical can be purchased here.
On Wednesday, November 18, 2026, Theatre Aquarius will welcome Heated Rivalry star Kolton Stewart to the stage in a highly anticipated production of Joseph and the Amazing Technicolour Dreamcoat. This one is an Andrew Lloyd Webber family-oriented crowd-pleaser.
Joseph is his father’s favourite, and he is a dreamer. When his father, Jacob, favours Joseph over his many brothers and gifts him a stunning multi-coloured coat as a sign of affection, rage and jealousy ensue. Joseph’s brothers scheme to get rid of him, but with incredible luck, optimism, and cunning, Joseph’s star rises to the top. Tickets to performances of the show can be purchased here.
Theatre Burlington’s annual kid-friendly pantomime opens Saturday, November 28, 2026. This year, the selected fairy tale is a well-known and well-loved classic: Sleeping Beauty, the version by late playwright Vic Hyde.
Produced by Hyde’s daughter Kathy Hyde-Nagel and directed by Julie Donoahue, this version will pay tribute to the original European folktale. A beautiful princess, the heiress to her kingdom, is cursed by an evil fairy to fall into a deep slumber. It’s a spell that can only be broken by a kiss from a brave and handsome prince. In the meantime, Sleeping Beauty is guarded by the power and kindness of good fairies. Tickets to Theatre Burlington’s Sleeping Beauty cost $20 and can be purchased here.
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Emily R. Zarevich, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter, Burlington Local-News.ca.