Frontmezzjunkies reports: It All Begins at Ontario’s Shaw Festival
By Ross
Few traditions fill me with as much anticipation as my summer return to the Shaw Festival. Each season offers the chance to step into a world where great stories unfold, where music swells through the Festival Theatre, and where the pretty, small-town streets of Niagara-on-the-Lake seem to hum with theatrical possibility. Knowing that I will soon be sitting in those theatres once again, surrounded by artists I deeply admire, feels like the beginning of another cherished seasonal pilgrimage.
The Shaw Festival officially opens its 64th season this month with three productions that showcase the remarkable range of its artistic vision. Funny Girl arrives at the Festival Theatre with Sara Farb stepping into the iconic role of Fanny Brice, bringing beloved songs such as “Don’t Rain on My Parade,” “People,” and “I’m the Greatest Star” to the stage under the direction of Eda Holmes. At the newly recreated Court House Theatre, Sleuth promises a thrilling battle of wits between Patrick Galligan and Sepehr Reybod, directed by Peter Fernandes. Also making its Canadian debut is Jeeves & Wooster in Perfect Nonsense, the Olivier Awards-winning adaptation of The Code of the Woosters, featuring Jeff Irving, Damien Atkins, and Travis Seetoo, and directed by Brendan McMurtry-Howlett.
Beyond its productions, the ShawFest continues to transform theatre-going into a fully immersive experience. More than 5,000 Beyond the Stage events will invite audiences to engage through artist conversations, backstage tours, Positive Aging workshops, youth programs, Coffee Concerts, Speakeasies, and a wide range of community activities that extend the spirit of each production far beyond the stage itself. The festival’s 2026 season runs through December 23, offering months of opportunities to connect with artists, stories, and fellow theatre lovers. [Click here if you’d like to read about the whole thrilling season coming to NOTL.]
What draws me back to the Shaw each year is not only the calibre of the productions, but the feeling that theatre can shape an entire season of life. Whether through the soaring ambition of Fanny Brice, the razor-sharp gamesmanship of Sleuth, or the joyful absurdity of Jeeves and Wooster, these stories invite us to laugh, wonder, and see ourselves more clearly. As another summer approaches in Niagara-on-the-Lake, I can already feel that familiar excitement building, knowing that some of the most memorable moments of the year are waiting just beyond the footlights.
