Stratford Festival 2025: What shows to see — and skip — this season

This roundup will be updated throughout the season as more shows open.

Sense and Sensibility

This rollicking comedy of manners, based on the classic Jane Austen novel of the same name, recounts the chaotic lives of Elinor and Marianne Dashwood, two loving and loyal sisters who are joined at the hip yet possess completely different temperaments. They ward off unsuitable suitors while protecting their own broken hearts when those they admire slip out of their grasp. Kate Hamill’s stage adaptation remains faithful to the original material, but sprinkles some physical comedy into the proceedings. Daryl Cloran directs, while Olivia Sinclair-Brisbane and Jessica B. Hill star as the two sisters. Until Oct. 25 at the Festival Theatre. 

Forgiveness

Mark Sakamoto’s Canada Reads-winning memoir “Forgiveness: A Gift from my Grandparents” has been translated for the stage in this new historical drama by Hiro Kanagawa. Told through a series of vignettes, it follows Sakamoto’s paternal grandmother, whose family was sent to a Japanese-Canadian internment camp, and his maternal grandfather, a soldier who was captured by the Japanese as a prisoner of war. Theatre Calgary artistic director Stafford Arima helms this new production, starring Jeff Lillico and Yoshie Bancroft. Until Sept. 27 at the Tom Patterson Theatre. 

As You Like It

Following his knockout production of the Shakespeare comedy “Much Ado About Nothing” in 2023, Crow’s Theatre artistic director Chris Abraham returns to Stratford to mount a new revival of “As You Like It,” another one of the Bard’s comedies. Filled with mistaken identities, comic fools and chippy repartee, the play follows Rosalind, who’s exiled by her corrupt uncle into the Forest of Arden, where she finds love, along with a motley group of fellow nomads. This modern-dress production features Sara Farb as Rosalind opposite Christopher Allen as Orlando and Seana McKenna as the Duchess. Until Oct. 24 at the Festival Theatre. 

Annie

This beloved American show, based on the popular comic strip “Little Orphan Annie,” has long been a staple of the musical theatre canon. And yet, director Donna Feore’s new revival at Stratford still packs some surprises, including new orchestrations and dazzling dance sequences. Newcomer Harper Rae Asch, selected from a nationwide casting search, stars as the titular red-headed orphan, who escapes the clutches of the wicked Miss Hannigan and finds her way into the heart (and home) of the billionaire businessman Oliver Warbucks. Until Dec. 4 at the Festival Theatre. 

Macbeth

Robert Lepage, the polarizing Canadian auteur, is back at the Stratford Festival with his highly anticipated revival of “Macbeth,” set against the backdrop of the Quebec biker war, a nearly decade-long conflict between two motorcycle gangs in Montreal that left more than 160 people dead between 1994 and 2002. This production stars some of the festival’s most accomplished stars, including Tom McCamus in the title role, Lucy Peacock as Lady Macbeth and Tom Rooney as Macduff. After closing in Stratford, Lepage’s revival will tour to Montreal, Quebec City and Ottawa next year. Until Nov. 22 at the Avon Theatre. 

Dirty Rotten Scoundrels

Inspired by the 1988 comedy film of the same name, “Dirty Rotten Scoundrels” follows a pair of sleazy, rival con men who set up a bet to decide which one of them gets to lay claim to the French Riviera; whoever first manages to extort 50 grand from a vacationing American heiress shall win unfettered access to the coast, while the loser must pack his bags and bid adieu. Jonathan Goad, Shakura Dickson and Broadway veteran Liam Tobin lead this bubbly song-and-dance production, directed by Tracey Flye. Until Nov. 23 at the Avon Theatre. 

The Winter’s Tale

One of Shakespeare’s most beautiful plays, “The Winter’s Tale” follows a jealous king who wrongly condemns his best friend and wife, only to be offered a shot at redemption — and salvation — some 16 years later. Cimolino, the Stratford Festival’s artistic director, helms this new, life-affirming revival, which features Graham Abbey as King Leontes, alongside Sara Topham as Hermoine, the king’s wife, and Yanna McIntosh as her loyal friend, Paulina. Until Sept. 27 at the Tom Patterson Theatre. 

Anne of Green Gables

This should not be mistaken for “Anne of Green Gables — The Musical.” To see that, you’d need to travel to the Charlottetown Festival, which remounts the classic show every two years. Instead, this straight play by Kat Sandler is a new stage adaptation of Lucy Maud Montgomery’s seminal novel, about a young orphan who’s adopted by two siblings in rural Prince Edward Island. Sandler’s adaptation leans into the story’s themes of curiosity and imagination. Caroline Toal, in her Stratford debut, steps into the shoes of the precocious orphan, alongside Sarah Dodd and Tim Campbell as Marilla and Matthew Cuthbert, respectively. Until Nov. 16 at the Avon Theatre. 

Shows opening later this season 

• “The Art of War”: Yvette Nolan’s five-person play is about a young Canadian artist who’s sent to document to experiences of his peers fighting on the front lines of the Second World War. “The Art of War” is the sole play programmed this year at the intimate Studio Theatre and will be directed by Keith Barker. From Aug. 1 to Sept. 27 at the Studio Theatre. 
• “Ransacking Troy”: This world premiere play, by the Governor General’s Award-winning playwright Erin Shields, turns the classical story of the Trojan War on its head, telling it from the perspective of the women of Greece, tired of waiting on their men to return from war. Jackie Maxwell, former Shaw Festival artistic director, directs this new production starring Maev Beaty. From Aug. 6 to Sept. 28 at the Tom Patterson Theatre. 
• “Dangerous Liaisons”: This stage adaptation of Pierre Choderlos de Laclos’ epistolary novel “Les Liaisons Dangereuses” features scandal, seduction and manipulation, all set amid the backdrop of pre-Revolutionary France. Esther Jun will direct this play by Christopher Hampton, which will feature Celia Aloma, Jesse Gervais and Jessica B. Hill. From Aug. 6 to Oct. 25 at the Festival Theatre.