A first-ever, female-led production of Coriolanus is among the four plays taking to the stage for the 30th anniversary season of Bard on the Beach.
Shakespeare’s political drama takes its place alongside a spaghetti-Western Taming of the Shrew, a South Asian All’s Well that Ends Well and the romantic comedy Shakespeare in Love for this year’s Bard season.
The season runs from June 5 to Sept. 21, and tickets go on public sale starting Wednesday, April 3.
“We are celebrating this milestone year by sharing the brilliant words of Shakespeare through dynamic productions that showcase the world-class talents of our directors, cast and design teams, working with innovative concepts that will have impact and relevance for today’s diverse, demanding audiences,” said artistic director Christopher Gaze in a press release.
The season kicks off with The Taming of the Shrew, inspired by Bard’s beloved 2007 production, set in the Wild West. Lois Anderson, who directed last year’s hit production of Lysistrata, presents what Gaze describes as a “feminist-forward” interpretation of the 2007 show.
Also on the BMO Mainstage, Bard is presenting the playful romantic adventure Shakespeare in Love, adapted for the stage by Lee Hall from the award-winning screenplay by Marc Norman and Tom Stoppard. It’s directed by Daryl Cloran, who headed up last season’s popular, Beatles-inspired As You Like It.
On the Howard Family Stage, Johnna Wright and Rohit Chokhani are co-directing All’s Well that Ends Well, set in 1940s India at the time leading up to Indian independence.
And, for the first time, Bard will stage Coriolanus, a post-modern production directed by Bard’s associate artistic director, Dean Paul Gibson, and starring Moya O’Connell (last year’s acclaimed Lady Macbeth) in the title role.
(All’s Well That Ends Well and Coriolanus will run back-to-back; the final performance of All’s Well That Ends Well is Aug. 11, and the first preview for Coriolanus is Aug. 21.)
“We have built a season that is designed to delight festival fans who have been with us since Bard on the Beach first began in 1990, while also enticing new visitors to our festival,” Gaze said.
The Bard season also includes the return of a number of popular festival events, including the Bard-B-Q and Fireworks nights, Operas and Arias, Talkback Tuesdays, Wine Wednesdays and special Family Days shows on July 6, Aug. 10 and Aug. 24 designed for young theatregoers.
Simon Fraser University’s Paul Budra will lead a series of Exploring Shakespeare talks, featuring each of the season’s plays (on July 6, 13, 20 and Sept. 7), while a special forum, Kate – Victim or Victor?, will be held on Aug. 26, exploring The Taming of the Shrew’s complicated heroine.
Tickets for regular shows start at $26, with youth pricing available for patrons aged six to 22.
See www.bardonthebeach.org or call the box office at 604-739-0559.
