Stratford Festival will produce a collection of 12 productions for the 2024 season, from the hilarious musical comedy “Something Rotten!” to Shakespeare’s “Romeo and Juliet.”
The theme of next year’s season will reflect on the idea of “A World Elsewhere,” says Artistic Director Antoni Cimolino.
“What unites the plays for next season is a journey away from the known,” says Cimolino, “a journey away from the comfortable toward something that — while it’s an immense challenge — often brings us to a much better place.”
The season will feature three plays by Shakespeare — “Romeo and Juliet,” “Twelfth Night” and “Cymbeline” — along with the early Victorian comedy “London Assurance,” by Dion Boucicault. Also on the festival schedule are the Ibsen masterpiece “Hedda Gabler”; the North American premiere of “Wendy and Peter Pan,” an adaptation of J.M. Barrie’s classic children’s book, by Ella Hickson; and Edward Albee’s 21st-century classic “The Goat or, Who is Sylvia?”
Two musicals will be presented. The Festival Theatre will be home to the hilarious musical comedy “Something Rotten!,” with the book (script) by Karey Kirkpatrick and John O’Farrell, and music and lyrics by Wayne Kirkpatrick and Karey Kirkpatrick. At the Avon Theatre, it’s the Tony Award-winning “La Cage aux Folles,” with the book by Harvey Fierstein, and music and lyrics by Jerry Herman.
Departing from the past
The season will also feature three world premiéres: “Salesman in China,” by Leanna Brodie and Jovanni Sy; a new adaptation of Margaret Laurence’s classic “The Diviners,” by Vern Thiessen with Yvette Nolan; and “Get That Hope,” by Andrea Scott.
“As I put together this new season, I looked for works that speak to departing from the past, stories about people who strike out in new directions,” says Cimolino. “I feel we are at a moment in society when we are genuinely ready to leave behind much of what was. In order to make that journey successfully, we need inspiration, joy and delight along the way. I hope these plays will lift our hearts, make us laugh and maybe show us that some risks are worth taking. And, at the Stratford Festival, perhaps the world elsewhere will be Peter Pan’s Neverland, Illyria of ‘Twelfth Night’ or the nightclub of ‘La Cage aux Folles.’”
Tickets for the 2024 season will go on sale in December, with a special advance presale for Members of the Stratford Festival in November. The 150 events of the festival’s Meighen Forum will be announced in the coming months. The season will run from mid-April through October.
For tickets and information, visit www.stratfordfestival.ca or call 1-800-567-1600. To learn more about booking a school group, click here.
Save on group tickets
The festival typically offers up to 25% savings on group tickets and one free ticket for every 20 purchased. It also has flexi-groups, which provide a unique promotion code so group members can book on their own and enjoy group savings.
The group ticket perks include exclusive events to enhance the theater experience, and a Stratford Festival group specialist to help plan the trip. Extras include a Festival Treasures Tour and/or a Set Changeover Experience; and Post-show Chats, which include a half-hour discussion with cast members immediately following your matinée performance. There also are Bespoke Itineraries that feature workshops or presentations, as well as custom experiences.
Picnics can be ordered in advance and picked up onsite or delivered to your bus. The picnics are ideal for lunch before a matinée or a light supper on your bus ride home. There’s also plenty of onsite motorcoach parking.
