Let's Get This Shaw on the Road

How do you approach an iconic mega-musical when its original star casts such a massive shadow? Director Eda Holmes and actor Sara Farb join us to talk about pulling Funny Girl out of the history books and staging it with the freshness and urgency of a brand-new piece of theatre. They share what it’s like to navigate the complex, bittersweet arc of Fanny Brice’s meteoric rise and turbulent personal life, the incredible collaborative energy pulsing through the rehearsal room, and what it takes ...

Every theatre has its story. Few have lived as many lives as the Royal George. In this special documentary episode, we celebrate the life of a building that became the beating heart of the Shaw Festival. From its beginnings as a vaudeville house in 1915 to its transformation into one of Canada’s most beloved theatres, the George has witnessed a lifetime of stories. As it prepares for its next chapter, we celebrate not just the building, but the people who made it come alive. Written ...

How do you bring yourself to an iconic role? In this episode, actors Michael Therriault and Graeme Somerville reflect on A Christmas Carol, one of the Shaw Festival’s most beloved traditions. They talk about what it means to step into Scrooge’s shoes, the rhythms of a show that blends puppetry, song, and transformation, and the balance between ritual and reinvention. Along the way, they share backstage stories, onstage discoveries, and why this classic tale still stirs something new every ye...

What does it mean to rehearse with care, rigour, and trust? Director Kimberley Rampersad and actor Virgilia Griffith join us for a deep and moving conversation about Blues for an Alabama Sky at the Shaw Festival, from its political weight to its lyrical beauty. They talk about how Pearl Cleage’s 1995 play resonates today, how costumes and choreography influence character, and how actors and directors find each other through shared values and ambition. It's a conversation about legacy, joy, a...

What does a career in the theatre look like across generations? In this episode, we bring together Shaw Festival veteran Sharry Flett and rising star Taran Kim to talk about their work on May I Have the Pleasure?, a new dance-theatre piece that plays with memory, music, and the social rituals that shape us. From first gigs and unexpected inspirations to the rehearsal dynamics that build real trust, this episode explores how performance evolves over a lifetime. With candid reflections, surpri...

What does real suspense feel like on stage? In this episode, actors Sochi Fried and Bruce Horak dive into their roles in Wait Until Dark at the Shaw Festival, a play full of menace, vulnerability, and razor-sharp tension. They talk about trust, sensory awareness, and the risks of staging a thriller in a real space, in real time. From soundscapes and silence to darkness and danger, they figure out what it takes to make audiences hold their breath. Sochi Fried is an actor whose stage work inc...

How do you take a cabaret of French songs and transform it into a fully staged, immersive experience inside a Spiegeltent? In this episode, Jay Turvey and Matt Alfano reflect on the creation of La Vie en Rose at the Shaw Festival, a collaboration rooted in movement, music, and memory. Drawing on everything from Edith Piaf to Gene Kelly, from historical Parisian dance to physical theatre, the show reimagines a night in Paris as an intimate theatrical event. And we’re also joined by Eponine Lee...

Real-life partners Marla McLean and Graeme Somerville talk about co-creating and co-starring in Dear Liar, a play based on the 40-year correspondence between George Bernard Shaw and Mrs. Patrick Campbell. They reflect on building a show together, discovering the complexities of this real-life relationship, and how letters can come alive on stage. From their rehearsal room to their home life, this is a thoughtful and generous look into their partnership, both on and off the stage. Marla McLe...

Step through the wardrobe with director Selma Dimitrijevic and designer Judith Bowden as they reflect on their collaboration for The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe. They discuss first meetings and fast trust to the everyday bravery it takes to build Narnia from scratch. They talk about what it means to arrive in a rehearsal room without a roadmap, how design can hold memory, and why vulnerability might be the most important creative tool of all. Selma Dimitrijevic is a director and playwr...

Let’s Get This Shaw on the Road — a brand-new podcast from North America’s premiere repertory theatre company. Join Alexis Milligan and Kelly Wong as they take you behind the scenes of the Shaw Festival’s latest season through candid, insightful conversations with some of Canada’s top theatre artists. New episodes every Thursday, starting May 22. Tickets to all of our shows are available now at shawfest.com. Hosted by Alexis Milligan Produced by Kelly Wong Original Music by Travis See...