Artistic Director’s Message

Welcome to the 2011-2012 season of English Theatre at the NAC. Here are nine outstanding productions that really represent the very best Canadian theatre has to offer. From Shakespeare’s monumental King Lear, set in Canada during the Iroquois/Huronia Wars starring August Schellenberg – to Lionel Bart’s show-stopping musical Oliver! bringing you the spirit of Charles Dickens for the holidays – to the heart-warming romantic comedy Salt-Water Moon, by Newfoundland’s immortal David French. Each of these plays mark signature work from theatre artists at the height of their creative powers.  Add to that a revival of one of Canada’s most successful shows, 2 Pianos 4 Hands, returning to the NAC and starring its original creators acting and playing two grand pianos: the virtuosic Ted Dykstra and Richard Greenblatt. And get ready for the world premiere of Penny Plain from marionette maestro Ronnie Burkett, celebrating 25 years of outstanding performances which have been enjoyed around the world. This season in the theatre is one of our best yet.

In the intimate Studio theatre we are thrilled to present Michel Nadeau’s nuanced exploration of life and art, And Slowly Beauty..., translated by Maureen Labonté, marking the English language premiere of one of the most popular plays from Quebec. We also have yet another NAC first, a new play by one of Canada’s most acclaimed playwrights, Daniel MacIvor, brought to you by some of the very best theatre artists in  Nova Scotia – Communion is a play which reminds us that “it’s not the darkness we fear, but the light behind the door”. And, hot on the heels of last season’s nativity, comes Peter Anderson’s Creation, a wildly playful and very funny take on the Old Testament. With songs by Allen Cole, this musical is for all denominations and audiences of all ages. The Studio season marks three plays that uniquely identify the variety and theatrical adventure of works created from coast to coast.

For families, along with Oliver! and Creation, we offer the very special interactive performance for children, Monster Makers from Toronto’s Mammalian Diving Reflex. Here children play at being mad scientists in the lab and creating a Monster as horrible as they can imagine, and then being left with the task of teaching that monster how to behave. 

Our playwrights, directors, designers, crafts people and crew, our stage managers, dramaturgs and actors come from all across this country to bring to Ottawa English language theatre that tells us something of what our country looks like today. Our NAC English Theatre Company returns in five productions. That truly is a signature of what makes the National Arts Centre such a special place.  This is a season of signature work which I guarantee will provide you great inspiration, enjoyment and stimulation all season long.

I invite you to join us this season and to subscribe to the NAC English Theatre.

I’ll sign my name to it.

Peter Hinton
Artistic Director