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Canada's Best. London Made.
Grand Theatre Announces 2025/26 Season Company of Top Canadian Talent
September 4, 2025 – London ON – Top artistic talent from across the country will come together for the Grand Theatre's 2025/26 season, “You Are Here.” Today, the Grand unveils its 2025/26 Company – one hundred and twenty-three professional theatre artists from St. John’s, Newfoundland to Victoria, British Columbia – representing Canada’s brightest talents and beloved audience favourites. The company proudly includes twenty-two arts professionals – including actors, musicians, designers, and stage management – who, like the Grand, call London their home.
The season promises to deliver compelling new works, big sets, bigger laughs, spectacular music – and the astonishment, wonder, and delight of pure theatre magic.
Introducing:
The Grand Theatre’s 2025/26 Company
Joseph Abetria (Winnipeg, MB) – Costume Designer – The Play That Goes Wrong
Mary Ancheta (Vancouver, BC) – Music Director – Piaf/Dietrich
Alexander Ariate (Edmonton, AB) – Jonathan – The Play That Goes Wrong
Matthew Atkins (London, ON) – Musical Director – Disney's Newsies
Vance Avery (Edmonton, AB) – Pabbie – Disney's Frozen
Deena Aziz (Toronto, ON) – Miss Prism – The Importance of Being Earnest
Peter N. Bailey (Toronto, ON) – Bert – Primary Trust
Darrin Baker (Toronto, ON) – Claude – Come From Away
Judith Bowden (Niagara-on-the-Lake, ON) – Costume Designer – The Importance of Being Earnest
Alexa Brown (London, ON) – Trumpet – Disney's Newsies & Disney's Frozen
Divine Brown (North York, ON) – Hannah – Come From Away
Karen Burthwright (Toronto, ON) – Supporting Female – Piaf/Dietrich
Jennifer Cahill (London, ON) – Reeds – Disney's Frozen, Whistles – Come From Away
Melissa Cameron (London, ON) – Stage Manager – Disney's Newsies, Assistant Stage Manager – Piaf/Dietrich
Crystal Casera (Toronto, ON) – Ensemble – Disney's Frozen
Andrew Cownden (Vancouver, BC) – Weselton – Disney's Frozen
Eric Craig (Toronto, ON) – Supporting Male – Piaf/Dietrich
James Daly (Toronto, ON) – Algernon Moncrieff – The Importance of Being Earnest
Tony De Luca (London, ON) – Reeds – Disney's Newsies
Mike Dufays (Toronto, ON) – Fight Director – Disney's Newsies
Sheldon Elter (Edmonton, AB) – Oz – Come From Away
Izad Etemadi (Toronto, ON) – Stage Crew – The Play That Goes Wrong, Olaf – Disney's Frozen, Kevin T – Come From Away
Chariz Faulmino (Edmonton, AB) – Anna – Disney's Frozen
Rachel Forbes (Toronto, ON) – Costume Designer – Primary Trust
Julie Fox (Stratford, ON) – Set Designer – Primary Trust
Joema Frith (Toronto, ON) – Bob – Come From Away
Julien Galipeau (Montreal, QC) – John Worthing, J.P – The Importance of Being Earnest
Steven Gallagher (Hamilton, ON) – Nick – Come From Away
Dennis Garnhum (Toronto, ON) – Director – The Play That Goes Wrong
Lore Green (Kelowna, BC) – Assistant Stage Manager – The Play That Goes Wrong & Disney's Frozen
Steven Greenfield (Edmonton, AB) – Music Supervisor – Disney's Frozen
Marianna Grigg (London, ON) – Cello – Disney's Newsies
Jordan Guetter (Guelph, ON) – Stage Manager – The Play That Goes Wrong, Assistant Stage Manager – Disney's Frozen & The Importance of Being Earnest
Beyata Hackborn (Edmonton, AB) – Set Designer – The Play That Goes Wrong
Kristi Hansen (Edmonton, AB) – Disability Consultant – Disney’s Newsies
Jennifer Harding (Buckhorn, ON) – Queen Iduna – Disney's Frozen
Michael Hart (Stratford, ON) – Stage Manager – The Importance of Being Earnest
Kaylee Harwood (Toronto, ON) – Hon. Gwendolen Fairfax – The Importance of Being Earnest
Deborah Hay (Stratford, ON) – Edith Piaf – Piaf/Dietrich
Ainsley Hillyard (Edmonton, AB) – Choreographer – Disney's Frozen
Andrew Hodwitz (Toronto, ON) – Standby – Come From Away
Ray Hogg (Toronto, ON) – Director – Disney's Newsies
Kelly Holiff (Toronto, ON) – Elsa – Disney's Frozen, Janice – Come From Away
Owen Hutchinson (Edmonton, AB) – Sound Designer – Disney's Frozen
Stephen Ingram (London, ON) – Guitar – Come From Away
Stephen Jackman-Torkoff (Toronto, ON) – Kenneth – Primary Trust
Vanessa Jette (Red Deer, AB) – Sandra – The Play That Goes Wrong
Claire Jullien (St. Catharines, ON) – Lady Bracknell – The Importance of Being Earnest
Kaitlyn Kaemingh (Niagara, ON) – Apprentice Stage Manager – Disney's Newsies
Alexandra Kane (London, ON) – Musical Director – Disney's Frozen
Brian Kenny (St. John’s, NL) – Sound Designer – Come From Away
Billy Lake (Stratford, ON) – Lady Stella Clinton / Merriman – The Importance of Being Earnest
Tsz Ting Lam (Vaughan, ON) – Apprentice Stage Manager – The Importance of Being Earnest
Erik Larson (York, ON) – Bass – Piaf/Dietrich & Come From Away
Richard Lee Hsi (Edmonton, AB) – Sven – Disney's Frozen
Krista Leis (Stratford, ON) – Choreographer – Disney's Newsies
Jareth Li (Toronto, ON) – Lighting Designer – Disney's Frozen & Come From Away
Lawrence Libor (Toronto, ON) – Musician – Primary Trust
Kelly Luft (St. Thomas, ON) – Stage Manager – Disney's Frozen
Jeff Lupker (London, ON) – Guitar – Disney's Newsies
Andrew MacDonald-Smith (Edmonton, AB) – Max – The Play That Goes Wrong
Terra C. MacLeod (New York, NY) – Marlene Dietrich – Piaf/Dietrich, Dianne – Come From Away
Jawon Mapp (Mississauga, ON) – Robert – The Play That Goes Wrong
Suzanne McArthur (London, ON) – Stage Manager – Piaf/Dietrich, Assistant Stage Manager – Come From Away
Heather McGuigan (Stratford, ON) – Standby – Come From Away
Sidnee McLeod (London, ON) – Trombone – Disney's Frozen
Emily Meadows (Winnipeg, MB) – Stage Crew – The Play That Goes Wrong
Erika Morey (Vancouver, BC) – Stage Manager – Come From Away
Celine Murray (London, ON) – Violin – Disney's Newsies
Alistair Newton (Victoria, BC) – Director – The Importance of Being Earnest
Finnley O'Brien (Surrey, BC) – Apprentice Stage Manager – Primary Trust
Denise Oucharek (Mississauga, ON) – Bonnie – Come From Away
Bernardo Pacheco (Calgary, AB) – Trevor – The Play That Goes Wrong
Thomas Ryder Payne (Toronto, ON) – Sound Designer – Primary Trust
Rachel Peake (London, ON) – Director – Disney's Frozen & Piaf/Dietrich
Scott Penner (New York City, NY) – Set Designer – Come From Away
Honey Pham (Winnipeg, MB) – Annie – The Play That Goes Wrong
Dave Pierce (Los Angeles, California) – Sound Designer – The Play That Goes Wrong
Anna Pin (London, ON) – Bass – Disney's Frozen
Emily Porter (Toronto, ON) – Sound Designer – Disney's Newsies & Piaf/Dietrich
Kimberly Purtell (Toronto, ON) – Lighting Designer – The Play That Goes Wrong
Joshua Quinlan (London, ON) – Set Design Consultant – Disney's Newsies
Michelle Ramsay (Toronto, ON) – Lighting Designer – Piaf/Dietrich
Cherissa Richards (Winnipeg, MB) – Director – Primary Trust
Sarah Richardson (Halifax, NS) – Music Director – Come From Away
Khadijah Roberts-Abdullah (Toronto, ON) – Corinna – Primary Trust
Dave Robilliard (Petrolia, ON) – Drums – Piaf/Dietrich
Ben Sanders (Toronto, ON) – Rev. Canon Chausble, D. D. / Lane – The Importance of Being Earnest
Lorenzo Savoini (Stratford, ON) – Set Designer – Piaf/Dietrich
Amelia Scott (Montreal, QC) – Projection Designer – Disney's Frozen
Genny Sermonia (Mississauga, ON) – Choreographer – Piaf/Dietrich
Lee Siegel (Fort Erie, ON) – Oaken/Bishop – Disney's Frozen
Cory Sincennes (Charlottetown, PEI) – Set & Costume Designer – Disney's Frozen
Mark Sinongco (Edmonton, AB) – Kristoff – Disney's Frozen
Siobhán Sleath (Toronto, ON) – Lighting Designer – The Importance of Being Earnest
Angela Southern (London, ON) – Keyboard II – Disney's Frozen
Darlene Spencer (Dayton, Ohio) – Beulah – Come From Away
Nicol Spinola (Vancouver, BC) – Choreographer – Come From Away
Cailin Stadnyk (Toronto, ON) – Beverley – Come From Away
Adam Stevenson (Hamilton, ON) – King Agnar – Disney's Frozen
Abby Stevenson (London, ON) – Apprentice Stage Manager – Disney's Frozen & Come From Away
Mirabella Sundar-Singh (Toronto, ON) – Cecily Cardew – The Importance of Being Earnest
Mark Swan (London, ON) – Drums – Disney's Newsies, Drums / Percussion – Disney's Frozen
Julie Tomaino (Toronto, ON) – Director – Come From Away
Michelle Tracey (Toronto, ON) – Set Designer – The Importance of Being Earnest
John Ullyatt (Edmonton, AB) – Dennis – The Play That Goes Wrong
Tahirih Vejdani (Toronto, ON) – Bulda – Disney's Frozen
Chris Vergara (Toronto, ON) – Ensemble – Disney's Frozen
Daniela Vlaskalic (Toronto, ON) – Krista – The Play That Goes Wrong
Aidan Wasse (London, ON) – Bass Guitar – Disney's Newsies
Olivia Wheeler (Toronto, ON) – Sound Designer – The Importance of Being Earnest
Sarah Wiebe (London, ON) – Violin – Piaf/Dietrich
Alex Wierzbicki (Toronto, ON) – Kevin J – Come From Away
Travae Williams (London, ON) – Standby – Come From Away
Imogen Wilson (Toronto, ON) – Lighting Designer – Primary Trust
Aran Wilson-McAnally (Edmonton, AB) – Hans – Disney's Frozen
Stephanie Wolfe (Edmonton, AB) – Hand Maiden – Disney's Frozen
Ming Wong (Toronto, ON) – Costume Designer – Piaf/Dietrich & Come From Away
Gina Woodward (Halifax, NS) – Apprentice Stage Manager – The Play That Goes Wrong & Piaf/Dietrich
Lisa Wright (London, ON) – Costume Designer – Disney's Newsies
Morgan Yamada (Edmonton, AB) – Fight & Movement Director – The Play That Goes Wrong
Kai Yueh-Chen (Toronto, ON) – Stage Manager – Primary Trust
Echo Zhou周芷會 (Toronto, ON) – Lighting Designer – Disney's Newsies
Visit GRANDTHEATRE.COM to learn more about this exceptional cohort of artists, as well as each of our 2025/26 productions.
The Grand Theatre’s 2025/26 season includes:
The Play That Goes Wrong
By Henry Lewis, Henry Shields, & Jonathan Sayer
Directed by Dennis Garnhum
OCT 14 to NOV 1 | Opens on OCT 17
https://www.grandtheatre.com/event/play-that-goes-wrong
Title Sponsor: Bluestone Properties
Above: Izad Etemadi (Elf: The Musical, Grow) returns to the Grand as Stage Crew in The Play That Goes Wrong, as well as Olaf in Disney's Frozen, and Kevin T in Come From Away.
Disney’s Frozen
Music and Lyrics by Kristen Anderson-Lopez & Robert Lopez
Book by Jennifer Lee
Originally Directed on Broadway by Michael Grandage
Based on the Disney Film written by Jennifer Lee
Directed by Chris Buck & Jennifer Lee
Originally produced on Broadway by Disney Theatrical Productions
Directed by Rachel Peake
A Co-Production with the Citadel Theatre
NOV 18 to DEC 28 | Opens on NOV 21
https://www.grandtheatre.com/event/frozen
Title Sponsor: McCormick Canada
With Thanks to: The Province of Ontario
Above: Kelly Holiff (Million Dollar Quartet) returns to the Grand as Elsa in Disney's Frozen, and Janice in Come From Away. Costume Design by Cory Sincennes. Photo by Mai Tilson.
Primary Trust
By Eboni Booth
A Co-Production with Crow’s Theatre
Directed by Cherissa Richards
JAN 14 to FEB 1 | Opens on JAN 17
https://www.grandtheatre.com/event/primary-trust
Above: Cherissa Richards returns to the Grand to direct Primary Trust.
Primary Trust is presented by arrangement with Concord Theatricals on behalf of Samuel French, Inc. www.concordtheattricals.com
Piaf/Dietrich
Written by Daniel Große Boymann & Thomas Kahry
Adapted by Erin Shields
From the translation by Sam Madwar
Directed by Rachel Peake
FEB 17 to MAR 7 | Opens on FEB 20
https://www.grandtheatre.com/event/piaf-dietrich
Above: Deborah Hay (Strawberries in January, Kingfisher Days, Mary Poppins, Fall on Your Knees) returns to the Grand Theatre as Edith Piaf in Piaf/Dietrich, directed by Rachel Peake.
The Importance of Being Earnest
A Trivial Comedy for Serious People
By Oscar Wilde
Directed by Alistair Newton
MAR 25 to APR 12 | Opens on MAR 28
https://www.grandtheatre.com/event/importance-of-being-earnest
Title Sponsor: London Hydro
Above: Billy Lake makes their Grand Theatre debut as Lady Stella Clinton, a new role written by Director Alistair Newton for The Importance of Being Earnest.
Come From Away
Book, Music, and Lyrics by Irene Sankoff and David Hein
Directed by Julie Tomaino
APR 28 to MAY 24 | Opens May 1
https://www.grandtheatre.com/event/come-away
Title Sponsor: Digital Extremes
Above: Scott Penner (Hair, 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee, Elf: The Musical, The Phantom of the Opera, Charlie & the Chocolate Factory, Waitress) returns to the Grand from Broadway (Job) as Set Designer on the Grand’s original, non-replica production of Come From Away.
Subscriptions and single tickets can be purchased online at grandtheatre.com, by phoning the Box Office at 519.672.8800, or by visiting the Box Office in person at 471 Richmond Street (weekdays from 9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m., and Saturdays from 11:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m.).
Subscriptions remain available and continue to offer the best pricing and best theatre experience.
The Grand Theatre would like to extend its appreciation to all funding partners, with special thanks to Season Sponsor, BMO Financial Group, and Downtown Community Partner, Old Oak Properties.
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The Grand Theatre is located on the traditional territories of the Original storytellers and caretakers of this land and the Nations, both settler and Indigenous, who continue to uphold the various treaties of the Anishinaabek, Haudenosaunee, and Lunaapéewak. We value the significant historical and contemporary contributions of local and regional First Nations, and all of the Original Peoples of Turtle Island (colonially known as North America), and acknowledge the traditional lands upon which we live, work, share, and tell stories together.
ABOUT THE GRAND THEATRE – WORLD CURIOUS. LONDON MADE.
The Grand Theatre is known for world-class theatre created and built in London, Ontario. As southwestern Ontario’s premier producing theatre and one of the most beautiful theatre spaces in Canada, the company has deep ties to the community and to its artists, artisans, and technicians.
As a vibrant cultural hub and not-for-profit professional theatre, the Grand serves to gather, inspire, and entertain audiences in London and beyond. At our home in downtown London, we create productions on two stages: the Spriet Stage (839 seats) and the Auburn Developments Stage (144 seats). The Grand season of theatrical offerings runs from September to May, and we collaborate with companies and artists across the country through our co-productions that see London-made artistic and creative work travel to audiences nation-wide. Through our successful New Play Development Program, the Grand is committed to developing and premiering new, original works and supporting the growth and reach of theatre writers and creators. Our recently renovated venue offers a contemporary and welcoming environment that is also home to several successful music series’, community arts rentals, and cultural and special events.
A cornerstone of the organization is our place as a teaching theatre, exemplified in our many mentorship programs and highlighted in our annual Grand Theatre High School Project. As the first program of its kind in the country and currently in its twenty-sixth year, the High School Project involves as many as one hundred high school participants annually from schools across the region. These students participate at no cost and take on roles both on stage and off, in a fully realized mainstage production under the direction of a professional creative team.
For more information, visit: grandtheatre.com.
Follow us on Facebook, Instagram, YouTube, LinkedIn, BlueSky and TikTok.
For more information please contact:
Melissa Mae Shipley, Communications and Public Relations Manager
mshipley [at] grandtheatre.com (mshipley[at]grandtheatre[dot]com)
office: 519-672-9030 ext. 266
cell: 519-280-4008
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