COMPASS

Governor General’s Award-winning playwright Morris Panych lends his considerable talent to this COMPASS commission that celebrates, examines, and pokes fun at the constant comparisons between our city and that other London across the ocean. Panych has directed over ninety productions across Canada, and written thirty plays that have been produced throughout Canada, the United Kingdom, the United States, Europe, Asia, Australia, and New Zealand in a dozen languages. Notable plays include 7 STORIES, VIGIL, GIRL IN THE GOLDFISH BOWL, THE OVERCOAT, and THE SHOPLIFTERS. Learn More »

ROOM brings together artists from the UK and Canada to tell a story written by London resident Emma Donoghue. Following the success of the award-winning film and novel, Donoghue penned a stage adaption with songwriters and theatre-makers Cora Bissett and Kathryn Joseph. The production premiered in the UK in 2017 with original partners Theatre Royal Stratford East, National Theatre of Scotland, and Abbey Theatre in Dublin. Further development of the script is being supported by COMPASS and Covent Garden Productions. Learn More »

GROW sees the return of the PROM QUEEN songwriting team Colleen Dauncey and Akiva Romer-Segal, along with book-writer Matt Murray. This dynamic team represents the best emerging talent this country has to offer. COMPASS and the Canadian Music Theatre Project at Sheridan College will develop GROW in preparation for the premiere in April 2020, and looking ahead to future productions beyond the Grand. Learn More »

In spring 2020, we’ll be heading on the road again, visiting 100 schools in the region—this time with a new play developed with London students in mind. A celebration of Canadian music, JUNO’S REWARD, written and directed by Megan Watson, will be a lively play that both educates and inspires young people to dream big and love music! Learn More »

STARLIGHT TOURS is a musical drama based on events reported in Saskatchewan in the early 2000s that trace back to the 1970s. A series of investigations revealed a practice by the Saskatoon police of taking First Nations people to the city limits and abandoning them at the side of the road in the dead of winter. The practice became known as “starlight tours.”

Andrea Menard joined STARLIGHT TOURS as the book writer in January 2019. Menard is a singer-songwriter, writer, and actor. A passionate advocate for reconciliation and unity among nations, she conveys the richness of her Métis culture through her live performances, recordings, and television appearances. She has released four award-winning albums: Simple Steps, Sparkle, Lift and The Velvet Devil, which was adapted for TV in 2006, and earned Andrea a Gemini nomination for her performance. Unreservedly engaged with the world, Andrea dedicates her work to the empowerment of the Indigenous and feminine voice.

Set against the wildly scandalous vaudeville era, AMBROSE SMALL will invite audiences to explore the Grand as an interactive, site-specific musical adventure.

Last season, we produced SILENCE: MABEL AND ALEXANDER GRAHAM BELL by playwright Trina Davies. That work opened the National Arts Centre’s fiftieth season, and Trina is now hard at work on the new COMPASS commission. Here’s what she had to say about this script’s development:

“On December 2, 1919 Ontario theatre tycoon Ambrose Small sold all of his theatres, including the Grand, for a massive amount of money. The same day he disappeared. He left behind all of the money, a jealous wife, a disgruntled employee, gambling buddies, and a mistress. A little bit vaudeville, a little bit ghost story, the play will invite patrons to experience the Grand as they never have before. The compass program invited me to ‘Dream Big.’ I can hardly wait to share this big dream with Grand audiences.”

GUY LOMBARDO’S NEW YEAR’S EVE, with book and direction by Dennis Garnhum. This musical celebration of a local hero will celebrate Lombardo and his orchestra, The Royal Canadians, in a sweeping spectacle that traces his legendary rise to “Mr. New Year’s Eve.”

Development Sponsored by