Room

By Emma Donoghue, based on her novel
Music & Lyrics by Cora Bissett and Kathryn Joseph
Directed by Cora Bissett

A co-production with Covent Garden Productions and Mirvish Productions, Toronto, Canada.

January 11 to 29, 2022
Spriet Stage | Opening Night January 14

*Content Warning: This production depicts sexual assault, kidnapping, and psychological trauma.

Resilience, imagination, and the power of a mother’s love return to the Spriet Stage in Room, written and adapted for the stage by Emma Donoghue.

The Grand Theatre is thrilled to continue what was originally scheduled for March of 2020, with the North American premiere of Room, based on Emma Donoghue’s bestselling novel Room, in a first-time collaboration with Mirvish Productions and the UK's Covent Garden Productions. Room has been adapted for the stage by Donoghue, with songs by Scottish songwriters Kathryn Joseph and Cora Bissett. Previously adapted by Donoghue for the screen, the film won Academy Awards®, Golden Globes, and BAFTAs.

Kidnapped as a teenage girl, Ma has been locked inside a purpose built room in her captor’s garden for seven years. Her five year old son, Jack, has no concept of the world outside and happily exists inside Room with the help of Ma’s games and his vivid imagination where objects like Rug, Lamp, and TV are his only friends. But for Ma the time has come to escape and face their biggest challenge to date: the world outside Room. Adapted with new music and lyrics, and a cast of seven with Little Jack shadowed by his alter ego SuperJack, Room explores the power of the imagination and a mother’s love.

Emma Donoghue

"I couldn't be happier that my home city's own Grand Theatre is going to be the launch pad for the theatre version of Room in North America," said Ms. Donoghue, who penned the haunting story at various London, Ontario public gathering spots. "I know Dennis Garnhum and the whole Grand team will do an extraordinary job of further developing the show through their COMPASS workshop process.”

Prior to the COVID-19 industry-wide shutdown in 2020, this production was workshopped in London, Ontario in a first-time collaboration between the UK and Canadian creative teams as part of the COMPASS New Play Development Program. COMPASS, launched during Artistic Director Dennis Garnhum’s inaugural season with the Grand, is dedicated to creating and premiering new work on the Grand’s Spriet and Auburn stages.

“This production of Room celebrates our mission at the Grand Theatre: World Curious and London Proud. We have partnered with two companies of distinction, Covent Garden Productions in London, England, and Mirvish Productions in Toronto,” said Dennis Garnhum. “We are creating this production with an innovative international collaboration, and of course, London, Ontario’s own renowned Emma Donoghue. I am certain that the North American premiere of Room, which began its life at the Grand Theatre, will have a very bright future.”

Following the Grand Theatre North American premiere in London, Ontario, Room travels to the CAA Theatre as part of the Off-Mirvish 2021/22 season, for a February - April 2022 engagement. The world premiere of Room (May-July 2017), was co-produced by Theatre Royal Stratford East and Abbey Theatre Dublin. You will not want to miss this “story that is in some ways a harrowing one, that brings many in the audience to tears. Yet is also a tremendously beautiful, vivid and uplifting show about the power of a mother’s love.” (The Scotsman)