Graeme Somerville News

An exceptional collection of talent has been assembled to bring the Shaw Festival's 52nd season to life - a unique and entertaining playbill rich with new and provocative conversations, culture clashes, magical transformations and dazzling ideas. The Salvation Army marches in this season with freshly re-envisioned productions of Guys and Dolls, one of musical theatres most celebrated pieces, and Shaw's Major Barbara - an ever relevant and potent play.

Come Back, Little Sheba, the heartfelt drama that launched William Inge's career and became a Broadway hit, begins previews today at the Shaw Festival's Royal George Theatre. Artistic Director Jackie Maxwell directs this powerful portrayal of flawed humanity and the enduring power of love. With this production, she adds a third work (Picnic (2001), Bus Stop (2005)) by the writer known as the "Playwright of the Midwest" to her directorial repertoire at The Shaw.

The Entertainer by John Osborne comes to the Shaw Festival at the Studio Theatre through September 20. It started its run on July 31, 2009.

For its 2009 season, The Shaw takes on a monumental and historic project with full productions of each play in Noel Coward?s famous Tonight at 8:30 collection. The Shaw?s 2009 productions represent the first time all ten short plays have been performed in repertory by a professional company since they were first produced by London?s Phoenix Theatre in 1935-36. The plays will be performed in sets of three, one on each of the Festival?s Niagara-on-the-Lake stages, with the tenth, the rarely produced Star Chamber, being the lunchtime production in the Royal George. And to celebrate this idea for the event that it is, on two separate occasions, we will present all ten in one day ? an event we are appropriately naming ?Mad Dogs and Englishmen?.