SUCH SWEET THUNDER, SLINGS AND ARROWS Spinoff Reading is Coming to Stratford Festival

The Meighen Forum offers audiences an exciting opportunity to explore the creative forces and unforgettable experiences at the heart of its July programming. From exclusive behind-the-scenes access during Season Deep Dive Week to the exhilarating sounds of The Brian Barlow Big Band celebrating Duke Ellington's Shakespeare-inspired masterpiece Such Sweet Thunder, and a special one-night-only reading of The Amateurs, A New Television series in development from the celebrated creators of Slings and Arrows, the month offers a rich and engaging program of events for theatre lovers and music enthusiasts alike.

Season Deep Dive Week offers a rare opportunity to venture beyond the stage and discover the artistry and collaboration that bring Stratford Festival productions to life. Through a series of engaging conversations and presentations, audiences will meet directors, actors, professional dancers, wardrobe specialists and skilled craftspeople who transform creative visions into unforgettable theatrical experiences. Together, these events shine a light on the remarkable talent and craftsmanship that fuel the magic of live theatre.

Music lovers won't want to miss Stratford Swings Ellington with The Brian Barlow Big Band, an unforgettable evening celebrating one of jazz's greatest visionaries. Joined by acclaimed vocalist Heather Bambrick, this electrifying 15-piece ensemble brings to life Duke Ellington's Such Sweet Thunder, the legendary Shakespeare-inspired suite he composed following his visit to the Stratford Festival in 1956. Blending the energy of big band jazz with the timeless spirit of Shakespeare, this exhilarating concert promises an evening of world-class musicianship.

Preview A New Television series in development from the celebrated creators of Slings and Arrows. In The Amateurs, writers Susan Coyne, Bob Martin and Mark McKinney lead a cast of Festival company members in a special one-night-only reading. Set in rural Ontario, this heartfelt and funny story follows a determined group of dreamers as they attempt to launch a Shakespeare festival that may one day capture international attention. Directed by Chris Abraham and presented in collaboration with Crow's Theatre, this unique event offers audiences an exciting glimpse into a new work at an early stage of development.

The 2026 Meighen Forum will also include fan favourites such as Backstage Tours, Lobby Talks, Peer into the Playbill and Monday Night Music.

Celebrated Speakers

The Enduring Magic of Guys and Dolls

Lazaridis Hall, Tom Patterson Theatre
Thursday, July 2
10:30 a.m. to noon

An exclusive conversation featuring veteran director Donna Feore and acclaimed writer and essayist, Adam Gopnik, moderated by The Guardian's Stage Editor, Chris Wiegand. Audiences will enjoy an inside look at the artistry and cultural impact of one of Broadway's greatest musicals, Guys and Dolls. This fun and exciting conversation will explore the show's 76‑year legacy, its enduring characters and music, and the reasons it continues to captivate theatre‑goers across generations. 

The Tempest Today: Healthcare, Finance, and Human Systems

Lazaridis Hall, Tom Patterson Theatre
Saturday July 4
10:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m.

What can The Tempest teach us about modern systems of power, and how can the play be used as a lens to examine and reimagine two critical contemporary systems in crisis: healthcare and finance? Join Laurette Dubé, founder of the McGill Centre for Health and Economics; Paul Yachnin, Tomlinson Professor of Shakespeare Studies; financial expert and social entrepreneur Zita Cobb; and acclaimed playwright Ann-Marie Macdonald for a conversation in partnership with McGill University.

Wisdom Across Generations: A Conversation with Elders

Lazaridis Hall, Tom Patterson Theatre
Sunday July 5
10:30 a.m. to noon

This powerful conversation on the wisdom we inherit and the connections that shape us explores how shared knowledge, lived experience and meaningful relationships across generations strengthen communities. With Elders Elizabeth Stevens from Chippewas of Kettle and Stony Point First Nation; Reta Sands, Language Specialist from Bkejwanong; Shirley Horn, from Missanabie Cree First Nation; and Minnie Akparook, a retired Inuk nurse, this dialogue invites us to consider what society can learn from Indigenous multi-generational practices – and how listening to the past can guide us toward a more grounded, connected future.

Take the “A” Train… to Stratford

Lazaridis Hall, Tom Patterson Theatre
Saturday July 11
5:30 p.m. to 7:00 p.m.

From 1956 to 1958, the Stratford Festival stages, usually occupied by Shakespearean actors, also hosted jazz legends such as Duke Ellington, Oscar Peterson and Billie Holiday. Why did these artists come here, what was the cultural significance of these concerts, and what broader implications did they have on the Canadian jazz scene? Join professor Eric Fillion, musician and writer Melvin Gibbs and journalist, producer and co-founder of Jazzcast Garvia Bailey as they explore the history of jazz at the Stratford Festival.

Forum Performances

Adam Gopnik's Talk Therapy

Lazaridis Hall, Tom Patterson Theatre
Friday July 3 and Saturday July 4
Varying times

In this one-man show, beloved New Yorker writer Adam Gopnik traces a life in New York, from his first glimpse of the Guggenheim Museum on its opening day, to his departure from Canada on a night bus with his girlfriend, soon to be wife, Martha, through the strangest, and perhaps final, psycho-analysis in Manhattan history – while all the while making surprising diversions into such subjects as the history of snowflakes, the erotic aura of rats to Marcel Proust, and the surprising linguistic turns of texting in family life. Called "Hilarious and wise" by the New York Times, the show combines Gopnik's signature wit and charm with a searching inquiry into how our lives, which we imagine as directional arrows, end up always as inward turning circles. 

Season Deep Dive Week

July 6 to 12

Join Festival artists and creatives for a series of behind-the-scenes talks about the work involved in creating the productions on our stages.

While We Wait: A Conversation with the Cast of Waiting for Godot

Lazaridis Hall, Tom Patterson Theatre
Friday July 10
10:30 a.m. to noon

In this panel discussion moderated by director Molly Atkinson, join the team behind this season's limited-run production of Waiting for Godot as they reveal how they bring absurdity to life. Paul Gross, Tom McCamus, Jonathan Goad and David W. Keeley will discuss the rehearsal process, how they stay grounded in the show's uncertain world, and what this play can tell us today, 71 years after its English-language debut.

Behind the Seams: The Art of Costume Building

Lazaridis Hall, Tom Patterson Theatre
Saturday, July 11
10:30 a.m. to noon

Step behind the scenes with design coordinator Lindsay Forde and members of our wardrobe team to celebrate the artistry of costume-making. Discover how skilled hands, creative vision and extraordinary craftsmanship transform fabric and imagination into the stunning costumes that light up our stages. This event offers a rare glimpse into the remarkable talent of our artisans.

High Performance: Comparing Dancers and Athletes

Lazaridis Hall, Tom Patterson Theatre
Sunday July 12
10:30 a.m. to noon

From the stage to the arena, the demands of peak physical performance are remarkably similar. This panel, moderated by award-winning choreographer Stephanie Graham, with guests Greg Alcock, Director of Physiotherapy Fowler Kennedy Sport Medicine Clinic; performing arts physiotherapist Tim Buckley; and seasoned dancer Jason Sermonia. They will explore the athleticism of dance and compare the discipline, dedication and conditioning required of professional dancers and athletes.

Film Screening

Antoni Cimolino: Staging Greatness

Lazaridis Hall, Tom Patterson Theatre
Friday, July 10
7:00 p.m. to 9:00 p.m.

Fresh off the Hot Docs film festival, come watch This Above All: The Theatrical Life of Antoni Cimolino. Antoni, the Stratford Festival's longest-serving artistic director, began his Festival journey as an actor four decades ago. As he prepares for his final season, this documentary offers an exclusive insight as Antoni reflects on his legacy. With candid and powerful interviews from actors, directors and collaborators, the film presents a raw portrait of a leader closing an extraordinary chapter while paving the way for the Festival's future.

Special Concert

Stratford Swings Ellington with The Brian Barlow Big Band

Lazaridis Hall, Tom Patterson Theatre
Monday, July 13
7:30 p.m. to 9:30 p.m.

Experience jazz like never before as The Brian Barlow Big Band and vocalist Heather Bambrick ignite the Festival stage. This performance celebrates Duke Ellington's Such Sweet Thunder, his Shakespeare-inspired suite born from his 1956 visit to the Stratford Festival, showcasing a unique fusion of jazz and Shakespeare. This electrifying 15-piece ensemble unleashes swing, sophistication and theatrical flair in tribute to Ellington's genius.

Sexsmith Sings Lightfoot SOLD OUT

Tom Patterson Theatre
Monday, July 27
7:30 p.m.

Three-time Juno Award-winning songwriter Ron Sexsmith returns to the Stratford Festival's Meighen Forum with Sexsmith Sings Lightfoot, a tribute to his hero Gordon Lightfoot. The show will feature songs from Lightfoot's catalogue, along with personal anecdotes woven in. After three sold-out performances in Toronto in early 2025, Ron is delighted to bring this heartfelt show to the Tom Patterson Theatre.

CBC Ideas Week: How to Defeat Authoritarianism

July 15 to 19

One of our most in-demand series is back! Sold out in past seasons, CBC Ideas now returns with five fresh and thought-provoking conversations, hosted by Nahlah Ayed.

How do authoritarian leaders use threats, illusions and force to seize and maintain power? And what does it take for truth and justice to prevail? Guided by host Nahlah Ayed, Ideas explores the rise and fall of four pivotal authoritarians and their regimes from recent world history, and asks what we can learn from their eventual downfall.

Benito Mussolini's Italy

Lazaridis Hall, Tom Patterson Theatre
Wednesday, July 15
10:30 a.m. to noon

The first officially fascist regime of the 20th century began in Italy in 1922. Italian fascists marched on Rome, demanding the removal of the prime minister. The king agreed and handed power to Benito Mussolini. Sustained by a cult of personality and iron-fisted suppression of dissent, Mussolini transformed the nation into a single-party state. Nahlah and panelists discuss the legacy of Italian fascism and its relevance today.

Idi Amin's Uganda

Lazaridis Hall, Tom Patterson Theatre
Thursday, July 16
10:30 a.m. to noon

After seizing power in a 1971 coup, Ugandan military commander Idi Amin initially promised a return to democracy and national stability. His rule quickly became a brutal dictatorship. Known for his erratic and sadistic behaviour, Amin's reign was defined by ethnic purges, forced expulsions and total economic collapse. Nahlah and panelists discuss the legacy of Idi Amin and the collision of personality and totalitarian politics.

Augusto Pinochet's Chile

Lazaridis Hall, Tom Patterson Theatre
Friday, July 17
10:30 a.m. to noon

In 1973, a committee, or “junta”, of Chile's military leaders put General Pinochet in charge of the country after the 1973 coup that killed socialist president Salvador Allende. Supported initially by the U.S., Pinochet tightened his grip on power, imprisoning and executing thousands of opponents and dissidents. Nahlah and panelists explore Pinochet's popularity with centre-right Western leaders, the referendum that removed him from power, and the story of his eventual arrest and trial. 

Bashar al-Assad's Syria

Lazaridis Hall, Tom Patterson Theatre
Saturday, July 18
10:30 a.m. to noon

In 2000, Bashar al-Assad became president of Syria, also known as the authoritarian “Kingdom of Fear” that his father Hafez al-Assad created three decades earlier. The younger Assad continued and intensified the use of imprisonment, torture and surveillance as tools of domination, and his violent crackdown on a pro-democracy revolution turned into a 13-year civil war. Nahlah and panelists discuss what we can learn about the rise, entrenchment and collapse of authoritarianism from Assad's rule and the 2024 collapse of his regime. 

Today's Authoritarians

Lazaridis Hall, Tom Patterson Theatre
Sunday July 19
10:30 a.m. to noon

Scholars describe our era as an age of resurgent global authoritarianism, driven by leaders who answer to no authority or law other than their own. Nahlah and panelists consider the rise of today's authoritarians – Trump, Putin, Kim Jong Un, Khamenei, Xi, Orban, Duterte and beyond – and what we can learn from history about how authoritarianism is ultimately challenged and defeated. 

Forum Performances

I'm the Greatest Starr… (But No One Knows It)

Lazaridis Hall, Tom Patterson Theatre
Friday, July 24
8:00 p.m. to 9:00 p.m.

I'm the Greatest Starr... is the HERstorical, timely, comedic cabaret of award-winning Canadian musical theatre actor Starr Domingue. Full of humour, harmony and heart, join Starr on a musical trip down memory lane as she weaves a tapestry of tales and tunes, navigating her way through this crazy business we call “show.”

Forum Staged Reading

The Amateurs

Festival Theatre
Sunday July 26
7:30 p.m.

Preview a new script in development by the celebrated creators of Slings & Arrows! Susan Coyne, Bob Martin, and Mark McKinney will lead a cast of Festival company members in a one-night-only reading of a new work.

Set in rural Ontario, The Amateurs tells a heartfelt, and funny origin story of a Shakespeare festival that will one day capture international attention … if it can get started. A small‑town journalist with big dreams gathers a determined group of locals to save their struggling community, sparking an artistic awakening no one sees coming.

This intimate reading offers a rare chance to experience the early stages of a new show that may or may not be inspired by the founding of your favourite theatre, which is almost certain to win many, many awards in the future. The evening will be directed by Festival favourite Chris Abraham and presented in collaboration with Crow's Theatre.

Spotlight Series with Graham Abbey

This series of conversations, hosted by Graham Abbey and featuring some of Canada's most celebrated actors, is dedicated to Nicholas Pennell, an iconic Festival performer. This series is supported in part by the Nicholas Pennell fund.

The Spotlight: Fools and Madmen

Lazaridis Hall, Tom Patterson Theatre
Thursday July 30
10:30 a.m. to noon

Step into the world of Shakespeare's fools, madmen and kings with host Graham Abbey and acclaimed actors David Collins, Tom McCamus and Geraint Wyn Davies. In this lively and revealing conversation, they share the secrets, stories and sparks of inspiration behind their most unforgettable roles.

Looking forward to August

Don't Miss a Toronto News Story
Sign up for all the news on the Summer season, discounts & more...