There's A Whole Lot Of Snogging Going On In The Shaw's STAGE KISS

Real life and fantasy collide head-on in the hilarious romantic romp Stage Kiss. Anita Rochon, in her Shaw Festival directing debut, helms this backstage farce by Pulitzer Prize finalist playwright Sarah Ruhl that begins previews April 11 at the Royal George Theatre.

When two bitter exes - She (Fiona Byrne) and He (Martin Happer) - are cast as passionate lovers in a forgotten 1930s melodrama, they find themselves dealing with desires they thought had faded away long ago. Unable to relinquish that loving feeling at Stage Door, they willingly succumb to the on-stage illusion off-stage.

Stage Kiss's set and costume designs by Gillian Gallow bounce from multiple locales and eras - a modern-day rehearsal hall to an opulent 1930s Art Nouveau-styled apartment to a grungy 1970s apartment to a theatre's backstage. These shifts between settings are supported by the creative team featuring lighting design by Louise Guinand, sound design and music by Thomas Ryder Payne; dance sequences by movement director Élodie Gillett and fight choreography by John Stead.

On stage at the Royal George Theatre (85 Queen Street, Niagara-on-the-Lake) from April 11 to September 1 (Media Premiere, May 9). Stage Kiss is proudly sponsored by CIBC.

The Shaw Festival's 2018 season is on stage April 4 with a playbill that features The Magician's Nephew, Grand Hotel, Mythos: A Trilogy - Gods. Heroes. Men., The Hound of the Baskervilles, Stage Kiss, Of Marriage and Men: A Comedy Double-Bill, O'Flaherty V.C., Oh What a Lovely War, The Orchard (After Chekhov), The Baroness and the Pig, Henry V, Secret Theatre and A Christmas Carol (on stage November 14 - December 23).

Direct bus service from Toronto to Niagara-on-the-Lake on the Shaw Express begins April 4. Patrons can choose to come for a day or stay for the weekend with a round trip costing $25. New this season: the Shaw Express will stay for two performances on some Saturdays - departing Toronto at 10 a.m. and leaving The Shaw at 11 p.m. Schedule is subject to change. Please confirm dates and times with the Shaw Festival Box Office. A ticket to a 2018 Shaw Festival performance is required to access this service.

To purchase tickets for the 2018 Festival season and Shaw Express, please contact the Shaw Festival Box Office at 1-800-511-SHAW and online at www.shawfest.com.

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