Whimsical WILDE TALES to Conjure Storybook Magic at Shaw Festival

Kate Hennig, who steps into the role of Associate Artistic Director later this season, adapts four of Oscar Wilde's tales - The Happy Prince, The Nightingale and the Rose, The Remarkable Rocket and The Selfish Giant - for the stage in Wilde Tales.

Children ages 6 to 12 can sign-up in advance for a one-hour pre-show workshop where they'll work with the cast to add their special touch to the Lunchtime performance. Directed by Christine Brubaker, Wilde Tales begins spinning its enchantment June 8 at the Shaw Festival's Court House Theatre.

Brought to life through puppetry, poetry, music and movement, Wilde Tales will delight and inspire the child within and calls forth a fantastical world where statues, birds and even fireworks have the power of eloquent witty speech. And yet, in the end, these stories are about the most human things of all: kindness, loss and love.

Jennifer Goodman's set design is inspired by Victorian-era children's toys and the illustrations of Arthur Rackham. Her unique and playful puppets were designed to encourage audience participation, while her costumes evoke a hint of the modern steampunk. Siobhán Sleath's lighting design and John Gzowski's music and sound design complete the charming transformation of the Court House Theatre into a garden of imagination.

Wilde Tales is on stage at the Court House Theatre (26 Queen Street, Niagara-on-the-Lake) from June 8 to October 7 (opening June 24). Youngsters can be signed up for the Wilde Tales Workshop by calling the Box Office at 1-800-511-SHAW (7429). The 60-minute workshop with the cast is $20 per child. The workshops are proudly sponsored by PPG Foundation.

Cast: (in alphabetical order)

Marion Day
Emily Lukasik
PJ Prudat
Sanjay Talwar
Jonathan Tan
Kelly Wong Catherine Wheel / Happy Prince / Lady Love / White Duck / Peach Tree
Squib / Mayor / Nightingale / Cherry Tree
Moon / Dragonfly / Belle
Remarkable Rocket / Red Rose-Tree / Little Boy
Worker / Reed / Frog / Student / Buster
Roman Candle / Swallow / Selfish Giant

Creative & Production:

Christine Brubaker - Director
Kate Hennig - Playwright
Jennifer Goodman - Designer
Siobhán Sleath - Lighting Designer
John Gzowski - Composer/Sound Designer
Mike Petersen - Puppet Consultant
Joanna Falck - Dramaturgy
Allan Teichman - Stage Manager
Théa Pel - Assistant Stage Manager
Katherine Dermott - Rehearsal Assistant Stage Manager

The Shaw Festival's 2017 season is on stage April 5 through October 15. The playbill features Me and My Girl, Saint Joan, Dracula, 1837: The Farmers' Revolt, Androcles and the Lion, Wilde Tales, The Madness of George III, Dancing at Lughnasa, An Octoroon, Middletown, 1979 and Secret Theatre.

Direct bus service from Toronto to Niagara-on-the-Lake on the Shaw Express began April 5. Patrons can choose to come for one day or stay for the weekend with a round trip costing $25. A ticket to a 2017 Shaw Festival performance is required to access this service.

Tickets for the 2017 Festival season and Shaw Express are available through the Box Office at 1-800-511-SHAW and online at www.shawfest.com.

The Shaw Festival celebrates the life and spirit of Bernard Shaw by creating theatre that is as entertaining and provocative as Shaw himself. For more information, visit www.shawfest.com.