Author Archives: Liz Nicholls

A different show every night: Request Programme, the wordless 50th anniversary finale at Northern Light, a preview

Posted on April 30, 2026 by Liz Nicholls

By Liz Nicholls, 12thnight.ca When the director says “it’s not really directing,” you know something’s up. “It’s more like supervision, or guidance, or something … or air traffic control?” says Trevor Schmidt of his production of Request Programme, the highly … Continue reading →

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”I started to see rhymes everywhere!” Jessy Ardern talks about her new verse adaptation of Cyrano de Bergerac, at the Citadel

Posted on April 29, 2026 by Liz Nicholls

By Liz Nicholls, 12thnight.ca “All the fun stuff,” says Edmonton actor/playwright Jessy Ardern says of her initial attraction to Cyrano de Bergerac. “Sword fights, and romance, and war, and arrogant rich people getting their comeuppance….” Ah yes, and a famously … Continue reading →

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‘We couldn’t have done what we did anywhere else’: Northern Light co-founder Scott Swan looks back 50 years later

Posted on April 23, 2026 by Liz Nicholls

By Liz Nicholls, 12thnight.ca “We couldn’t have done what we did anywhere else!” declares Scott Swan. He’s talking about Edmonton, and the persistently adventurous and surprising little theatre company he and three of his best friends, West Coasters all, co-founded … Continue reading →

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Kicking off your Sunday shoes: Footloose at the Mayfield, a review

Posted on April 19, 2026 by Liz Nicholls

By Liz Nicholls, 12thnight.ca Strange how it happens…. You’re all set to kick off your Sunday shoes for some rockin’ showbiz nostalgia, a young rebel with a quaint 40-year-old cause, and a truly contagious theme song. And then, suddenly, you’re … Continue reading →

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Two self-portraits onstage: Beth Graham & Brian Webb at Theatre Network

Posted on April 15, 2026 by Liz Nicholls

By Liz Nicholls, 12thnight.ca One of the season’s most unusual collaborations happens Thursday (through Saturday) at Theatre Network when two of the country’s most accomplished and adventurous artists take to the stage. Together. But apart. Beth Graham and Brian Webb … Continue reading →

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‘Tell me more about myself.’ It’s the future already, and AI is editing the past for us: Marjorie Prime at the Varscona, a review

Posted on April 13, 2026 by Liz Nicholls

By Liz Nicholls, 12thnight.ca “I’ll be right here, Marjorie. Whenever you need me. I have all the time in the world,” says a man named Walter sympathetically to the 85-year old woman (Maureen Rooney) in the comfy chair. That’s the … Continue reading →

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In the touch of a hand, a window on the world opens: Casey and Diana at the Citadel, a review

Posted on April 11, 2026 by Liz Nicholls

By Liz Nicholls, 12thnight.ca At the big, expansive heart of Nick Green’s Casey and Diana is a haunting mystery. Where does hope come from, really? What form can it possibly take, in the final countdown of life? Green’s exquisitely crafted … Continue reading →

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‘Come for the AI, stay for the human drama’: Trunk Theatre brings Marjorie Prime to the Varscona

Posted on April 10, 2026 by Liz Nicholls

By Liz Nicholls, 12thnight.ca Amy DeFelice didn’t know this. When you phone her cell, as I did this week, a glossy automated voice intervenes, to ask you to state your name and the reason for your call. “And I’ll see … Continue reading →

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Rat-free? No way. Fingers and Shrimp are back in a Rat Academy double-feature: a big week of openings in E-town

Posted on April 8, 2026 by Liz Nicholls

By Liz Nicholls, 12thnight.ca In a self-proclaimed rat-free province they’re scrappy outliers, up against it in a hostile world. But the rat underground persists (call it a rodent infestation but only if you’re classist). In an unusual cross-town double-feature Batrabbit … Continue reading →

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A princess takes off the gloves: the Diana Effect. Nick Green’s Casey and Diana at the Citadel. Meet the playwright.

Posted on April 7, 2026 by Liz Nicholls

By Liz Nicholls, 12thnight.ca In 1991, as the AIDS crisis gained momentum, Princess Diana visited the residents of Casey House, Toronto’s groundbreaking AIDS hospice. And everything about that visit, including Diana’s very public display of compassion and warmth, helped move … Continue reading →

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