Tag Archives: Freewill Shakespeare Festival

Violent kids, bad parents? These Words Like Daggers: A Chamber Opera For Gertrude, at Springboards

Posted on March 29, 2026 by Liz Nicholls

By Liz Nicholls, 12thnight.ca “These words like daggers enter in mine ears….” Hamlet, III, iv, the Closet Scene What happens when you look at the world, and the violence perpetrated by kids, through the lens of their (shocked, or appalled, … Continue reading →

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Celebrating playmakers: Springboards, Workshop West’s signature new play festival, is back

Posted on March 23, 2026 by Liz Nicholls

By Liz Nicholls, 12thnight.ca Springboards springs back this week. And with it our chance to catch new Canadian plays-in-progress, a whole bunch of them at every stage of their evolution, as they meet an audience — us! — for the … Continue reading →

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Intermission’s over! Act II of the theatre season, and 10 shows too intriguing to miss

Posted on January 10, 2026 by Liz Nicholls

By Liz Nicholls, 12thnight.ca Intermission’s over, and Act II of the theatre season is about to begin. Your nights out at the theatre are in progress. Rehearsals are happening in theatres across town. At Shadow (opening Jan. 22) Michael Peng … Continue reading →

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2025: the year in Edmonton theatre, part 2

Posted on January 5, 2026 by Liz Nicholls

By Liz Nicholls, 12thnight.ca 2025: here’s a small selection of performances, design inspirations, moments, experiences, bright ideas (in no particular order) that have stayed with me. You will have your own personal assortment (feel free to let your mind wander … Continue reading →

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On the street where she lived, stories from childhood: Morningside Road, a new Celtic musical, premieres at Shadow

Posted on October 13, 2025 by Liz Nicholls

By Liz Nicholls, 12thnight.ca The through-line of Mhairi Berg’s childhood was stories — fascinating, first-hand stories told to her by her Scottish grandmother about growing up in Edinburgh. “I didn’t realize how important they were to me,” says Berg, “But … Continue reading →

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Fun at camp: Freewill goes for the bold strokes in As You Like It. A review

Posted on July 1, 2025 by Liz Nicholls

By Liz Nicholls, 12thnight.ca The first hint that Freewill Shakespeare’s As You Like It will go for the bold strokes is that Orlando (the magnetic Braydon Dowler-Coltman), in ball cap and sunglasses, roars up to the stage, to an overture … Continue reading →

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Troy O’Donnell has a history with the Freewill Shakespeare Festival, and this year’s As You Like It

Posted on June 26, 2025 by Liz Nicholls

By Liz Nicholls, 12thnight.ca The play that opens Friday in a park overlooking the river valley is all about finding yourself on an excursion to the great outdoors, “the green world.” No wonder the Freewill Shakespeare Festival, which has gone … Continue reading →

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Once more unto the park in 2026? Freewill Shakespeare Festival launches a ‘save the fest’ campaign

Posted on May 12, 2025 by Liz Nicholls

By Liz Nicholls, 12thnight.ca For 35 summers the Freewill Shakespeare Festival has been banishing the winters of our discontent (not to mention, bringing on joy and mirth, and generally inspiring a holiday humour). Summer Shakespeare à la Freewill is a … Continue reading →

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We’ve lost a remarkable theatre artist: a tribute to the late great John Wright

Posted on February 1, 2025 by Liz Nicholls

By Liz Nicholls, 12thnight.ca With the passing of John Wright last weekend, far too soon at 74, the Canadian theatre and its audiences have lost not only a superb artist and mentor but an engaging, authentic, real-life character with a … Continue reading →

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‘A wonder of an actor’: with the death of Julien Arnold, we’ve lost one of our best, and most loved, theatre artists

Posted on January 8, 2025 by Liz Nicholls

In honour of the late Julien Arnold, I’m re-posting my 12thnight tribute of Nov. 25.  Thursday night at the Citadel (7:30 p.m. in the Maclab Theatre) we celebrate the life of this exceptional theatre artist. If you can’t make it … Continue reading →

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