Let's Get This Shaw on the Road

Shaw Festival
  • 5.0 (8)
  • Performing Arts
  • Weekly

The Shaw Festival, North America's premiere repertory theatre company, brings you an inside look at the craft of theatre through candid conversations with Canada’s top theatre artists. From acting and directing to design and music, we take you behind the scenes of world-class productions, giving theatre lovers an intimate and deeper understanding of the creativity that brings stories to life.

  1. 4h ago

    A Christmas Carol: Sanjay Talwar & Tim Carroll in Conversation

    Artistic director TC and actor Sanjay Talwar join Spike to discuss bringing the Shaw Festival's production of A Christmas Carol to Toronto's Harbourfront Centre.  The duo pulls back the curtain on the practical challenges of adapting the show for a different performance space, rethinking major elements, and exploring the deep emotional core and surprising musical choices that bring Dickens' classic fable to life.  Holiday theme song written and performed by Travis Seetoo featuring the Shaw Festival Gospel Choir under the direction of Jeremiah Sparks. Tickets to all of our shows are available now at shawfest.com.  Hosted by Alexis Milligan Produced by Kelly Wong Original Music by Travis Seetoo We want to hear from you! Drop us a line at podcast@shawfest.com

    A Christmas Carol: Sanjay Talwar & Tim Carroll in Conversation

  2. Nov 5

    A Year With Frog and Toad: Ryan deSouza & Kerry Gage in Conversation

    What happens when longtime creative partners reunite to bring a beloved family musical back to the stage? Shaw's newly appointed music director Ryan deSouza and choreographer Kerry Gage discuss the return of A Year With Frog and Toad to the Shaw Festival.  The duo trace their friendship and history of collaborating on theatre projects, exploring Kerry's natural evolution from a lifelong ballet dancer to a choreographer, and Ryan's remarkable 26-year journey with the festival. They pull back the curtain on the magic of mounting an intimate, acoustic, jazz-infused show in the Courthouse, the unique joy of having the band right there on stage with the actors, and why creating a gateway theatrical experience for young audiences matters more than ever.  Kelly's memorization app, Line Run, is available for iPhone now. Holiday theme song written and performed by Travis Seetoo featuring the Shaw Festival Gospel Choir under the direction of Jeremiah Sparks. Tickets to all of our shows are available now at shawfest.com.  Hosted by Alexis Milligan Produced by Kelly Wong Original Music by Travis Seetoo We want to hear from you! Drop us a line at podcast@shawfest.com

    A Year With Frog and Toad: Ryan deSouza & Kerry Gage in Conversation

  3. Jul 30

    Branden Jacobs-Jenkins in Conversation

    What happens when a Pulitzer Prize and Tony Award winning playwright decides to take on the unexpectedly twisted world of fairy tales? Branden Jacobs-Jenkins joins us to discuss his new work at the Shaw Festival.  Jacobs-Jenkins pulls back the curtain on crafting a show from scratch with a new ensemble of actors, the pure magic of spontaneous puppet design, and why storytelling remains an ancient, living art form. It is an insightful and hilarious conversation about honouring old traditions while daring to rewrite the rules.  Branden Jacobs-Jenkins joins the Shaw Festival as the writer and director of A New Work in Progress. An internationally acclaimed playwright and theatre artist, his celebrated works include Purpose, Appropriate, The Comeuppance and Gloria. His plays Everybody and An Octoroon have been produced here at the Shaw Festival. Branden is a Professor in the Practice at Yale University and serves as the Vice President of the Dramatists Guild council. He is the recipient of two Tony Awards, a Pulitzer Prize, a MacArthur "Genius" Fellowship, the Windham-Campbell Prize for Drama, and the inaugural Tennessee Williams Award. Tickets to all of our shows are available now at shawfest.com.  Hosted by Alexis Milligan Produced by Kelly Wong Original Music by Travis Seetoo We want to hear from you! Drop us a line at podcast@shawfest.com

    Branden Jacobs-Jenkins in Conversation

  4. Jul 23

    Amadeus - Tom Rooney & Michael Therriault in Conversation

    What happens when actors have to perform two completely different masterpieces at the exact same time? Actors Tom and Michael join host Spike to talk about pulling double duty at the Shaw Festival in Amadeus and Heartbreak House. The two share stories from their earliest acting gigs before diving into what it actually takes to bounce between two massive scripts every day. They break down the literal physical challenge of acting on a steep, slanted stage, the trick to making centuries-old language sound natural, and how they find the human heart inside the legendary rivalry of Salieri and Mozart. It is a candid look at the messy, exhausting, and deeply rewarding reality of live repertory theatre. Tom Rooney returns for his 4th season at the Shaw Festival, appearing in both Heartbreak House and Amadeus. Since joining the Shaw ensemble, Tom has delighted audiences in My Fair Lady, The Apple Cart, and Cyrano de Bergerac. A highly celebrated actor, he spent 14 seasons with the Stratford Festival and has starred in numerous hit productions at Crow's Theatre, including Uncle Vanya and Fifteen Dogs. Tom is a Dora and Sterling Award winner, whose extensive film and television credits include Transplant, Under the Banner of Heaven, and Guillermo del Toro’s Cabinet of Curiosities. Michael Therriault celebrates his 5th season at the Shaw Festival, pulling double duty in Heartbreak House and Amadeus. His memorable Shaw credits include Me and My Girl, Anything Goes, and Rope. Michael is a prominent fixture of both the Canadian and international stage, having starred in The Lord of the Rings in Toronto and the West End, The Producers for Mirvish, and Fiddler on the Roof on Broadway, alongside a prolific multi-season tenure at the Stratford Festival. His screen work includes notable roles in Fellow Travelers, Chucky, Locke & Key, and Murdoch Mysteries. Tickets to all of our shows are available now at shawfest.com.  Hosted by Alexis Milligan Produced by Kelly Wong Original Music by Travis Seetoo We want to hear from you! Drop us a line at podcast@shawfest.com

    Amadeus - Tom Rooney & Michael Therriault in Conversation

  5. Jul 16

    An Afternoon with Stephen Fry - Part Two

    On the second part of the conversation, Stephen sits down with Tim Carroll for an expansive, witty, and remarkably honest Q&A session. This conversation was recorded live at the Shaw Festival in February 2026. Stephen Fry is an award-winning English actor, author, and playwright whose connection to the Shaw Festival includes adapting the book for Me and My Girl and creating his solo trilogy Mythos, directed by Tim Carroll. A legendary figure in British pop culture from Blackadder to QI to The Traitors, Fry famously embodied the definitive screen version of Jeeves alongside Hugh Laurie in the 1990s television adaptation Jeeves and Wooster. He shares a deep, decades-long artistic relationship with Shaw Artistic Director Tim Carroll, which includes collaborating on the West End and Broadway transfers of the historic Globe Theatre productions of Twelfth Night and Richard III. Tickets to all of our shows are available now at shawfest.com.  Hosted by Alexis Milligan Produced by Kelly Wong Original Music by Travis Seetoo We want to hear from you! Drop us a line at podcast@shawfest.com

    An Afternoon with Stephen Fry - Part Two

  6. Jul 16

    An Afternoon with Stephen Fry - Part One

    On the first of our special two part episode, Stephen Fry takes us from his isolated childhood in Norfolk and the realization that language was his ultimate superpower, to the transformative discovery of Oscar Wilde that helped him embrace his identity. This conversation was recorded live at the Shaw Festival in February 2026. Stephen Fry is an award-winning English actor, author, and playwright whose connection to the Shaw Festival includes adapting the book for Me and My Girl and creating his solo trilogy Mythos, directed by Tim Carroll. A legendary figure in British pop culture from Blackadder to QI to The Traitors, Fry famously embodied the definitive screen version of Jeeves alongside Hugh Laurie in the 1990s television adaptation Jeeves and Wooster. He shares a deep, decades-long artistic relationship with Shaw Artistic Director Tim Carroll, which includes collaborating on the West End and Broadway transfers of the historic Globe Theatre productions of Twelfth Night and Richard III. Tickets to all of our shows are available now at shawfest.com.  Hosted by Alexis Milligan Produced by Kelly Wong Original Music by Travis Seetoo We want to hear from you! Drop us a line at podcast@shawfest.com

    An Afternoon with Stephen Fry - Part One

  7. Jul 9

    Ohio State Murders: Philip Akin & Sophia Walker in Conversation

    What happens when a creative team strips down a complex, surrealist masterwork to its rawest essentials? Director Philip Akin and actor Sophia Walker join movement director Spike to discuss their upcoming production of Adrienne Kennedy’s Ohio State Murders. The semi-autobiographical play follows a celebrated writer who returns to her alma mater, only to unravel a history of deep personal trauma and institutional racism. Philip Akin returns to the Shaw Festival to direct Ohio State Murders. He has previously helmed several defining Shaw productions, including The House That Will Not Stand, Gem of the Ocean, Trouble in Mind, and "Master Harold"...and the Boys. A legendary figure in Canadian theatre, Philip recently directed the acclaimed Canadian premiere of The Lehman Brothers Trilogy at Canadian Stage. His pioneering career has been recognized with numerous honors, including the Premier’s Award for Excellence in the Arts, the Toronto Theatre Critics Award for Best Director, the Central Ontario Theatre Conference Lifetime Membership Award, and is a Member of the Order of Canada. Sophia Walker enters her 3rd season at the Shaw Festival, appearing in Ohio State Murders and A New Work in Progress. Shaw audiences previously saw her powerful performances in The House That Will Not Stand and Gem of the Ocean. A veteran of the Canadian stage, Sophia spent 12 seasons with the Stratford Festival and has starred in recent contemporary hits like Fairview and Slave Play at Canadian Stage. On screen, she plays Councillor Liz Harding in Law & Order Toronto: Criminal Intent and has held recurring roles in Y: The Last Man and Shadowhunters. Tickets to all of our shows are available now at shawfest.com.  Hosted by Alexis Milligan Produced by Kelly Wong Original Music by Travis Seetoo We want to hear from you! Drop us a line at podcast@shawfest.com

    Ohio State Murders: Philip Akin & Sophia Walker in Conversation

  8. Jul 2

    Heartbreak House: Tim Carroll, Ximena Pinilla and Claudio Vena in Conversation

    What happens when a creative team strips away the clutter of a turn-of-the-century classic to find its modern, urgent heartbeat? Director Tim Carroll, set and costume designer Ximena Pinilla, and composer Claudio Vena sit down with movement director Alexis Milligan to pull back the curtain on their minimalist reimagining of George Bernard Shaw’s Heartbreak House. Tim Carroll marks his 11th season as the Artistic Director of the Shaw Festival, directing Heartbreak House, Amadeus, and A Christmas Carol this year. Since taking the artistic helm, Tim has directed acclaimed Shaw productions such as Flush, Gnit, The Importance of Being Earnest, and Desire Under the Elms. His illustrious international career includes directing the Tony-nominated Broadway productions of Twelfth Night and Richard III starring Mark Rylance. A former associate director at Shakespeare’s Globe, Tim has staged productions for the Stratford Festival, the Royal Shakespeare Company, and opera houses and national theatres worldwide. Ximena Pinilla returns for her 3rd season at the Shaw Festival as the set and costume designer for Heartbreak House, as well as the design assistant for A New Work in Progress by Branden Jacobs-Jenkins. Her previous design footprints at Shaw include serving as the set designer for A Recluse and His Guest and The Anger in Ernest and Ernestine. A graduate of the National Theatre School of Canada, Ximena’s diverse design credits span theatre, contemporary dance, and opera across Canada, alongside production and costume design work for independent films like Clara! and Soleil de nuit. Claudio Vena brings his musical mastery to the Shaw Festival for Heartbreak House as the music director, composer, and sound designer. His extensive history with Shaw includes creating original music and soundscapes for Gnit, Everybody, and Saint Joan. A Gemini Award winner and two-time Juno nominee, Claudio is the current music director of the Phoenix Orchestra and a founder of the renowned Quartetto Gelato. His diverse career spans conducting for the Stratford Festival and the Canadian Opera Company, scoring films like TO in 24, and performing alongside legendary vocalists including Pavarotti, Domingo, and Bocelli. Tickets to all of our shows are available now at shawfest.com.  Hosted by Alexis Milligan Produced by Kelly Wong Original Music by Travis Seetoo We want to hear from you! Drop us a line at podcast@shawfest.com

    Heartbreak House: Tim Carroll, Ximena Pinilla and Claudio Vena in Conversation
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The Shaw Festival, North America's premiere repertory theatre company, brings you an inside look at the craft of theatre through candid conversations with Canada’s top theatre artists. From acting and directing to design and music, we take you behind the scenes of world-class productions, giving theatre lovers an intimate and deeper understanding of the creativity that brings stories to life.

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