Stageworthy

Stageworthy
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Now in its 10th year, Stageworthy is Canada’s theatre podcast, bringing you in-depth interviews with theatre artists, panel discussions, and more. Each week, host Phil Rickaby sits down with the people who make theatre happen: from household names to artists you should know. Whether you're an audience member, a theatre maker, or just plain curious about Canadian theatre, Stageworthy offers a front-row seat to the conversations shaping the industry. New episodes every Tuesday.

  1. 4h ago

    Sharry Flett Is Reflecting on 34 Seasons at the Shaw Festival

    About This Episode: Sharry Flett has spent 34 seasons at the Shaw Festival - long enough to have watched the company evolve through three artistic directors, raise a daughter who appeared on its stages, and welcome back former students she once coached as the people now directing her. In this conversation with host Phil Rickaby, Sharry reflects on what keeps drawing her back to Niagara-on-the-Lake, and what it felt like to walk into rehearsals for Wind in the Willows and find Fiona Sauder, André Morin, and fight director Jack Davidson Rennie - all artists she had mentored at George Brown College, now in positions of leadership. This episode explores: What it was like for Sharry to be directed by three former students she had coached at George Brown College; and how she navigated that full-circle moment Playing Rat in Wind in the Willows: how the original Kenneth Grahame book shaped her approach to the character Why performing for children demands complete honesty and commitment; and how that discipline serves actors in any room The Shaw Festival under three artistic directors: Christopher Newton, Jackie Maxwell, and Tim Carroll, and how the ensemble ethos has remained constant through each Sharry's path from medicine to music to theatre, including the moment picking up a flute sent electricity through her arm The importance of teaching; and what Sharry gains from students when she brings Shaw's language alive in the room And much more! Guest: Sharry Flett SHAW 2026: Funny Girl, The Wind in the Willows; 34th season. FOR THE SHAW: Anything Goes, May I Have The Pleasure?, My Fair Lady, The Secret Garden, The Apple Cart, The Clearing, The Doctor’s Dilemma, Everybody, Cyrano de Bergerac, Man and Superman, Me and My Girl, Uncle Vanya, The Philadelphia Story, Enchanted April, Lady Windermere’s Fan, Come Back Little Sheba, Maria Severa, Age of Arousal, Sunday in the Park with George, The Little Foxes, Getting Married, The Magic Fire, Major Barbara, The Autumn Garden, Floyd Collins, Misalliance, Rebecca, Joy, The Seagull, Hedda Gabler, Berkeley Square. (Selected Credits) ELSEWHERE: leading roles in theatres across Canada, including Katherine in The Taming of the Shrew, Miranda in The Tempest, Stratford Festival. FILM/TELEVISION: Grey Gardens, Shades of Black, Full House with Sharry Flett, Jane of Lantern Hill. AWARDS: Gemini nominations (best actress), War Brides and Suicide Murders, CBC; Paul Reynolds award, Shaw Festival; Tyrone Guthrie award, Stratford Festival. TEACHING: Shaw Festival, National Theatre School, George Brown Theatre School, Queen’s University, University of Toronto, Brock University. Subscribe & Follow: 🎧 Listen on Apple Podcasts | Spotify | Podchaser | Amazon Music | iHeart Radio 📺 Watch on YouTube – Like, subscribe & hit the notification bell! Support Stageworthy: If you love the show, consider supporting on Patreon: patreon.com/stageworthy Patrons get early access to episodes, participate in conversations about topics to cover, and more. With three backer levels: $2, $7, and $20. Thank you to my Patrons: Chris, Georgia, Heather J, Tanisha, Aisling, Cassie, Heather, Jeanette, Steve Can't commit to monthly support? Leave a one-time tip here: ko-fi.com/stageworthy Read transcript

  2. Aug 11

    Christopher Gaze is Sharing What It Takes to Build a Theatre Festival That Lasts

    About This Episode: Christopher Gaze is the founder and artistic director of Bard on the Beach, Vancouver's beloved outdoor Shakespeare festival now in its 37th season. In this conversation, Christopher talks with Phil about how a $35,000 co-op startup in 1990 grew into one of Canada's largest theatre companies, drawing 80,000 people a season to a pair of tented stages in Vanier Park overlooking English Bay and the mountains beyond. This episode explores: How Bard on the Beach began in 1990 with $35,000, a Canada Council Explorations Grant, and a company of 27 co-op members The influence of mentor Douglas Campbell: his force field in the audition room, his wilderness years, and why his name is on Bard's second stage Programming a season: from Douglas casually suggesting Twelfth Night over the phone to today's collaborative circle of senior theatre practitioners Goblin Oedipus, Antigone, and how Christopher was famously wrong about Goblin Macbeth (it sold out before opening night) And much more! Guest: 🎭 Christopher Gaze Christopher Gaze is best known as the Founder and Artistic Director of Bard on the Beach Shakespeare Festival, which celebrates its thirty-seventh season in 2026. He hosts the Vancouver Symphony Orchestra’s popular Tea & Trumpets series and also their annual Traditional Christmas concerts. Connect with Christopher Gaze: 📸 Instagram: @gazechristopher 📖 Buy The Road to Bard (Harbour Publishing) 🌐 Website: bardonthebeach.org 📸 Instagram: @bardonthebeach Subscribe & Follow: 🎧 Listen on Apple Podcasts | Spotify | Podchaser | Amazon Music | iHeart Radio 📺 Watch on YouTube – Like, subscribe & hit the notification bell! Support Stageworthy: If you love the show, consider supporting on Patreon: patreon.com/stageworthy Patrons get early access to episodes, participate in conversations about topics to cover, and more. With three backer levels: $2, $7, and $20. Thank you to my Patrons: Chris, Georgia, Heather J, Tanisha, Aisling, Cassie, Heather, Jeanette, Steve Can't commit to monthly support? Leave a one-time tip here: ko-fi.com/stageworthy Read transcript

  3. Aug 4

    Ming Hudson is Directing Antigone at Bard on the Beach

    About This Episode: Director Ming Hudson joins Phil Rickaby to talk about bringing Antigone to Bard on the Beach in Vancouver - a production seven years in the making, created collaboratively with playwright Kate Besworth. It's a minimalist, intimate reimagining of a 2,500-year-old story about a woman who does the right thing even when told not to, and Ming shares how it came together from a literal bonfire in rural Nova Scotia to the thrust stage at Bard. This episode explores: How a seven-year collaboration with playwright Kate Besworth shaped this bold, minimal production of Antigone The "arrow" model of non-hierarchical directing and why Ming loves saying "I don't know" Making her Bard on the Beach directing debut after years as a performer with the company The Edmonton Fringe, the Edinburgh Fringe, and why fringe festivals are essential to Canadian theatre ecology What D&D has taught Ming about vulnerability, play, and building stronger creative relationships And much more! Guest: 🎭 Ming Hudson Ming (she/her) is a Vancouver based artist who pays rent on the lands stolen from the Musqueam, Squamish, and Tsleil-Waututh Nations. For over 20 years, she has worked as a freelance performer, collaborative director, devised theatre creator, independent producer, and teaching artist on the West Coast, across Canada, and abroad. Her specializations are in physical theatre and the creation of new work as a collective ensemble. A graduate of the Creating Theatre and Performance program at LISPA (now arthaus.berlin), Ming also holds a MA in Ensemble Theatre (Rose Bruford), and a BFA in Acting (UVic). Ming has worked for: Bard on the Beach, Zee Zee Theatre, 25th Street Theatre, The Arts Club, Studio 58, SFU, UBC, Dell'Arte International, UVic, vAct, Two Planks and a Passion, TheatreOne, Chemainus Theatre Festival, CCPA, Gwaandak Theatre, Green Thumb Theatre, Theatre Replacement, Atomic Vaudeville, Firehall Arts Centre, Boca del Lupo, Concrete Theatre, and Kaleidoscope Theatre. She has also created eleven new shows, which have been performed in five different countries. Connect with Ming 🌐 website: www.minghudson.com 📸 Instagram: @hudsonfx Subscribe & Follow: 🎧 Listen on Apple Podcasts | Spotify | Podchaser | Amazon Music | iHeart Radio 📺 Watch on YouTube – Like, subscribe & hit the notification bell! Support Stageworthy: If you love the show, consider supporting on Patreon: patreon.com/stageworthy Patrons get early access to episodes, participate in conversations about topics to cover, and more. With three backer levels: $2, $7, and $20. Thank you to my Patrons: Chris, Georgia, Heather J, Tanisha, Aisling, Cassie, Heather, Jeanette, Steve Read transcript

  4. Jul 28

    Tim Carroll is making the Shaw Festival into a two-way conversation with its audience

    About This Episode: Tim Carroll has been the artistic director of the Shaw Festival for a decade, and in that time he's reshaped the festival's mandate, expanded its reach into the community, and built a company culture grounded in playfulness, humility, and genuine artistic ambition. This episode explores: How Tim balances directing two major productions, Heartbreak House and Amadeus, in a single season, and why Tom Rooney is at the centre of both The economics of theatre: why even one of Canada's largest festivals relies on donations for half its income, and how a small-audience show can be as valuable as a sellout musical Why Tim abolished the Shaw Festival's mandate and replaced it with a mission; and what that difference actually means in practice How working at Shakespeare's Globe with Mark Rylance shaped every aspect of Tim's directing philosophy, from shared light to trusting the unexpected And much more! Guest: 🎭 Tim Carroll im Carroll currently serves as Artistic Director of The Shaw Festival at Niagara-on-the-Lake, a position he's held since 2017. Carroll may be best known for his years as Associate Director at London’s Globe Theatre, in particular for his productions of Richard III and Twelfth Night, starring Mark Rylance, for whose Broadway run in the 2013-14 season he was Tony-nominated and Mark Rylance won the Tony Award for Best Featured Actor. Carroll worked with the English Shakespeare Company before serving as the artistic director of the Northcott Theatre in Exeter. Carroll also served as the artistic director for the Kent Opera, and he is a founding member of the experimental theatre group the Factory in London. Carroll’s directing work has spanned not only the Globe but the globe, from theatres in Hungary, Norway, Portugal, Romania, and Canada! Subscribe & Follow: 🎧 Listen on Apple Podcasts | Spotify | Podchaser | Amazon Music | iHeart Radio 📺 Watch on YouTube – Like, subscribe & hit the notification bell! Support Stageworthy: If you love the show, consider supporting on Patreon: patreon.com/stageworthy Patrons get early access to episodes, participate in conversations about topics to cover, and more. With three backer levels: $2, $7, and $20. Thank you to my Patrons: Chris, Georgia, Heather J, Tanisha, Aisling, Cassie, Heather, Jeanette, Steve Read transcript

  5. Jul 21

    Ryan McCollom is Making Canadian Theatre Impossible to Ignore

    About This Episode: Ryan McCollom is a Toronto-based theatre content creator behind the popular TikTok and Instagram account Plates and Playbills, and he's on a mission to get more people through the doors of indie and smaller professional theatres across the city. What started as personal documentation of his own growing love of theatre has evolved into a platform dedicated to closing the gap between the big Mirvish productions most people know and the rich, underserved world of indie and community theatre that most audiences don't even know exists. This episode explores: How Ryan went from cooking videos during COVID to becoming one of Toronto's most visible theatre content creators The difference between being a theatre critic and a theatre commentator and why Ryan is careful about that line Why the Stratford Festival was the wake-up call that made Ryan realize theatre needed younger audiences now What indie theatres could be doing on social media to reach new audiences without spending a dime Canadian cultural cringe in the performing arts: why audiences wait for American or British validation before embracing homegrown work And much more! Guest: 🎭 Ryan McCollom Ryan is a Toronto-based content creator dedicated to making theatre more accessible and approachable for new audiences while also encouraging seasoned theatre-goers to explore smaller professional companies and indie productions. While his coverage primarily focuses on the Toronto theatre scene, Ryan also documents his travels and the productions he experiences around the world, sharing an honest perspective as an everyday theatre fan. Connect with Ryan: 📸 Instagram: @platesandplaybills_ 🎥 TikTok: @platesandplaybills_ Subscribe & Follow: 🎧 Listen on Apple Podcasts | Spotify | Podchaser | Amazon Music | iHeart Radio 📺 Watch on YouTube – Like, subscribe & hit the notification bell! Support Stageworthy: If you love the show, consider supporting on Patreon: patreon.com/stageworthy Patrons get early access to episodes, participate in conversations about topics to cover, and more. With three backer levels: $2, $7, and $20. Thank you to my Patrons: Chris, Georgia, Heather J, Tanisha, Aisling, Cassie, Heather, Jeanette, Steve Read transcript

  6. Jul 14

    Peter Fernandes is Making His Directing Debut at the Shaw Festival with Sleuth

    About This Episode: Peter Fernandes is many things at once: an award-winning actor, a magic and illusions designer, and now a first-time director at one of Canada's most celebrated theatre festivals. In this conversation, Peter joins Phil to talk about what it's like to make your directing debut with Sleuth at the Shaw Festival, a mystery that demands the same sleight-of-hand thinking Peter has honed as a magic practitioner. The terror of stepping into a new role, the joy of being trusted with it, and the surprise of discovering how much his illusion work shaped his directorial instincts. This episode explores: Directing Sleuth at the Shaw Festival as a debut; and why pure excitement quickly turned to terror How magic and illusions design shaped Peter's approach to staging a mystery Hosting the Dora Awards while being nominated for one (and which one was scarier) The case for taking comedy - and musical theatre - as seriously as any other art form And much more! Guest: 🎭 Peter Fernandes Peter Fernandes is an award-winning theatre creator based out of Toronto. As a performer, select credits include One For the Pot, One Man Two Guvnors, The Importance of Being Earnest, Damn Yankees, Charley’s Aunt, Christmas Carol, The Russian Play, Brigadoon (Shaw); Fat Ham (Canadian Stage) Bidding War, The Master Plan, Fifteen Dogs (Crow’s); Almost a Full Moon, Peter and the Starcatcher (Citadel); Rose, Father Comes Home From the Wars, Alligator Pie, Incident at Vichy, The Just, Marat/Sade, The Dybbuk, Spoon River, Tartuffe, The Crucible, Idiot’s Delight (Soulpepper); Vietgone (RMTC); Romeo & Juliet, Midsummer Night’s Dream, Love & Information, Twelfth Night, King Lear (Canadian Stage); Jerusalem (Outside the March/Company); You’re a Good Man, Charlie Brown! (MTYP); Onegin (NAC/Musical Stage); Passing Strange (Musical Stage/Obsidian). Creative credits include: Director, Sleuth (SHAW) Associate Director - Wights, Octet, A Strange Loop (Crow’s), Assistant Director - Sherlock Holmes and the mystery of the Human Heart, Witness for the Prosecution (Shaw) Magic Consultant - Bremen Town (Tarragon) Trident Moon (Crow’s), Snow in Midsummer (Shaw), Illusions Assistant - Fat Ham (Broadway), The Witches - workshop (UK) Connect with Peter: 🌐 Website: peterfernandes.ca 📸 Instagram: @pjrfernandes Subscribe & Follow: 🎧 Listen on Apple Podcasts | Spotify | Podchaser | Amazon Music | iHeart Radio 📺 Watch on YouTube – Like, subscribe & hit the notification bell! Support Stageworthy: If you love the show, consider supporting on Patreon: patreon.com/stageworthy Patrons get early access to episodes, participate in conversations about topics to cover, and more. With three backer levels: $2, $7, and $20. Thank you to my Patrons: Chris, Georgia, Heather J, Tanisha, Aisling, Cassie, Heather, Jeanette, Steve Read transcript

  7. Jul 7

    Natalie Kaye is Channelling Harpo Marx, Mae West, and Shakespeare All at Once

    About This Episode: Playwright and writer Natalie Kaye joins Phil Rickaby to talk about her wildly ambitious new musical, 1920s Walking Around in a Dream, playing at the Toronto Fringe Festival. The show is a screwball comedy set in an imagined 1920s Jazz Age Chicago, and it's a retelling of Shakespeare's A Midsummer Night's Dream, translated not into modern English, but into the heightened, slang-drenched language of the Jazz Age. It's a project Natalie has been quietly nurturing for at least a decade, and hearing her describe its journey from a single translated sonnet to a fully staged musical is genuinely thrilling. This episode explores: How a single translated Shakespeare sonnet launched a decade-long project Why A Midsummer Night's Dream and the Jazz Age are a perfect match Silent film, vaudeville, and the Marx Brothers as creative inspirations The challenge of writing dense, heightened language that audiences can actually follow What it means to finally relinquish control and trust your cast and director And much more! Guest: ✍️ Natalie Kaye Natalie Kaye (she/her) Playwright. Natalie is an award-winning playwright and a published poet. She is also a dancer, choreographer and aerial silks performer. A graduate of York University and the University of Toronto, Natalie has a Masters' in Drama. She has worked in theatre as a producer, director, playwright, actor and dramaturg. Her one-act play, Mood Swings, won first place in the Pat the Dog's 24-hour play contest. The play was workshopped by Pat the Dog in February, 2014 and received a full production at Toronto Fringe in 2016 where it was called "beautiful" "well-executed" and "poetic" by Mooney on Theatre. Her short plays, Universe Inc. and A Toast were produced by Newborn Theatre at the Odds and Ends Festival. She is a member of the Vault Creation Lab's writer's group. She co-wrote #1 Clown Comedy With Victor & Priscilla at Toronto Fringe in 2025. Connect with Natalie Kaye: 🌐 Website: unspokentheatrecompany.weebly.com 📸 Instagram: @unspokentheatrecompany Subscribe & Follow: 🎧 Listen on Apple Podcasts | Spotify | Podchaser | Amazon Music | iHeart Radio 📺 Watch on YouTube – Like, subscribe & hit the notification bell! Support Stageworthy: If you love the show, consider supporting on Patreon: patreon.com/stageworthy Patrons get early access to episodes, participate in conversations about topics to cover, and more. With three backer levels: $2, $7, and $20. Thank you to my Patrons: Chris, Georgia, Heather J, Tanisha, Aisling, Cassie, Heather, Jeanette, Steve Read transcript

  8. Jun 30

    Your Guide to the 2026 Toronto Fringe, with Four of Toronto's Essential Theatre Voices

    About This Episode: As the Toronto Fringe Festival prepares to launch, Phil Rickaby gathers four of Toronto's most dedicated theatre content creators (Janine Marley from A View from the Box, Ryan Borochovitz from The Cup Podcast, Alexandra Lean from Being Dramatic, and Ryan McCollom from Plates & Playbills) for a lively live stream preview of the 2026 festival. Together they dig into what makes Fringe such a unique and exciting event, share their personal histories with the festival, and break down what their coverage will look like across podcasts, written reviews, and social media throughout the run. This episode explores: Each panelists Toronto Fringe Top 5, must see shows, plus a wildcard selection largely based on title alone. A breakdown of how each content creator covers Fringe, from roundup podcast episodes and daily written reviews to short-form TikTok recaps Practical tips for navigating venues, surviving the heat, eating on a budget, and planning your Fringe days geographically And much more Connect with Janine Marley, Ryan Borochovitz, Alexandra Lean, and Ryan McCollom: 🎙️ Ryan Borochovitz: The Cup Podcast 📺 Youtube: @cupofhemlocktheatre2934https://www.youtube.com/@cupofhemlocktheatre2934 📝 Alexandra Lean: Bad Reviewer and Being Dramatic ✒️ Bad Reviewer: badreviewer.substack.com 🎙️ Being Dramatic: https://open.spotify.com/show/04EUsQsiw1wrUMNLjdqDmy 📸 Ryan McCollom: Plates and Playbills on Instagram 🤳 Instagram: @platesandplaybills_ 📹 TikTok: @platesandplaybills_ 🌐 Janine Marley: A View from the Box ✏️ Website: aviewfromthebox.net 📹 Tiktok: @aviewfromthebox 📸 Instagram: @avuefromthebox Subscribe & Follow: 🎧 Listen on Apple Podcasts | Spotify | Podchaser | Amazon Music | iHeart Radio 📺 Watch on YouTube – Like, subscribe & hit the notification bell! Support Stageworthy: If you love the show, consider supporting on Patreon: patreon.com/stageworthy Patrons get early access to episodes, participate in conversations about topics to cover, and more. With three backer levels: $2, $7, and $20. Thank you to my Patrons: Chris, Georgia, Heather J, Tanisha, Aisling, Cassie, Heather, Jeanette, Steve Read transcript

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About

Now in its 10th year, Stageworthy is Canada’s theatre podcast, bringing you in-depth interviews with theatre artists, panel discussions, and more. Each week, host Phil Rickaby sits down with the people who make theatre happen: from household names to artists you should know. Whether you're an audience member, a theatre maker, or just plain curious about Canadian theatre, Stageworthy offers a front-row seat to the conversations shaping the industry. New episodes every Tuesday.

Information

  • Creator
    Stageworthy
  • Years Active
    2016 - 2026
  • Episodes
    479
  • Rating
    Explicit
  • Copyright
    © Copyright 2016-2026 Phil Rickaby
  • Show Website
    Stageworthy

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