FREE PROGRAM JAN . 28 – FEB . 15
T S FE
D R A 5 W 1 CO 20 TH
15
MA
S
PLA R E T
Y
IG WR
HT
TI FES
C E LE B R ATI N G TH E LI F E A N D WO R K O F N O Ë L COWA R D
ROYALMTC.CA/MPF
VA
L
JOHN HIRSCH MAINSTAGE
BY CHRISTOPHER DURANG
a co - production with mirvish productions
FEBRUARY 11–MARCH 7 The lives of Vanya and Sonia are thrown for a loop when their sister announces she wants to sell the family home. Christopher Durang proves that misery loves comedy in the hilarious mash-up that took Broadway by storm.
BRAINY AND WITTY AND CLEVER AND CUTE – Variety
TICKETS START AT $25 • BUY NOW!
CALL 204 942 6537 • VISIT royalmtc.ca
MESSAGE FROM
ROYAL MTC’S ARTISTIC DIRECTOR Noël Coward was a keen observer of human psychology, an undisputed master of repartée and a stylish chronicler of the champagne set. Yet what makes his plays timeless is that he liked a little grit in his glitter: someone is always behaving badly in a Coward play and sidestepping high society’s rigorous codes. Coward’s characters flirt with adultery, bigamy and bad etiquette but, because they make us laugh, audiences embrace his characters’ all-too-human foibles. We’ve been celebrating his work since our very first season, and we are delighted to be dedicating this year’s Master Playwright Festival to his enduring genius. Yours always,
Steven Schipper Artistic Director THANK YOU TO ALL OUR COWARDFEST SUPPORTERS!
Photos of Noël Coward courtesy of The Noël Coward Foundation.
BIOGRAPHY
NOËL COWARD (1899–1973) Noël Peirce Coward was born in 1899 and made his professional stage debut as Prince Mussel in The Goldfish at age 12, leading to many child actor appearances over the next few years. His breakthrough in playwriting was the controversial The Vortex (1924), which featured themes of drugs and adultery and made his name as both actor and playwright in the West End and on Broadway. During the frenzied 1920s and the more sedate 1930s, Coward wrote a string of successful plays and musicals including Hay Fever (1925), Easy Virtue (1926) and Bitter Sweet (1929). His enduring professional partnership with childhood friend Gertrude Lawrence started with Private Lives (1931) and continued with Tonight at 8:30 (1936). During the Second World War, he remained a successful playwright, screenwriter and director, and entertained the troops and even acted as an unofficial spy for the Foreign Office. However, the post-war years were more difficult. Austerity Britain – the London critics determined – was out of tune with the brittle Coward wit. In response, Coward reinvented himself as a cabaret and TV star, particularly in America, and in 1955 he played a sell-out season in Las Vegas featuring many of his most famous songs, including “Mad About the Boy,” “I’ll See You Again” and “Mad Dogs and Englishmen.” In the mid-1950s he settled in Jamaica and Switzerland, and enjoyed a renaissance in the early 1960s becoming the first living playwright to be
performed by the National Theatre, when he directed Hay Fever starring Maggie Smith. Late in his career he was lauded for his roles in a number of films including Our Man In Havana (1959) and his role as the iconic Mr. Bridger alongside Michael Caine in The Italian Job (1969). As a writer, actor, director, film producer, painter, songwriter, cabaret artist as well as an author of verse, essays and autobiographies, Coward was called ‘The Master’ by close friends – a title of which he was secretly proud. He was knighted in 1970 and died peacefully in 1973 in his beloved Jamaica.
SELECT WORKS BY NOËL COWARD Plays Easy Virtue (1924), adapted for film in 1928
Musicals, revues and operettas
The Vortex (1924)
London Calling! (1922), revue in collaboration with Ronald Jeans
Fallen Angels (1925)
Bitter Sweet (1928), operetta
Hay Fever (1925)
This Year of Grace (1927), revue
Semi-Monde (1926)
Words and Music (1932), revue
This Was A Man (1926)
After the Ball (1953), musical based on Lady Windermere’s Fan
Private Lives (1930), adapted for film in 1931 Design for Living (1932), adapted for film in 1933 Red Peppers (1935) The Astonished Heart (1935), adapted for film in 1950 Still Life (1936), adapted for film in 1945 Ways and Means (1936)
The Girl Who Came to Supper (1963), musical comedy Songs “Mad Dogs and Englishmen” (1931) “I Went to a Marvellous Party” (1938) “London Pride” (1941)
Present Laughter (1939)
“I’ll See You Again” (from Bitter Sweet)
Blithe Spirit (1941), adapted for film in 1945
“Someday I’ll Find You” (from Private Lives)
Relative Values (1951), adapted for film in 2000
“I’ll Follow My Secret Heart” (from Conversation Piece)
Nude with Violin (1956) Waiting in the Wings (1960) Song at Twilight (1966)
Films The Scoundrel (1935), actor In Which We Serve (1942), actor, director, screenwriter Brief Encounter (1945), screenwriter, based on his one-act play Still Life Around the World in 80 Days (1956), actor Our Man in Havana (1959), actor The Italian Job (1969), actor
HOW COWARDFEST WORKS JANUARY 28 TO FEBRUARY 15 “Star quality: I don’t know what it is, but I’ve got it.” Noël Coward The 15th annual Master Playwright Festival shines the spotlight on the work of 20th century phenomenon Noël Coward. Celebrated as a playwright, composer, director, actor and singer, Coward was an exceptional talent and the festival’s offerings reflect his artistic diversity. Individual tickets start at $10 Tickets are available by contacting the box office for each production. See the company write-ups in this program for details. CowardPass only $85 The best way to explore the festival’s range of works is to buy a pass. A pass allows one admission to each production at a savings of more than 50%. Don’t delay, the number of passes are limited! NOTE: Dinner theatre performances are not included in the CowardPass.
BUY YOUR PASS AT THE ROYAL MTC BOX OFFICE! CALL 204 942 6537 or toll-free 1 877 446 4500 PLEASE NOTE: Admission to all events is subject to availability. All sales final. No exchanges or refunds.
ROYALMTC.CA/MPF
#COWARDFEST
FREE LECTURE SERIES Introducing Coward WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 28 AT 6:00PM KING’S HEAD PUB, 120 KING STREET (2ND FLOOR) Guest Lecturer: Margaret Groome Noël Coward once explained that the practice of calling him “the Master” had “started as a joke and became true.” Coward was the master of many forms of entertainment – as a writer of glittering comedies, songs and sketches, screenplays and serious works, and as an actor and cabaret performer. In this lecture, Dr. Margaret Groome will reveal some surprising details about Coward’s wide-ranging career and the forces that drove him. Discovering Coward: Directors’ Panel SUNDAY, FEBRUARY 1 AT 12:00PM TOM HENDRY WAREHOUSE 140 RUPERT AVENUE (AT LILY) Panelists: Krista Jackson (Private Lives), Rob Kwade (Fallen Angels), Jeff Madden (Nude with Violin) If it’s true that “dying is easy and comedy is hard,” festival artists will have their hands full with Noël Coward’s arsenal of wicked comedies. Does this master playwright’s style require a different creative approach? What insights can a director share after working on a Coward play? Join these talented directors as they talk shop at this popular panel.
proudly supports
CheCk for daily Coverage in your winnipeg free press to subsCribe Call 204.697.7001 or visit winnipegfreepress.Com/subsCribe-new
The Astonished Heart BY NOËL COWARD MERLYN PRODUCTIONS
Forrest Nickerson Theatre 285 Pembina Hwy (main floor) Wheelchair accessible Capacity 175 Discover the love life and untimely death of psychiatrist Christian Faber, a role originally performed by Noël Coward in London and New York! In Chris Faber’s drawing room sit his wife and assistants, awaiting the siren Leonora in answer to his deathbed call. Four flashbacks unravel the love triangle between doctor, wife and mistress – a woman who set out to capture her best friend’s husband, and was herself ensnared. Returning to the present, we witness the play’s final, shocking conclusion. A gripping drama from the producer of Augustus Does His Bit, A Marriage Proposal and The Anniversary. Directed by John Chase www.merlyn.biz “The basis of everything I’ve ever learned is not being sure – not being sure of anyone or anything in the world – myself least of all...”
wednesday, february 11 7:30pm thursday, february 12 7:30pm friday, february 13 7:30pm saturday, february 14 2:00pm sunday, february 15 2:00pm 75 minutes warning: mild language, babes in arms not admitted.
tickets $12 seniors (65+)/under 18 $10 group rates available for 10 or more. at the door: cash/cowardpass doors open 30 minutes before showtime. in advance: visit merlyn.biz call 204 415 2714
10
ROYALMTC.CA/MPF COWARDFEST 2015
Blithe Spirit BY NOËL COWARD ECHO THEATRE
Ralph Connor House 54 West Gate Wheelchair accessible Capacity 30 Gathering material for a new novel, Charles Condomine organizes a séance. Mystic Mme. Arcati, along with Charles’ wife Ruth and their friends the Bradmans, settle in for an evening of skepticism and paranormal activity. Unbeknownst to everyone but Charles, the séance is a success and Elvira, his first wife, is back in his life: a ghost who’s not going anywhere anytime soon! Nestled in the parlour at Ralph Connor House, guests will enjoy drinks and music with jazz singer Helen White and songs by the playwright himself. Do not miss this uniquely intimate evening of Coward’s finest comedy! Directed by Ross McMillan Cast: Terri Cherniack, Sarah Constible, Trish Cooper, Steven Ratzlaff, Charlene Van Buekenhout, Stefanie Wiens www.echotheatre.blogspot.ca “I’ve always believed in cutting my losses. That’s why I died.”
saturday, january 24 7:30pm sunday, january 25 3:00pm tuesday, january 27 7:30pm wednesday, january 28 7:30pm thursday, january 29 7:30pm friday, january 30 7:30pm saturday, january 31 3:00pm saturday, january 31 7:30pm sunday, february 1 3:00pm tuesday, february 3 7:30pm wednesday, february 4 7:30pm thursday, february 5 7:30pm friday, february 6 7:30pm saturday, february 7 3:00pm saturday, february 7 7:30pm sunday, february 8 3:00pm monday, february 9 7:30pm
tuesday, february 10 7:30pm thursday, february 12 7:30pm friday, february 13 7:30pm 2 hours (plus intermission) tickets $25 at the door: cash/cowardpass box office opens 45 minutes before showtime. in advance: purchase echoblithespirit.brownpapertickets.com
reserve 204 995 6876 or
charlene.echotheatre@gmail.com
COWARDFEST 2015 #COWARDFEST
11
FREE FILM SCREENING
Brief Encounter BY NOËL COWARD / DAVID LEAN THEATRE INCARNATE / SNAKESKIN JACKET Studio 320 320-70 Albert Street No wheelchair access Capacity 56 Theatre Incarnate and Snakeskin Jacket host a screening of Noël Coward and David Lean’s beloved classic movie. At a railway station café, Laura Jesson has a chance meeting with doctor Alec Harvey. Although they are both married, they gradually fall in love. They continue to meet every Thursday at the small café, although they know their love is impossible. Introduction to the screening by Professor George Toles. www.theatreincarnate.ca www.snakeskinjacket.ca
wednesday, february 4 7:00pm
tickets – free
90 minutes (plus introduction)
doors open 30 minutes before showtime.
“I was offered Hamlet five times . . . I just knew that the day I declaimed, ‘To be or not to be’ in public, it would be the death of me.” Noël Coward
12
ROYALMTC.CA/MPF COWARDFEST 2015
By Ardyth Johnson
...a Jack The Ripper bouffon comedy
MARCH 10 to 15, 2015 Brenda McLean Spenser Payne Alissa Watson Colin Connor www.theatreincarnate.ca
www.theatreincarnate.ca
FREE FILM SCREENINGS
Easy Virtue (UK, 2008) Relative Values (UK, 2000) WINNIPEG PUBLIC LIBRARY Millennium Library, Carol Shields Auditorium 251 Donald Street (2nd floor) Wheelchair accessible Capacity 120 EASY VIRTUE (UK, 2008) An American divorcee travels to the south of France and marries a young wealthy Englishman on the spur of the moment. The couple returns to England to face his disapproving family. A comedic battle of wits ensues with surprising consequences for all. Based on the comedy by Noël Coward. Starring Jessica Biel, Colin Firth, Kristin Scott Thomas, Ben Barnes RELATIVE VALUES (UK, 2000) When a star and a Hollywood diva break up, a playboy prince with a stiff upper lip sweeps her off her feet. He boldly takes her home to meet his high-class, society-minded mother who is none too pleased at the thought of having a “starlet” in the family. But when the former boyfriend hears about the wedding, he jumps back in the spotlight. With the help of Miranda’s meddling soon-to-be mother-in-law he might just win her back. Starring Julie Andrews, Colin Firth, Stephen Fry, Jeanne Tripplehorn
easy virtue monday, february 2 6:30pm (97 minutes)
tickets – free doors open 30 minutes before showtime.
relative values monday, february 9 6:30pm (87 minutes)
14
ROYALMTC.CA/MPF COWARDFEST 2015
Fallen Angels
BY NOËL COWARD TARA PLAYERS Irish Association of Manitoba 654 Erin Street No wheelchair access Capacity 88 Julia and Jane are the best of friends and both happily married. But when they were single, they each had a brief, torrid affair with Maurice, a charming, handsome Frenchman. Now guess who’s back in town and requesting the ladies’ company while their husbands are away for a day of golf? Should they meet or should they run? Will old passions be rekindled? What if their husbands find out? Passions soar, spirits fly, libations are consumed and insults are hurled in this intoxicatingly charming comedy from Noël Coward, author of Blithe Spirit and Private Lives. Directed by Rob Kwade www.irishassociation.ca “…there’s a lovely firm basis of comradeship and affection and all that, but the real ‘being in love’ part is dead.”
thursday, january 29 7:30pm friday, january 30 7:30pm saturday, january 31 6:30pm (dinner theatre show) sunday, february 1 2:00pm wednesday, february 4 7:30pm thursday, february 5 7:30pm friday, february 6 7:30pm saturday, february 7 7:30pm sunday, february 8 2:00pm
tickets $15 dinner theatre $55 (jan 31) at the door: cash/cowardpass box office opens one hour before showtime. in advance: call 204 774 8272 email taraplayers@hotmail.com
90 minutes (plus intermission)
COWARDFEST 2015 #COWARDFEST
15
Hay Fever BY NOËL COWARD BLACK HOLE THEATRE COMPANY
Gas Station Arts Centre 445 River Avenue Wheelchair accessible Capacity 230 Hay Fever is variously described as “dazzling,” “charming” and “hilariously funny.” This comic masterpiece opens with several weekend guests arriving at the country home of the eccentric Bliss family. Complications ensue as family members ignore their invited guest and pair off with another guest instead. A set of hilarious after-dinner games proves to be riotous good fun for the family and alarming to the guests, leading to a finale in the spirit of the best French farces. Actors and audiences alike have delighted in Hay Fever through the years. Come join us for an evening of high comedy at its finest! Directed by Margaret Groome www.bhtc.ca “… she goes about using sex as a sort of shrimping net”
friday, january 23 8:00pm saturday, january 24 2:00pm saturday, january 24 8:00pm sunday, january 25 2:00pm tuesday, january 27 7:00pm (talkback follows) wednesday, january 28 8:00pm thursday, january 29 8:00pm friday, january 30 8:00pm saturday, january 31 2:00pm saturday, january 31 8:00pm
tickets $15 students/seniors $12 at the door: cash/cowardpass box office opens 40 minutes before showtime. in advance: call 204 474 8660 email tickets@bhtc.ca
2 hours warning: smoking of non-tobacco cigarettes
16
ROYALMTC.CA/MPF COWARDFEST 2015
“...STAND AND UNFOLD YOURSELF!” The University of Manitoba’s Theatre Program offers intensive hands-on experience in every aspect of play creation, including: ACTING DIRECTING PLAYWRITING STAGECRAFT NEW PLAY DEVELOPMENT DRAMATURGY HISTORY ANALYSIS THEORY
Image: The Black Hole Theatre Company’s production of The Pillowman.
Theatre Studies can also be combined with Film and English Studies. For more information, contact the Theatre Program Office at (204) 474-9581.
umanitoba.ca/theatre
FRIDAY, JANUARY 23 8:00pm Hay Fever
SUNDAY, JANUARY 25 2:00pm Hay Fever 3:00pm Blithe Spirit
SUNDAY, FEBRUARY 1 12:00pm Discovering Coward: Directors’ Panel (Lecture) 2:00pm Fallen Angels 2:00pm Noël Collaborates 3:00pm Blithe Spirit 3:00pm Stuffed Red Peppers: Extra Spicy 4:00pm Noël Collaborates 7:00pm Waiting in the Wings (Reading)
TUESDAY, JANUARY 27 7:00pm Hay Fever 7:30pm Blithe Spirit
MONDAY, FEBRUARY 2 6:30pm Easy Virtue (Free Film) 8:00pm Private Lives
WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 28 6:00pm Introducing Coward (Lecture) 7:30pm Blithe Spirit 7:30pm Private Lives 8:00pm Hay Fever
TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 3 7:30pm Blithe Spirit 7:30pm Private Lives
SATURDAY, JANUARY 24 2:00pm Hay Fever 7:30pm Blithe Spirit 8:00pm Hay Fever
THURSDAY, JANUARY 29 7:30pm Blithe Spirit 7:30pm Fallen Angels 7:30pm Noël Collaborates 8:00pm Hay Fever 8:00pm Private Lives FRIDAY, JANUARY 30 7:30pm Blithe Spirit 7:30pm Fallen Angels 7:30pm Noël Collaborates 7:30pm Private Lives 8:00pm Hay Fever 8:30pm Stuffed Red Peppers: Extra Spicy SATURDAY, JANUARY 31 2:00pm Hay Fever 2:00pm Noël Collaborates 3:00pm Blithe Spirit 3:30pm Private Lives 4:00pm Noël Collaborates 6:30pm Fallen Angels 7:30pm Blithe Spirit 7:30pm Noël Collaborates 8:00pm Hay Fever 8:30pm Private Lives 8:30pm Stuffed Red Peppers: Extra Spicy
WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 4 7:00pm Brief Encounter (Free Film) 7:30pm Blithe Spirit 7:30pm Fallen Angels 7:30pm Private Lives THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 5 7:30pm Blithe Spirit 7:30pm Fallen Angels 8:00pm Private Lives 8:30pm Stuffed Red Peppers: Extra Spicy FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 6 7:00pm A Song at Twilight 7:30pm Blithe Spirit 7:30pm Fallen Angels 7:30pm Private Lives 8:00pm You Were There: A Shadowplay 8:30pm Noël Coward: A Revue of His Finest Songs 8:30pm Stuffed Red Peppers: Extra Spicy
SATURDAY, FEBRUARY 7 12:00pm Mad Dogs and Englishmen (Reading) 2:00pm A Song at Twilight 3:00pm Blithe Spirit 3:30pm Private Lives 7:00pm You Were There: A Shadowplay 7:30pm Blithe Spirit 7:30pm Fallen Angels 8:00pm A Song at Twilight 8:00pm Tonight at 8:00 8:30pm NoĂŤl Coward: A Revue of His Finest Songs 8:30pm Private Lives 10:00pm You Were There: A Shadowplay SUNDAY, FEBRUARY 8 2:00pm Fallen Angels 2:00pm A Song at Twilight 3:00pm Blithe Spirit 5:00pm The Vortex (Reading) 7:00pm A Song at Twilight 8:00pm You Were There: A Shadowplay MONDAY, FEBRUARY 9 6:30pm Relative Values (Free Film) 7:30pm Blithe Spirit 8:00pm Private Lives 8:00pm You Were There: A Shadowplay
THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 12 2:00pm Private Lives 7:00pm Ways and Means 7:30pm The Astonished Heart 7:30pm Blithe Spirit 8:00pm Private Lives 8:00pm Semi-Monde 8:00pm You Were There: A Shadowplay 8:05pm Nude with Violin FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 13 7:00pm Ways and Means 7:30pm The Astonished Heart 7:30pm Blithe Spirit 7:30pm Private Lives 8:00pm Semi-Monde 8:00pm You Were There: A Shadowplay 8:05pm Nude with Violin SATURDAY, FEBRUARY 14 2:00pm The Astonished Heart 2:35pm Nude with Violin 3:30pm Private Lives 7:00pm Semi-Monde 7:00pm You Were There: A Shadowplay 8:05pm Nude with Violin 8:30pm Private Lives 10:00pm You Were There: A Shadowplay SUNDAY, FEBRUARY 15 2:00pm The Astonished Heart
TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 10 7:30pm Blithe Spirit 7:30pm Private Lives 8:00pm Semi-Monde 8:00pm You Were There: A Shadowplay WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 11 7:00pm Ways and Means 7:30pm The Astonished Heart 7:30pm Private Lives 8:00pm Semi-Monde 8:00pm You Were There: A Shadowplay 8:05pm Nude with Violin
E T S MA
E H C RS
E L DU
Reading
Mad Dogs and Englishmen BY ROBERT CUSHMAN ZONE41 THEATRE
Tom Hendry Warehouse 140 Rupert Avenue (at Lily) Wheelchair accessible Capacity 286 From his late-life haven in Jamaica, Noël Coward – actor, playwright, composer, lyricist, director, novelist and all-round 20th century phenomenon – looks back on his life and reflects on his feelings about his career, his talent, his country, his countrymen, his friends, his lovers, his mother, the theatre and on his exploits as a spy in the Second World War. He also sings a revealing selection of his own songs. Written by Robert Cushman, featuring Stratford’s Ben Carlson and accompanied on piano by Laura Burton, this staged reading is the musical’s second performance after debuting at Stratford in the summer of 2014. www.zone41.ca “Mad dogs and Englishmen go out in the midday sun – I knew that song would catch up with me. Now, what does everybody know about Noël Coward? He’s English. Very, very English. Well, any man who’s had to do his growing up in England is entitled to as much sun in later life as he can possibly absorb.”
saturday, february 7 12:00pm 90 minutes
tickets $20 students/equity/mpf $10 at the door: cash/interac/visa, mastercard, american express/cowardpass box office opens one hour before showtime. in advance: call 204 942 6537
20
ROYALMTC.CA/MPF COWARDFEST 2015
Noël Collaborates BY HEATHER FORGIE/ NOËL COWARD AND ESME WYNNE R-G PRODUCTIONS
Forrest Nickerson Theatre 285 Pembina Hwy Wheelchair accessible Capacity 182 Noël Coward and Esme Wynne were best friends and frequent co-stars. They eventually decided to collaborate on scriptwriting. Ida Collaborates is the first play either of them wrote, under the pen name “Esnomel.” It was performed once, in 1917, starring Wynne and directed by Coward. Noël Collaborates is a presentation of that play, contextualised through the story of Coward and Wynne’s relationship. In addition to Ida Collaborates, this piece presents a more personal side of Coward, based on correspondences with his best friend. Directed by Eric Rae “Imagination is no use in these situations. One wants the real thing.”
thursday, january 29 7:30pm friday, january 30 7:30pm saturday, january 31 2:00pm saturday, january 31 4:00pm saturday, january 31 7:30pm sunday, february 1 2:00pm sunday, february 1 4:00pm 60 minutes
tickets $12 students $10 at the door: cash/cowardpass box office opens 45 minutes before showtime. in advance: call 204 297 6539 email hforgie@gmail.com
COWARDFEST 2015 #COWARDFEST
21
Noël Coward: A Revue of His Finest Songs BY NOËL COWARD HELEN WHITE & FRIENDS
The Palm Room, Fort Garry Hotel 222 Broadway Avenue Wheelchair accessible Capacity 140 A showcase of as many of Noël Coward’s greatest songs as possible. Some performed in their original style and some interpreted with more of a jazz inflection. All songs enjoyed and presented beautifully. Featuring Helen White, Jonathan Alexiuk, Bob VandenBroek & friends www.204films.com/helenwhite
friday, february 6 8:30pm saturday, february 7 8:30pm 2 hours
tickets – free admission (donations gratefully accepted)
“I like long walks, especially when they are taken by people who annoy me.” Noël Coward
22
ROYALMTC.CA/MPF COWARDFEST 2015
Nude with Violin BY NOËL COWARD WINNIPEG MENNONITE THEATRE
Salle Martial-Caron, Université de Saint-Boniface 200 avenue de la Cathédrale Wheelchair accessible Capacity 250 In Paris, 1954, the art world is rocked by the death of the famous modern artist Paul Sorodin. But even from the grave he manages to turn the world of art upside down and throw it into chaos! Before his body even cools, he reveals through his former valet a secret that could throw modern art into disrepute and expose it to the ridicule of the world! Whether you love or hate modern art, this show will challenge the intellectual art snob and humour the philistine all at once. It is Noël Coward at his best. Directed by Jeff Madden www.nudewithviolin.blogspot.ca “: ‘My God! The Jamaican period!’ ”
wednesday, february 11 8:05pm thursday, february 12 8:05pm friday, february 13 8:05pm saturday, february 14 2:35pm saturday, february 14 8:05pm 2 hours (with intermission)
tickets $20 students $10 (wed feb 11 only) at the door: cash/cowardpass box office opens one hour before showtime. in advance: visit nudewithviolin.blogspot.ca call 204 452 1573
COWARDFEST 2015 #COWARDFEST
23
Private Lives BY NOËL COWARD ROYAL MANITOBA THEATRE CENTRE
Tom Hendry Warehouse 140 Rupert Avenue (at Lily) Wheelchair accessible Capacity 286 In Noël Coward’s sparkling comedy, the happily divorced and remarried Elyot and his new wife inadvertently choose to spend their honeymoon in the suite adjoining his ex-wife Amanda and her new husband. As the old flame is rekindled, so is the hatred that extinguished it in the first place. As only he can, Noël Coward creates characters whose sophistication, style and wit mask a delicious wickedness. Directed by Krista Jackson Cast: Graham Ashmore, Eric Blais, Laura Olafson, Tracy Penner, Jane Testar www.royalmtc.ca “You mustn’t be blasé about honeymoons just because this is your second.”
january 28 to february 14 monday, thursday 8pm tuesday, wednesday, friday 7:30pm saturday 3:30pm & 8:30pm thursday, february12 2:00pm 2 hours (with intermission)
tickets start at $21 25 and under? ask about rush tickets: www.royalmtc.ca/rush at the door: cash/interac/ visa, mastercard, american express/cowardpass box office opens one hour before showtime. in advance: call 204 942 6537 visit royalmtc.ca
24
ROYALMTC.CA/MPF COWARDFEST 2015
Join Us for Drinks! Start or end your night on a high note with hand-craî‚?ed cocktails, boutique beers and delicious food at î ˘e Lounge at the Fairmont. And during the month of February, get into the Festival du Voyageur spirit with authentically Franco-Manitoban fare.
For further information or reservations, call 204-957-1350
Semi-Monde
BY NOËL COWARD THE UNIVERSITY OF WINNIPEG DEPARTMENT OF THEATRE AND FILM Asper Centre for Theatre and Film 400 Colony Street, enter off Balmoral Wheelchair accessible Capacity 150 Paris. The Ritz. Champagne flows and libidos run rampant as the ‘20s roar. Once a year, the beautiful young things of the British Empire meet at Paris’ most famous hotel where barbs are exchanged, loves won and lost, and nothing changes. “Only in Semi-Monde does Coward find a successful metaphor for the sexual complications that lie behind his posturing. (It) is easily the most visually daring of his comedies... and gets much nearer the homosexual knuckle than Coward’s public image allowed.” – John Lahr Semi-Monde was too risqué for the 1926 censors, not receiving its first production until 1977. Cast: U of W 3rd year Honours performance students www.theatre.uwinnipeg.ca “Good-looking people are always difficult to manage”
tuesday, february 10 8:00pm wednesday, february 11 8:00pm thursday, february 12 8:00pm friday, february 13 8:00pm saturday, february 14 7:00pm 2 hours, 15 minutes (with intermission) warning: adult situations
26
tickets $10 students/seniors $5 at the door: cash/cowardPass box office opens one hour before showtime. in advance: call 204 786 9152 visit theatre.uwinnipeg.ca (pick-up and cash only payment at the door)
ROYALMTC.CA/MPF COWARDFEST 2015
A Song at Twilight BY NOËL COWARD DRAMATIC THEATRE
Forrest Nickerson Theatre 285 Pembina Hwy Wheelchair accessible Capacity 182 This bittersweet comedy is the story of a cosmopolitan author in his declining years caught between two women: one, his wife of convenience for 20 years; the other, one of his former loves. Come see how the story unfolds in a production Coward noted as one of his best. Directed by Justin Danyluk www.dramatictheatre.net
friday, february 6 7:00pm saturday, february 7 2:00pm saturday, february 7 8:00pm sunday, february 8 2:00pm sunday, february 8 7:00pm 2 hours (with intermission)
tickets $15 at the door: cash/cowardPass box office opens 30 minutes before showtime. in advance: visit dramatictheatre.net call 204 221 8384
“It’s discouraging to think how many people are shocked by honesty and how few by deceit.” Noël Coward
COWARDFEST 2015 #COWARDFEST
27
Stuffed Red Peppers: Extra Spicy BY NOËL COWARD AND THE TALENTLESS LUMPS THE TALENTLESS LUMPS Studio 320 320-70 Albert Street No wheelchair access Capacity 56 Can you smell what the Lumps are cookin’?! A recipe for success by George and Lily Pepper – Stuffed ‘Red Peppers’: Extra Spicy 1 part Coward. 6 parts Lump. Mix with gags and stuffing for the perfect serving of snap, scrap and spice. A vaudevillian comedy in one act. Roast at 320 for 45 minutes. You’ll be sure to devour Coward when the Lumps are hosting. Live. Love. Lump.
friday, january 30 8:30pm saturday, january 31 8:30pm sunday, february 1 3:00pm thursday, february 5 8:30pm friday, february 6 8:30pm 45 minutes warning: mature content
28
tickets $10 at the door: cash/cowardpass box office opens 30 minutes before showtime. in advance: email thetalentlesslumps@gmail.com
ROYALMTC.CA/MPF COWARDFEST 2015
Tonight at 8:00
LOOSELY BASED ON NOËL COWARD CHARACTERS IMPEL/SELARDI RAW Gallery 290 McDermot Avenue (lower level) No wheelchair access Capacity 40 From the mind of Kendra Jones (creator/performer, Dear Mama – SondheimFest) and the heart of Stephanie Plaitin (producer, About Love & Champagne – ChekhovFest), Tonight at 8:00 is an interactive theatrical experience where you can tempt fate, play games and be surprised. Join us in the transformed RAW Gallery for an evening you’ll not soon forget. You never know who you might see around the table. Directed by Stephanie Plaitin and Kendra Jones www.impelartists.com “Thank you for coming! We’ve had a terrible run of luck…”
saturday, february 7 8:00pm 75 minutes warning: mature language and the unknown
tickets: leave things to chance... tickets $15 plus the roll of a dice (i.e. $16-$21) at the door: cash/cowardpass doors open and tickets on sale at 7:45pm. in advance: email tonightateightoclock@gmail.com
call 204 894 2111
COWARDFEST 2015 #COWARDFEST
29
Creatives and geeks, working as one to build brands that get watched.
relishbranding.ca
Proud SPonSorS of CowardFest
All performers enjoy 20% off in-house printing!
Richardson Centre Concourse - L9 • 1 Lombard Ave. • Winnipeg, MB • R3B 0X3 T: 204.949.1218 W: vantagestudios.ca E: shop@vantagestudios.ca
CHR Group Agency Network of Companies
READING
The Vortex
BY NOËL COWARD THE ACTORS’ FUND OF CANADA Royal Manitoba Theatre Centre Lobby 174 Market Avenue Wheelchair accessible Capacity 75 In 1924, The Vortex shocked London audiences and was acclaimed by critics – thereby launching Coward’s career. This is a gritty, serious work that attacks 1920s social conventions through its portrayal of the moral corruption at the heart of high society’s glittering appearances. Socialite Florence Lancaster tries to deny she is aging by taking younger and younger lovers, while her son Nicky becomes increasingly dependent on drugs to fuel his artistic ambitions. Nicky eventually recognizes how empty and destructive his life has become. He then confronts his mother in a stunning late-night scene as powerful and gripping as Hamlet’s interrogation of his mother. Directed by Margaret Groome www.actorsfund.ca “We swirl about in a vortex of beastliness. This is a chance… to realize the truth – our only chance.”
sunday, february 8 5:00pm 2 hours
tickets $12 (suggested donation) at the door: cash/cowardpass box office opens 30 minutes before reading. tickets at the door only
COWARDFEST 2015 #COWARDFEST
31
Reading
Waiting in the Wings BY NOËL COWARD PAL WINNIPEG
Tom Hendry Warehouse 140 Rupert Avenue (at Lily) Wheelchair accessible Capacity 286 When speaking of this play, Noël Coward said, “I wrote Waiting in the Wings with loving care and absolute belief in its characters. [In it are] two of the best scenes I have ever written. I consider that the play as a whole contains, beneath the froth of some of its lighter moments, the basic truth that old age needn’t be nearly so dreary and sad as it is supposed to be, provided you greet it with humour and live it with courage.” A fundraiser for PAL Winnipeg. All funds raised go to the future Performing Arts Lodge for the Winnipeg arts community. Directed by Talia Pura Featuring members of the ACTRA Manitoba Branch Council and many of Winnipeg’s most senior stars of stage and screen.
sunday, february 1 7:00pm 90 minutes
tickets $15 donation to pal winnipeg at the door: cash/cowardpass box office opens one hour before showtime. tickets at the door only
32
ROYALMTC.CA/MPF COWARDFEST 2015
Ways and Means
BY NOËL COWARD WESTWOOD COLLEGIATE Westwood Collegiate 360 Rouge Road Wheelchair accessible Capacity 249 One of the Tonight at 8:30 series produced in London and New York. In a bedroom in Mrs. Lloyd Ransome’s fabulous villa on the Cote d’Azur are heiress Stella Cartwright and her husband, a gambler. They are plagued by debts and their prolonged stay at the villa is becoming embarrassing when a scandalous chauffeur attempts to rob them and ends up saving their honour. Directed by Jane Ackerman Cast: Owen Dueck, Hannah Krostewitz, Jesse Thibert westwood.sjsd.net
wednesday, february 11 7:00pm thursday, february 12 7:00pm friday, february 13 7:00pm 45 minutes
tickets $12 students/seniors $10 at the door: cash/cowardpass box office opens one hour before showtime. tickets at the door only
“I love criticism just so long as it’s unqualified praise.” Noël Coward
COWARDFEST 2015 #COWARDFEST
33
You Were There: A Shadowplay BY LOGAN STEFANSON POCKET FROCK PRODUCTIONS 125 Pacific 125 Pacific Avenue (at Lily) No wheelchair access Capacity 100 You Were There is a journey into memory: exploring the moments we never let go and those we wish we could. This contemporary reimagining of Noël Coward’s 1935 one-act Shadowplay: A Musical Fantasia uses a variety of mediums to explore relationships, love and loss. The show offers a prodding and humorous look at Coward’s romantic idealism, where fantasy meets reality and things aren’t always as they seem. Join the company that brought you [title of show] ( CBC) and Speech and Debate ( Winnipeg Free Press) for an hour of music, wit and small talk. There may be tea. Directed by Tatiana Carnevale Cast: Dorothy Carroll, Elliot Lazar, Emily King, Aaron Pridham www.pocketfrock.com “Really, the skill I have involving the past could only really fit in an upside down teaspoon.”
friday, february 6 8:00pm saturday, february 7 7:00pm saturday, february 7 10:00pm sunday, february 8 8:00pm monday, february 9 8:00pm tuesday, february 10 8:00pm wednesday, february 11 8:00pm thursday, february 12 8:00pm friday, february 13 8:00pm saturday, february 14 7:00pm saturday, february 14 10:00pm 60 minutes warning: language, content, smoking 34
tickets $15 pay what you can: February 11 valentine’s day special: 2 for $25 (feb 14) at the door: cash/visa, mastercard, american express/cowardpass box office opens one hour before showtime. in advance: visit pocketfrock.com email pocketfrock@gmail.com phone 204 782 2337
ROYALMTC.CA/MPF COWARDFEST 2015
COME AND TRY THE BEST FISH AND CHIPS IN THE CITY! Open for lunch daily FRIDAY LUNCH CURRY BUFFET
PATRONS & PERFORMERS VISIT US AND ENJOY OUR
NIGHTLY DINNER SPECIALS HAPPY HOUR MON - THURS 2 PM - 7 PM Hours: Monday – Friday 11:30 AM – 2 AM Saturday and Sunday 2 PM – 2 AM
120 KING STREET Phone 204-957-7710
174 Market Avenue • Winnipeg, Manitoba • R3B 0P8 ROYALMTC.CA