Mary Stuart extended for third time at the Stratford Festival

Six performances in October added in response to sold-out run

July 23, 2013… With every performance virtually sold out, the Stratford Festival’s production of Mary Stuart, directed by Artistic Director Antoni Cimolino, is being extended for a third time this season. 

Already one of the most highly attended productions in the Festival’s history, Mary Stuart will now run for an additional two weeks in October.

“It gives me immense pleasure to see a work by an 18^th-century German playwright capture the public’s imagination in such a big way,” says Mr. Cimolino.

“This play has so much to say about our world today and it’s great to see audiences recognize and connect to that.”

The following additional performances of Mary Stuart will go on sale to Members of the Stratford Festival at 9 a.m. on Tuesday, July 23, and to the general public at 9 a.m. on Wednesday, July 24:

·         Wednesday, October 2, at 2 p.m.

·         Thursday, October 3, at 2 p.m.

·         Saturday, October 5, at 8 p.m.

·         Wednesday, October 9, at 2 p.m.

·         Thursday, October 10, at 8 p.m.

·         Friday, October 11, at 8 p.m.

“In my 22 years with the Festival, I have never seen a show consistently sell out to this extent,” says Executive Director Anita Gaffney. “Mary Stuart tickets have been in demand since advance ticket sales began. In March we added two performances to the schedule. Then last month we added an additional week of performances for all three productions at the Tom Patterson Theatre – Mary Stuart, Measure for Measure and Waiting for Godot. Now we’re at it again!

“This compelling production of Mary Stuart features two of Canada’s finest actors, Seana McKenna and Lucy Peacock, and is directed by Artistic Director Antoni Cimolino, who was at the helm of last season’s Cymbeline and 2009’s Bartholomew Fair – two other rarely produced works that thrilled audiences and played to near capacity houses.” 

Mary Stuart features Seana McKenna as Elizabeth I and Lucy Peacock as Mary Stuart, with Ben Carlson as Lord Burleigh, Brian Dennehy as the Earl of Shrewsbury and Geraint Wyn Davies as the Earl of Leicester.

It also features James Blendick as Amias Paulet, Patricia Collins as Hanna Kennedy, Peter Hutt as Aubespine, Ian Lake as Mortimer, E.B. Smith as Bellievre and Brian Tree as Melvil, with Nigel Bennett as the Sheriff, Brad Hodder as O’Kelly, Josue Laboucane as the Page, Robert Persichini as the Earl of Kent, Christopher Prentice as Drury and Dylan Trowbridge as William Davison.

Production support for Mary Stuart is generously provided by Dr. Dennis & Dorothea Hacker, Dr. M.L. Myers & the late Dr. W.P. Hayman, Alice & Tim Thornton and Diana Tremain. The production co-sponsor is PwC. Support for the 2013 season of the Tom Patterson Theatre is generously provided by Richard Rooney and Laura Dinner.

The Stratford Festival’s 2013 season runs until October 20, featuring Romeo and Juliet, Fiddler on the Roof, The Three Musketeers, The Merchant of Venice, Tommy, Blithe Spirit, Othello, Measure for Measure, Mary Stuart, Waiting for Godot, Taking Shakespeare, and The Thrill, along with more than 150 events at The Forum.

To purchase tickets for Mary Stuart and all of the 2013 season productions, call the box office at 1.800.567.1600 or visit www.stratfordfestival.ca.

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