Skip to main content

Guild Festival Theatre to present one-night-only concert version of Evalyn Parry’s SPIN

int(110423)
Poster for Guild Festival Theatre's presentation of Evalyn Parry's SPIN. iPhoto caption: Poster courtesy of GFT.
/By / Jun 28, 2024
SHARE

On July 6, Scarborough’s Guild Festival Theatre (GFT) will present a special concert version of Evalyn Parry’s popular touring production SPIN.

Inspired in part by the incredible true story of Annie Londonderry, who in 1895 became the first woman to ride around the world on a bicycle, SPIN travels from 19th-century women’s emancipation to the present day, forging unexpected links across time and history.

A vintage bicycle, hooked up to simple electronics and suspended in a mechanic’s stand, becomes a percussion instrument. Playing it from fenders to spokes to sprung vinyl seat, from whirling pedals to bells, percussionist Brad Hart creates a sonic accompaniment to Parry’s songs and stories.

For this outdoor version of SPIN at GFT, Parry and Hart are accompanied by a string trio led by violinist Kathleen Kajioka, with string arrangements by composer/songwriter Michael Holt. In lieu of the show’s original video projections, SPIN‘s backdrop will be the Greek Theatre.

“I am incredibly excited to be presenting SPIN at the Greek Theatre,” said GFT co-artistic director Helen Juvonen in a press release. “I saw a production in 2014 and I was entertained, moved, and inspired. This is a show that will stay with you for years to come!”


You can learn more about GFT’s presentation of SPIN here.

Liam Donovan
WRITTEN BY

Liam Donovan

Liam is Intermission’s senior editor. He lives in Toronto.

LEARN MORE

Comments

Leave a Comment

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *


/
iPhoto caption: (L to R) Kelsey Verzotti, Kennedy Kanagawa, and Ma-Anne Dionisio. Photo by Tim Nguyen.

Theatre Calgary announces casting for world premiere musical The Tale of the Gifted Prince

Starring as Prince Ren is Kennedy Kanagawa, known for his recent Broadway appearance in Into the Woods. Joining him is Ma-Anne Dionisio as the Woman, and Kelvin Moon Loh as the King and Magistrate.

By Krystal Abrigo
iPhoto caption: Headshot by Andy Moro.

Tara Beagan wins 2025 Governor General’s Award for drama

Published by Playwrights Canada Press, her multilingual play Rise, Red River connects environmental devastation with the intergenerational impacts of colonial violence.

By Krystal Abrigo

Announcing the ON Criticism: 2025/26 Theatre Critics Lab cohort

Caelan Beard (Brampton), Alexandrea Marsh (London), Phillip Dwight Morgan (Toronto), Izzy Siebert (London), Joe Szekeres (Oshawa), and Hunter Weaymouth (Hamilton) will work with Intermission senior editor Liam Donovan and editorial director Karen Fricker in this six-month-long training and professional development program.

By Krystal Abrigo
iPhoto caption: A headshot of Jonathan Church. Photo courtesy of The Stratford Festival.

Stratford names Jonathan Church as its new artistic director

“The Festival is fortunate to have attracted such a celebrated and accomplished artistic leader,” wrote Stratford executive director Anita Gaffney in a press release.

By Krystal Abrigo
iPhoto caption: Liz Der, Vivien Endicott-Douglas, Philippa Domville, and Sofia Rodriguez. Photo by Dahlia Katz.

Chelsea Woolley world premiere to kick off 2025-26 Nightwood season

A highly physical and unexpectedly comedic work, Enormity, Girl, and the Earthquake in Her Lungs explores refuge, resilience, and survival. At its centre is Vic, a young woman who finds herself in a shelter under extraordinary circumstances.

By Krystal Abrigo
lighthouse festival theatre iPhoto caption: A stock image of Lighthouse Festival Theatre in Port Dover.

Lighthouse Festival reveals 2026 summer lineup

“Our 2026 season is bursting with stories we can’t wait to share with you,” wrote artistic director Jane Spence in a press release.

By Krystal Abrigo