Mayko Nguyen and bahia watson to star in Canadian premiere of The Welkin
iPhoto caption: L to R: Raquel Duffy, Amaka Umeh, Courtney Ch’ng Lancaster, Mayko Nguyen, Ruth Goodwin, Hallie Seline, and Brefny Caribou. Photo by Dahlia Katz.
Soulpepper Theatre, the Howland Company, and Crow’s Theatre have announced the 17-person cast appearing in the Canadian premiere of Lucy Kirkwood’s The Welkin, a courtroom drama set in 1759 England.
Mayko Nguyen and bahia watson will lead the ensemble of the 2020 play, which premiered at London’s National Theatre before running at New York’s Atlantic Theatre Company in a production starring Sandra Oh.
When the young Sally Poppy (watson) is charged with a heinous murder and sentenced to hang, she claims to be pregnant. A jury of 12 matrons must then decide whether she’s telling the truth, or just trying to escape execution. As a boisterous mob gathers outside, only midwife Lizzy (Nguyen) seems prepared to defend the girl.
The rest of the cast consists of Olunike Adeliyi, Ghazal Azarbad, Nadine Bhabha, Brefny Caribou, Courtney Ch’ng Lancaster, Raquel Duffy, Kyra Harper, Fiona Highet, Cameron Laurie, Craig Lauzon, Annie Luján, Natasha Mumba, Hallie Seline, and Addison Wagman. Alternate Liisa Repo-Martell will perform the role of Lizzy on Sundays and Tuesdays.
The design team includes Julie Fox (set), Michelle Tracey (costumes), Bonnie Beecher (lighting), and Thomas Ryder Payne (sound/arrangements).
“I was completely floored the first time I read this play,” wrote director Weyni Mengesha in a press release. “It speaks directly to so many themes I care deeply about — and Lucy Kirkwood’s writing is razor sharp, moving, and hilarious… To direct this powerful, timely story as my final production as artistic director at Soulpepper, alongside one of the most extraordinary ensembles I’ve ever worked with, is an incredible honour.”
The Welkin runs from September 4 to October 5 at the Young Centre for the Performing Arts. Tickets are available here.
Soulpepper Theatre is an Intermission partner. Learn more about Intermission’s partnership model here.
iPhoto caption: Photo Tarragon Theatre by Teagan McCanny.
Tarragon Theatre reveals premiere-packed 55th anniversary season, including return of Yaga and MONKS
Tarragon Theatre’s 2026-27 season features world premieres by Anahita Dehbonehie, Katherine Gauthier, Ho Ka Kei (Jeff Ho), and Luke Reece, plus four other Canadian works.
iPhoto caption: 'Une Traversée' puppet design by Natacha Belova et Tita Iacobelli. Photo by Pierre-Yves Jortay.
REVIEW: Montreal in March? Bring on the puppets.
The 21st annual Festival International de Casteliers featured an energizing series of Quebecois and European productions that took the medium of puppetry in surprising directions.
iPhoto caption: Photo courtesy of the Grand Theatre.
London’s Grand Theatre announces 2026-27 season
A Dolly Parton musical and the Canadian premiere of a drama by Matthew López are among the productions in the Grand Theatre’s 2026-27 season.
iPhoto caption: Ordena Stephens-Thompson and Tony Nappo in 'The Neighbours.'
REVIEW: In Nicolas Billon’s The Neighbours, everyone’s a bystander
Green Light Arts’ The Neighbours, playing at the Tarragon Theatre Extraspace, encourages audiences to reconsider their assumptions about the comfort of spectatorship.
iPhoto caption: Pip Dwyer, Jeanie Calleja, and Natalia Bushnik in 'Night at the Grand Guignol.' Photo by Jack Woolfe.
REVIEW: Eldritch’s Night at the Grand Guignol features spurting blood and severed eyes
The show hits the pulpy B-movie bullseye at which the indie company has long taken aim. Over the course of four playlets, a catalogue of deaths unfurls — shlockily! gorily! — in macabre locales.
Q&A: Hybrid conference explores the potential of VR theatre in Canada
Single Thread Theatre’s Performance and Extended Realities Conference features a mix of live performances, interactive digital presentations, and technical deep dives, as well as virtual and in-person installations.
Comments