REVIEW: Ruby and the Reindeer conjures a very Ontario Christmas at Stratford’s Here For Now Theatre
iPhoto caption: Members of the company of 'Ruby and the Reindeer.' Photo by Ann Baggley.
Having grown up around the fields of Huron County, I was delighted to watch dairy farmers face the daunting task of saving Christmas in Mark Crawford’s new play Ruby and the Reindeer. The world premiere, directed by Irene Poole at Here For Now Theatre in Stratford, offers a heartfelt holiday story with endearing characters that feel unmistakably and affectionately Ontarian.
On a Perth County farm in 1989, 12-year-old Ruby (Tabitha Campbell), her widowed father Dave (Gordon S. Miller), and new veterinarian Kathy (Ijeoma Emesowum) care for a reindeer about to give birth. Mystery swirls around Ruby’s estranged Grandpa Gerald (Benedict Campbell), who lives up north, owns reindeer, works in “deliveries,” and has a deep jolly voice. Whether operating a reindeer puppet or grumbling as a chainsmoking phone operator, our narrator — Adult Ruby (Maev Beaty) — seamlessly slips between roles as she guides the audience through this tale of matchmaking, chaos, and charm.
A festive addition to Crawford’s catalogue of Canadian comedies, Ruby and the Reindeer’s script isn’t shy about its local roots. Characters name-drop small towns like Listowel, swap feed store gossip, and plan Sears shopping trips. Although the hyper-local humour may be obscure outside of southwestern Ontario, it drew loud laughs on opening night. Having embraced my own inner farmer on occasion, I was especially entertained when Ruby criticizes her neighbours’ crops from behind the wheel of a pickup truck.
Although Crawford playfully captures the quirks of rural life, his vision is not all whimsy. Sexism surfaces, with Kathy, an ambitious woman of colour taking over a veterinarian practice, facing prejudice. Although local farmers doubt her expertise, Kathy remains bold and capable, demonstrating a resilience Emesowum brings to life with quick wit and an irresistible laugh.
Ruby and the Reindeer offers more social commentary than I expected from a Christmas show. While Kathy fights to establish her career, Dave wrestles with the pressure to be his dad’s successor and take on a job passed from father to son for generations. Whether on farms or in festive folklore, gendered labour shapes the story. Kathy even points out that based on their antlers and the season, Santa’s reindeer are female, yet the man on the sleigh gets the praise.
The 90-minute runtime, simple title, and early 7 p.m. start gave me the impression Ruby and the Reindeer would be a sweet, seasonal bedtime story packaged for young children that adults might also appreciate. If anything, the play more resembles the inverse — a show for adults that kids will also enjoy. I echo Here For Now’s suggestion that the show is best suited for ages 10 and up, close to Ruby’s own age.
Young Ruby grapples with serious concerns like the grief of growing up without a mother, and Campbell anchors the production as the story’s emotional centre. Ruby radiates cleverness, energy, and care for the animals and humans around her, even if that means meddling in Dave and Kathy’s lives. Ruby’s cheeky attitude, especially when she challenges adults, contributes to the production’s comedy, yet she doesn’t come off as rude.
Ruby and the Reindeer’s characters are flawed but loveable. It’s a testament to Miller’s performance that Dave isn’t unlikeable. The father makes sexist assumptions about Kathy’s vet skills and conceals family secrets from Ruby. Despite these prickly aspects, Miller infuses Dave with such sincerity and good humour that the character’s heart is never in doubt.
At times, Poole’s blocking closed characters off from the audience, particularly during revelations and confrontations. In such an intimate theatre, the emotional weight of these exchanges still landed — but with characters this compelling, I craved to be invited more fully into those moments.
On the whole, however, Poole’s production welcomes audiences in. Francesca Callow’s cosy set is filled with the warmth of home. Barn doors at centre-stage slide open to reveal a festive living room, tucked in a space so small the star can’t fully sit atop the tree. The alcove provides enough of a lived-in family feel to ground interior scenes, while still belonging to the same world as the farm outside.
As the plot later on lifted off from reality and embraced the fantastical, I relished watching Ruby and the Reindeer’s endearing characters tackle saving Christmas with all of the heart, humour, and rural resilience of small-town Ontario.
Ruby and the Reindeer runs at Here For Now Theatre until December 30. More information is available here.
Intermission reviews are independent and unrelated to Intermission’s partnered content. Learn more about Intermission’s partnership model here.
Izzy Siebert
Izzy Siebert (she/her) is a writer based in London, Ontario, where she works in the city's culture and entertainment scene. Her foray into professional theatre criticism began through ON Criticism: The 2025/2026 Theatre Critics Lab, a collaboration between Intermission and four Ontario theatres. In her spare time (which theoretically exists), Izzy enjoys writing poetry and stepping on stage herself.
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