One of Canada’s longest-running regional theatre companies celebrates major milestone with plenty of new work by New Brunswick playwrights.
It’s going to be a big season for Theatre New Brunswick. Today the company announced plans to stage new work by New Brunswick playwrights including world premiere productions by Mona’a Malik, Ryan Griffith, Kim Parkhill and Norm Foster; a partnership with Ship’s Company Theatre (Parrsboro, Nova Scotia); an epic holiday adventure for the whole family and a trip down the Yellow Brick Road – all as part of its 50th anniversary season.
“It is a rare and extraordinary thing for a theatre company in Canada to turn 50 years old,” said TNB Artistic Director Thomas Morgan Jones. “This milestone was made possible by generations of audiences and artists, as well as a city and province that has supported the live performing arts. Theatre New Brunswick was created with a mission to provide all of the people of New Brunswick with the highest standard of professional theatre, and as the years have gone on it has deepened its commitment to the province through our Young Company and then our Theatre School. That’s 50 years of theatre and education in our beautiful province!”
Theatre New Brunswick’s 50th anniversary season productions:
Any Given Moment
by Kim Parkhill | a co-production with Ship’s Company Theatre | World Premiere | September 2018
Open Space Theatre + provincial tour
Come Down From Up River
by Norm Foster | a world premiere production by The Foster Festival | November 2018
Fredericton Playhouse
The Lion, The Witch and The Wardrobe
by C. S. Lewis | December 2018
Fredericton Playhouse, Imperial Theatre, théâtre l’Escaouette
Gretel & Hansel
Based on the Grimm Brother’s story | adapted by Thomas Morgan Jones | World Premiere
TNB Young Company
Sania The Destroyer
by Mona’a Malik | World Premiere | TNB Young Company
A Brief History of The Maritimes and Everywhere Else
by Ryan Griffith | World Premiere | March 2019
Open Space Theatre + provincial tour
The Wizard of Oz
Featuring students from TNB Theatre School | April 2019
The season begins in September with a world premiere production by New Brunswick-born actor and playwright Kim Parkhill. Inspired in part by the prevailing culture of fear that has come to occupy our day-to-day interactions through social media, Any Given Moment helps expose the differences and similarities that define us all. This play is a co-production with Ship’s Company Theatre and will run in Nova Scotia and tour NB before hitting the Open Space Theatre for a week of Fredericton performances.
In November, Norm Foster’s latest work, Come Down From Up River, will make its debut on the Fredericton Playhouse stage with a four performance run. Combining Foster’s razor sharp wit and his gift for crafting lovable, everyday characters, Come Down From Up River is the first world premiere from The Foster Festival to be part of a TNB season.
“Norm Foster began his career at TNB, and has gone on to be the most produced playwright in Canada,” said Jones. “He continues to be a beloved writer here at home in New Brunswick, too. His last production at TNB was 2015’s On A First Name Basis and since that time we have all been eagerly awaiting his return…and what a return! Not only is Come Down From Up River a world premiere production, but it is set in Saint John. What better way to celebrate 50 years at TNB and our long history with Norm than with a hilarious and touching play hot off the press!”
For the holidays, audiences will experience a childhood adventure in Narnina with C. S. Lewis’ epic tale, The Lion, The Witch and The Wardrobe takes to the Fredericton Playhouse stage, December 13 – 15. TNB will pull out all the stops for this show. Expect elaborate sets and fantastical costumes as some of the country’s best theatre artists bring this story to life.
Ryan Griffith returns for a fourth year at TNB with his latest play, A Brief History of the Maritimes and Everywhere Else. This work, commissioned specifically for TNB’s 50th anniversary, combines Griffith’s love for New Brunswick and his fascination with the unknown with his proven ability to create engaging characters both mysterious and relatable. Guaranteed to be a great night at the theatre!
The season concludes with TNB Theatre School’s production of The Wizard of Oz. In keeping with tradition, this annual cap on the season combines the most experienced musical theatre students with an orchestra, a professional design team and the combined resources of both the Fredericton Playhouse and Theatre New Brunswick to create one of the most elaborate and visually stunning community productions of the whole year. What a great way to wrap up the season.
TNB Young Company
This exciting season also includes TNB Young Company’s 44th provincial tour bringing live theatre to schools across the province. This year’s tour will feature two world premieres developed specifically for TNB Young Company. Elementary school audiences will experience the play Gretel & Hansel, a Thomas Morgan Jones adaptation of the Grimm fairy tale, Hansel and Gretel. Middle and high school students will enjoy a world premiere by New Brunswick author and playwright, Mona’a Malik with her play Sania The Destroyer, all about growing up Muslim in Atlantic Canada.
Two Subscription Packages
TNB Ultimate Subscription: $139 ($75 student) + HST
Any Given Moment, Come Down From Up River, The Lion, The Witch and The Wardrobe, A Brief History of The Maritimes and Everywhere Else, The Wizard of OZ, PLUS a special performance of both TNB Young Company Shows Gretel & Hansel and Sania The Destroyer.
TNB Playhouse Subscription $97 ($45 student) + HST
Come Down From Up River, The Lion, The Witch and The Wardrobe, The Wizard of OZ
Single tickets go on sale July 23.
Subscriptions and tickets for all Fredericton performances available at the Fredericton Playhouse Box Office.
For full descriptions of all the productions planned, visit www.tnb.nb.ca
