I always feel a tinge of sadness as each season at The Grand comes to a close, knowing that all the productions have been memorable for me. At least until I see what they have planned next!

The upcoming 2024/25 season has been dubbed, A Time for Play. According to the Artistic Director, Rachel Peake, the season “is about moments where joy, where play, bring about real change in the world.”

Here’s a look at what’s to come!

The 2024/25 High School Project, Roald Dahl’s Matilda the Musical

Starting off strong on Sept. 17, with the annual High School Project, is Roald Dahl’s Matilda the Musical. The High School Project never ceases to amaze me with the talent that lives in the students of London, Ont. This musical, based on the beloved children’s book by Roald Dahl is a well-known classic filled with upbeat and heartfelt music.

Shakespeare & The Beatles, As You Like It

This Shakespearean love story, re-set in Canada’s Okanagan Valley in the 1960s demonstrates challenges that a couple faces where they realize that “love may not be all you need.” Peake acknowledged that anyone who has studied Shakespeare may find it particularly interesting to see a different perspective or in her words, “to experience Shakespeare in a really new way.” In the trailer that highlights the season and the opening of this production in October, Peake is disguised in hippie apparel from head-to-toe walking through the Thames Valley Parkway.

The Sound of Music

Coming to the Spriet Stage in November is another iconic classic that Peake herself will be directing, The Sound of Music. Based on the Tony Award-winning musical, this holiday production features well-known songs such as “My Favourite Things,” “Do-Re-Mi,” “Sixteen Going on Seventeen,” and more! A story about a woman who brings the joy of music to a family, backdropped by the threat of a Nazi-invasion, this show will no doubt supply some much-needed holiday nostalgia.

Heist

Ringing in 2025 is this thrilling co-production with The Citadel Theatre, featuring five criminals that will keep you on the edge of your seat throughout. Peake said that this production is known as “the Ocean’s 11 for theatre,” so if you love a good heist, make sure to have this one on your list. The screenwriter and playwright, Arun Lakra, is said to bring “high-tech, stunt-filled, crime drama from the silver screen to the stage.”

The Secret to Good Tea

Starting on Feb. 18, 2025, this mother and daughter story is co-produced with the National Arts Centre Indigenous Theatre and will take the Spriet Stage until March 8, 2025. When a mother (Maggie) has a story to share with her daughter (Gwynn) it creates “a journey of laughter, revelation, understanding, and the bond of a mother and daughter.”

Waitress

The second production that Peake will be directing in this season is Waitress, beginning on March 25, 2025. Co-produced with Theatre Aquarius, this Tony-Award winning show follows a troubled marriage, which slowly becomes more complex with the news of a baby on the way. Waitress features incredible music by Grammy Award-winner Sara Bareilles’ such as “She Used to be Mine” and “When He Sees Me.”

Pride and Prejudice

Adopted from the classic Jane Austen novel, Pride and Prejudice will take to the Spriet Stage on April 29, 2025. The well-known story will no doubt fill the seats in the theatre. According to the Grand website, “In this laugh-out-loud adaptation of Jane Austen’s classic work, Kate Hamill deftly infuses the beloved Bennets, Bingleys, and Darcys with even more saucy irreverence for society’s expectations.”

Visiting The Grand Theatre is always enjoyable because you almost always know that you’re going to have a great time. For those avid theatregoers, I feel your excitement for this upcoming season and for those who have never ventured to The Grand, I encourage you to do so this season! Students should be reminded that there is a student rush special for those who can provide a valid student ID. Instructions on how to book a student ticket at The Grand can be found online under the “Ways to Save” subheading. For more details about the shows coming to The Grand in 2024/25, visit grandtheatre.com/202425-season.