If you’re a fan of established community theatre, from an over-hundred-year-old theatre company, look no further than the Ottawa Little Theatre (OLT) as they begin their 112th season in 2025.
Jane Morris, who has been involved with the OLT in various capacities for over 40 years, says that this year audiences can expect various stories—from fan favourites to cult classics, to mysteries, and even a few stories to pull on your heartstrings.
“One of the things about Ottawa Little Theatre is that we do have a mandate to perform things like Broadway hits and best-selling plays,” says Morris.
The OLT is also known for other types of performances that normally don’t get played at the mainstream theatre companies in the city.
“You really do have to come to the Ottawa Little Theatre or maybe another community theatre to see that sort of thing—not just mysteries, but also popular comedies, and Tony Award winners,” says Morris. “I always look at what plays have won awards to see if there’s something that I think would fit into our season, and that’s not necessarily the sort of thing that those other theatres are looking for.”
The OLT’s 2025 season begins in the spring, instead of in the fall. Morris says this was something they carried over from COVID that has continued to work for their audiences.
“We flipped to being within the calendar year after COVID because we couldn’t start up until the spring,” says Morris. “And then we thought, ‘Well, why not do it that way and not make people come downtown in the middle of winter?’ And it’s been working fine.”
To begin their season, the OLT will perform The Shawshank Redemption from Feb. 26–March 15.
“It’s certainly got some violence, and it definitely deals with some difficult topics, although, it ultimately moves its way towards an ending that our audiences find satisfying,” says Morris.
Poster for The Shawshank Redemption. Photo provided.
From April 2–19, Now and Then, will be taking centre stage, which Morris says is an exciting comedy-drama.
“I think they call it a comedy, but it deals with some pretty serious subjects—it doesn’t necessarily end the way that you think it’s going to.”
Poster for Now And Then. Photo provided.
From May 7–24, the OLT will be featuring one of their staple performances of an Agatha Christie mystery. This year, it’s And Then There Were None. The OLT has a tradition of performing a different Christie story every season, and the 2025 season is no exception. Morris says that this particular story was one Christie wrote herself for the stage.
Poster for And Then There Were None. Photo provided.
“This play was from the 1930s, and is her most famous best-selling mystery story,” says Morris. “It’s going to be directed by Venetia Lawless, who directed the current season’s Agatha Christie play, which was Murder on the Orient Express, and that was a huge hit.”
From June 11–28, 37 Postcards performs—an off-beat comedy, about a young man who has been travelling for years, and returns home to find his family living in a strange state of denial.
“He’s left to escape his family and comes back to find out that nothing is as he thought it was. Including the fact that the entire house is tilted on its side because of the ground settling under it,” says Morris. “It’s also got its touching, heartwarming moments to it as well, but it’s also very funny.”
Poster for 37 Postcards. Photo provided.
July 16–Aug. 2 will have Always A Bridesmaid on OLT’s stage, which Morris describes as pure comedy. She also says that this is an all-female cast, which balances out that The Shawshank Redemption is an all-male cast.
Poster for Always A Bridesmaid. Photo provided.
From Aug. 20–Sept. 6, is another comedy called Five Alarm, from up-and-coming Canadian writer Kristen De Silva, and is the first time they’ve presented a play by her.
“Five Alarm takes place outside at a summer festival where they’re having a chilli cook-off,” says Morris. “So it’s a small town Canadiana play that people will be able to relate to—it’s a very funny romantic comedy as well.”
Poster for Five Alarm. Photo provided.
Another comedy coming to the OLT stage from Sept. 24–Oct. 11 is Jonas and Berry in the Home written by Norm Foster. The OLT performed one of his plays in their most recent season.
“He really knows how to craft a satisfying comedy,” says Morris. “So you know pretty much that you’re going to have a good evening when you go to a Norm Foster play.”
Poster Jonas and Berry in the Home. Photo provided.
And the last two performances in the 2025 OLT season are holiday hits, for two different occasions.
From Oct. 29–Nov. 15, The Turn of the Screw will be performing, and from Dec. 3–20 A Sherlock Carol will be the final performance of the season.
Poster for The Turn of the Screw. Photo provided.
The Turn of the Screw is a classic horror tale, perfect for the Halloween season.
A Sherlock Carol is a newer play that combines the mysteries of Sherlock Holmes with the Dickens tale A Christmas Carol.
“The story takes place when Tiny Tim is an adult and he engages a reluctant Sherlock Holmes to investigate the mysterious death of Scrooge,” says Morris.
Poster for A Sherlock Carol. Photo provided.
There are various ways to buy tickets for this season, from buying single tickets, subscriptions, or Four-Flex vouchers. Their classic subscription will get you access to all nine plays for the 2025 season, and the Four-Flex voucher will give you access to four plays throughout the season.
“If there are people who wanted to get a subscription discount but not commit to the entire nine plays, they could buy one or two Four-Flex vouchers and that allows you to buy tickets for multiple shows,” says Morris.
Morris says you can use the Four-Flex voucher in any way you want, except you can’t buy four tickets for the same show—you must purchase two different shows with the vouchers.
Scene from Murder on the Orient Express from the OLT’s 2024 season. Photo by Maria Vartanova.
While the season is long, there are many incredible stories to see this upcoming season. One of the things Morris hopes audiences take away from any of these shows is the overall experience.
“We like the whole experience from the time that you arrive in our part of town, all the way through the show and out,” she says. “We want the whole experience, the whole evening, to be great.
For more information about the Ottawa Little Theatre’s 2025 season, head over to the OLT website. For more information about ticket prices and how to purchase them, you can also check online, or call the box office at 613-233-8948.
.gif)
