This summer, what a better way to take a little stay-cation, than to explore the quaint town of Prescott — an hour away from Ottawa, and home to the St. Lawrence Shakespeare Festival, which boats Canadian theatre talent from across the country.
This year’s festival includes Shakespeare’s Much Ado About Nothing and a play for fans of mystery, Sherlock Holmes and the Vanishing Hour, by Deivan Steele. Both productions will run from July 18-Aug. 9
Co-Artistic Director of the festival Julia Nish-Lapidus says that her and her husband — Co-Artistic Director James Wallis — started coming to the festival to watch some friends perform almost ten years ago.
Photo of the Kinsman Amphitheatre in Prescott, ON. Photo provided.
“We fell in love with this space and this town, and all the possibilities of doing classic plays in this really magical setting,” she says. “That’s what sets the festival apart, is the space that we have to do it in. I don’t think there’s anything else like it in the country.”
Their theatre is an amphitheatre located right on the bank of the St. Lawrence River.
Actor Andrea Masoud says that for her, coming to Prescott to watch Canadian theatre makes for a great day trip.
“I grew up in Ottawa, and so coming to Prescott and seeing the festival was always part of the summer routine,” she says. “It doesn’t get better to just drive less than an hour, and then you’re launched into this beautiful setting, get to see some great theatre, be in a charming town — it’s a great way to spend the day.”
Beck Lloyd and Quincy Armorer in Much Ado About Nothing. Photo by Deanna Clark. .
In addition to Much Ado About Nothing, and Sherlock Holmes and the Vanishing Hour, the season will close with a one-week run of Play On! A Shakespeare Inspired Mixtape which will run from Aug. 12-16.
Play On! is a show that Wallis and Nish-Lapidus created along with musical theatre artist Robert Marcus for Stratford Festival’s 2021 season. It’s essentially a cabaret which highlights Shakespeare’s influence on pop music.
They cover everything from Taylor Swift to the Beatles, Mumford and Sons to Radiohead. Nish-Lapidus says that it was a huge hit when they performed it last year, so they’re bringing it back and adding a few new songs to the repertoire.
“We don’t even realize how much Shakespeare has infiltrated our day-to-day lives, so it’s a fun exploration of that,” says Nish-Lapidus. “It’s kind of like Shakespeare meets rock concert.”
The festival is always upping their game, bringing new perspectives and breathing new life into some of literature’s most classic stories.
Daniel Briere and Andrea Massoud in Sherlock Holmes and the Vanishing Hour. Photo by Deanna Clark.
“Every version that Wallis and Nish-Lapidus have directed is the clearest version of that story that I’ve seen done,” says Massoud. “And I think audiences will be surprised by how much they understand because they make it so accessible and the language is so clear. You kind of forget that you’re listening to 400-year-old texts.”
And the addition of Sherlock Holmes this year? While not a Shakespearean classic, it was a no-brainer, according to Nish-Lapidus.
Davien Steele, the writer of the play, was an actor with the festival last summer. He was inspired to pitch the idea of performing a Sherlock Holmes piece after reading a few mysteries himself.
“When he said it, it just made sense,” says Nish-Lapidus. “It was absolutely right — we’re always looking for programing that’s fun for a whole vast audience because we get so many different types of people coming to our shows.”
Massoud plays Jane Watson in this version, and says there truly is something for everyone in this performance.
“If you’re a Sherlock fan, you’re going to love it. The angle of having Watson as a woman is really going to appeal to some people, the fact that it’s set when it’s set is unique — I think [Steele] did a great job.”
Nish-Lapidus says that she’s excited to welcome folks to their outdoor theatre oasis just a day-trip away from Ottawa audiences.
“A large portion of our audience comes from Ottawa, and there are people who are looking for this kind of world-class theatre and this kind of magical experience that we want to make sure as many people know about it as possible, because we think they’ll love it.”
Make sure to check out the St. Lawrence Shakespeare Festival in Prescott, ON. All performances will take place at the Kinsmen Amphitheatre (Sandra S. Lawn Harbour, 101 Water St.). Much Ado About Nothing will run from July 18-Aug. 9 and Sherlock Holmes and the Vanishing Hour will run from July 22-Aug. 9. Play On! A Shakespeare Inspired Mixtape will perform from Aug. 12-16. All performances run from Mondays to Fridays at 7pm, Wednesdays to Saturdays at 1pm, with another Saturday performance at 6pm.
For more information about the festival, check out their website. You can purchase tickets and passes online.
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