Jillian Keiley

BFFs: “Based on the book by Michael Ende, fans of the original story or the 1984 film adaption will not be disappointed.”

The National Arts Centre is holding their annual Gala to support the NAC and the National Youth and Education Trust. This year’s 50th Anniversary Golden Gala will feature a number of guest performances in a showcase of Theatre, Dance, and Music, with special guest Sarah McLachlan.

This remarkable play tells the true story of the “whale man from Newfoundland”, Memorial University professor Dr. Jon Lien, who dedicated his life to freeing whales caught in fishing nets.

Colin Noden: “The National Arts Centre’s A Christmas Carol is fast paced and clever, and as tight a production as I’ve ever seen. I simply couldn’t pull out one outstanding element in the play.”

It is unusual for audiences to see a play in which the entire cast is Asian-Canadian. At a time when there is growing criticism over the under-representation of actors of Asian descent in movies, television and theatre, King of the Yees may be doing more than simply entertain.

The 2017–18 National Arts Centre season is an exciting lineup of dance, theatre, and music, and will feature the NAC’s new performance spaces being unveiled this year.

How do you say “Bah humbug” in ASL?

Some places have their mysteries: the secret lives born witness to when people were sure no one was watching, a record of which is imprinted on the place, in cypher understood only by initiates of that particular moment. Concord Floral, a condemned greenhouse where people go to live out their secret lives, is a place […]

A year and a half ago, Jillian Keiley, the Artistic Director of English Theatre at the National Arts Centre, asked Calgary’s Old Trout Puppet Workshop to collaborate on a production of one of Shakespeare’s most loved comedies – Twelfth Night.  However, she wanted them to imagine the play without puppets.  As the Old Trouts say […]

For most people, Craiglist is the online version of a massive market.  Whether you are looking for a used couch, a mechanic to fix your car or a cheap apartment, this popular website is a one-stop destination for a wide range of goods and services. For CBC radio broadcaster and playwright Bill Richardson, on the […]

There’s a reason why The Importance of Being Earnest has stood the test of time – it’s freakin’ hilarious and it doesn’t matter if it’s 1895 or 2014. Sure, Shakespeare’s plays are some 300 years older than this Oscar Wilde comedy which is part of the National Arts Centre’s English Theatre series. But let’s be […]

Several good plays have come to Ottawa during the 2013-14 season.  After watching the fantastic production of Oil and Water, however, a strong argument can be made that this work is the best performance to hit a local stage this season. Currently playing at the National Arts Centre, this wonderful play tells the story of […]

Sometimes a reviewer has to reveal his/her biases, so I might as well do this up front. If a live performance moves and excites children, it’ll win me over. Children are a tough audience. Let down your guard and you lose them. Fast. I like to go to theatre for kids because performers have to […]