An astonishing 24 shows by 12 independent companies have been announced for The Gladstone’s 10th Anniversary Season, which apparently makes our local institution Canada’s busiest theatre.
If longtime Centretown residents smell something fishy in the sentence above, it’s probably “10th Anniversary” and not “Canada’s busiest theatre.” That’s because, although the building at 910 Gladstone Avenue has been known as a theatre venue since the 1980s, it’s now being run by a unique partnership of indie theatre companies who signed the lease shortly after Great Canadian Theatre Company moved out, concluding their 2006–07 season.
The building started out as a cinderblock garage before GCTC converted it into a 230-seat venue in 1982. In the last 10 years alone, The Gladstone has earned its self-proclaimed title as Canada’s busiest theatre.
The 2018–19 season opens with Cloudburst by TotoToo Theatre on September 5, 2018. The season concludes with back-to-back musicals What if? (J.P. Chartier) and Avenue Q (ToToToo Theatre) which will compete with the annual Ottawa Fringe Festival in June 2019.
More season highlights include:
- I Am My Own Wife by Doug Wright– Sept. 18 to 29
- This Flight Tonight: Songs of Joni Mitchell by Bear & Co.– Oct. 17 to 27
- It’s A Wonderful Life: The Radio Show adapted by Tony Palermo– Dec. 6 to 15
- A Christmas Carol performed by John D. Huston– Dec. 16 to 22
- Weird by Philip Psutka & Lindsay Bellaire – Jan. 30 to Feb. 9
- Love and Human Remains by Brad Fraser– Mar. 6 to 16
- Dief The Chief by Pierre Brault – Apr. 16 to 20
- Scary Poppins by Brett Kelly, Trevor Payer and music by Stephen John Tippet – Apr. 24 to May 4
- Nell Gwynn by Jessica Swale– May 8 to 18
Visit thegladstone.ca to see the full program and schedule. Single tickets cost $23–39 and subscription packages are available for savings when you buy tickets to two or more shows. Accessible and wheelchair seating is available in the front row. The Gladstone has a barrier-free entrance and accessible washrooms.
