Real-life partners Marla McLean and Graeme Somerville talk about co-creating, co-directing, and co-starring in Dear Liar, a play based on the 40-year correspondence between George Bernard Shaw and Mrs. Patrick Campbell. They reflect on building a show together, discovering the complexities of this real-life relationship, and how letters can come alive on stage.

From their rehearsal room to their home life, this is a thoughtful and generous look into their partnership, both on and off the stage.

Marla McLean has spent 19 seasons as part of the Shaw Festival ensemble, performing in over 30 productions such as Witness for the Prosecution and Playboy of the Western World. Her work across Canada has earned critical acclaim, including a Merritt Award for The Miracle Worker. She also teaches acting and classical text at the National Theatre School.

Graeme Somerville brings over two decades of Shaw Festival experience, with standout performances in Saint Joan, The Devil’s Disciple, and Henry V. His work has been recognized with a Dora Award, and he has appeared on stages across the country including Canadian Stage and the National Arts Centre. He is also a mentor and educator at the National Theatre School.

Tickets to all of our shows are available now at shawfest.com.

Hosted by Alexis Milligan
Produced by Kelly Wong
Original Music by Travis Seetoo

We want to hear from you! Drop us a line at podcast@shawfest.com

What happens when a beloved British farce collides with a pair of seasoned performers who love to push each other to the edge of laughter? In this episode, actors Mike Nadajewski and Julia Course talk about bringing Tons of Money to life, corpsing on stage, and the art of comedic timing.

They share stories from their early days at Shaw, how trust builds between scene partners, and what it means to stay present and spontaneous night after night.

Mike Nadajewski is in his 9th season at the Shaw Festival, with credits including On the Razzle, Damn Yankees, and The President. He has performed across Canada and internationally, including eight seasons at the Stratford Festival and on Broadway in Jesus Christ Superstar. His screen credits include Murdoch Mysteries, The Understudy, and Stratfest@HOME.

Julia Course is in her 15th season at the Shaw Festival, where her roles have spanned Gaslight, Sex, The Glass Menagerie, and Baroness and the Pig. She has also performed with Theatre Animal, Nightwood Theatre, the Royal Manitoba Theatre Centre, and Canadian Stage. A graduate of the National Theatre School of Canada, she holds an MA from the University of Guelph.

Tickets to all of our shows are available now at shawfest.com.

Hosted by Alexis Milligan
Produced by Kelly Wong
Original Music by Travis Seetoo

We want to hear from you! Drop us a line at podcast@shawfest.com

Step through the wardrobe with director Selma Dimitrijevic and designer Judith Bowden as they reflect on their collaboration for The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe. They discuss first meetings and fast trust to the everyday bravery it takes to build Narnia from scratch.

They talk about what it means to arrive in a rehearsal room without a roadmap, how design can hold memory, and why vulnerability might be the most important creative tool of all.

Selma Dimitrijevic is a director and playwright originally from Croatia. She has directed Mother, Daughter and Baroness and the Pig at the Shaw Festival, and internationally helmed The Last Ship, Sting’s musical which toured across multiple countries. She is also a Creative Director with 59 Studio, currently designing audience experiences in Macau, Dubai, and London.

Judith Bowden is a set and costume designer who has worked extensively across Canada and the UK. At the Shaw Festival, her work has shaped productions ranging from Sweeney Todd to The Secret Garden, White Christmas, Gaslight, and The Apple Cart. Her credits also include the Royal Shakespeare Company, Arena Stage, the Stratford Festival, and numerous regional theatres nationwide.

Tickets to all of our shows are available now at shawfest.com.

Hosted by Alexis Milligan
Produced by Kelly Wong
Original Music by Travis Seetoo

We want to hear from you! Drop us a line at podcast@shawfest.com

What happens when you revisit a 1930s musical with a 21st-century sensibility? In our series premiere, associate artistic director Kimberley Rampersad and music director Paul Sportelli talk about the artistic choices, personal histories, and deep trust that shape Anything Goes at the Shaw Festival.

From a game-changing audition to a day that actors say is better than Christmas, this conversation covers decades of theatre-making, and what it means to collaborate with care.

Kimberley Rampersad is the Associate Artistic Director of the Shaw Festival and an award-winning director and choreographer whose work spans Shaw, Stratford, and stages across Canada. Last fall, she made her UK debut directing and choreographing The Red Shoes for the Royal Shakespeare Company.

Paul Sportelli is in his 27th season as Music Director at the Shaw Festival, where he has led productions including Grand Hotel, Sweeney Todd, and Floyd Collins. A composer, arranger, and award-winning music director, he has worked extensively across Canada and the U.S., including Broadway, Arena Stage, and Koerner Hall.

Tickets to all of our shows are available now at shawfest.com.

Hosted by Alexis Milligan
Produced by Kelly Wong
Original Music by Travis Seetoo

We want to hear from you! Drop us a line at podcast@shawfest.com

Let’s Get This Shaw on the Road — a brand-new podcast from North America’s premiere repertory theatre company.

Join Alexis Milligan and Kelly Wong as they take you behind the scenes of the Shaw Festival’s latest season through candid, insightful conversations with some of Canada’s top theatre artists.

New episodes every Thursday, starting May 22.

Tickets to all of our shows are available now at shawfest.com.

Hosted by Alexis Milligan
Produced by Kelly Wong
Original Music by Travis Seetoo

We want to hear from you! Drop us a line at podcast@shawfest.com