More than four centuries after his death, there’s one artist still dominating the marquees. I’m talking, of course, about Shakespeare, who’s everywhere you look across the Toronto theatre scene this fall.
At Crow’s Theatre, we’re getting adaptations of “Measure for Measure” and “Macbeth.” The National Ballet of Canada is reviving a historic production of “Romeo and Juliet.” There are also two major world premieres — “Prophetess” (at Tarragon Theatre) and “All’s Well” (at Crow’s Theatre) — which both draw inspiration from the works of Shakespeare.
It’s no surprise, then, that Shakespeare also features prominently in my list of the top 10 theatre productions I’m most looking forward to seeing (or see again) on a Toronto stage this fall, listed in chronological order.
Measure for Measure
Christopher Manousos’ crackling adaptation of “Measure for Measure” transforms Shakespeare’s comedy into a thrilling play-within-a-play, in which we watch a group of dysfunctional artists try to mount a radio version of the classic show. There’s an overbearing director, his film star of a wife, his best friend, a sound technician and an awkward newbie. And over the course of the evening, personalities collide, while alliances form and crumble. The genius of Manousos’ staging, which premiered in 2025, lies in how it accentuates the themes of the original play: how power can be corrupted, the ambiguous nature of morality, the difference between appearance and reality. Until Oct. 11 at Crow’s Theatre, 345 Carlaw Ave.
Wine in the Wilderness
The plays of the late African American writer Alice Childress are experiencing a bit of a renaissance. Five years ago, her dramatic comedy “Trouble in Mind” finally received its Broadway premiere, more than five decades after it was written. Three years ago, the Stratford Festival mounted a scintillating production of Childress’ “Wedding Band,” an interrogation of interracial relationships in the Deep South. Now, Canadian Stage is presenting another one of her gems: “Wine in the Wilderness,” a play about Black artistry and womanhood set amid the Harlem race riots. Jordan Laffrenier, who directed an astonishing production of “Slave Play” last year, returns to Canadian Stage for this run. Sept. 19 to Oct. 11 at the Berkeley Street Theatre, 26 Berkeley St.
La Traviata
Arin Arbus’s production of “La Traviata” is back at the Canadian Opera Company for the third time since its premiere in 2015. One of Verdi’s great masterpieces composed during his productive “middle period,” the opera follows a French courtesan who falls in love with a nobleman, only to be driven apart from him and stricken by tuberculosis. This remount production will be conducted by Italian maestro Paolo Carignani and features a rotating cast, led by American soprano Kathryn Lewek and Canadian Andriana Chuchman, sharing the role of Violetta Valéry. Also set to appear are fellow Canadians Russell Braun and Emma Pennell. Until Oct. 17 at the Four Seasons Centre for the Performing Arts, 145 Queen St. W.
Prophetess
The last time Tarragon Theatre artistic director Mike Payette joined forces with playwright Ho Ka Kei (Jeff Ho), they crafted something extraordinary: “Cockroach,” a mercurial and shape-shifting exploration of survival, identity and migration, told through text and choreography. Some four years after that project, the pair are joining forces yet again on “Prophetess,” which sees “Law and Order Toronto” star Karen Robinson play a university professor haunted by a colony of pestering spiders, whose pestering voices slowly take over her life. Inspired by the Bard’s history plays, Ho’s new drama also features Christine Horne, Natasha Muma and Rick Roberts. Sept. 29 to Oct. 25 at Tarragon Theatre, 30 Bridgman Ave.
Dancer (A Musical in Ten Furlongs)
Jim Betts and Marek Norman’s rousing new dance musical, inspired by the true story of Northern Dancer, the first Canadian-bred horse to win the Kentucky Derby, first galloped onto the scene in 2023, where it was among the biggest hits at the Toronto Fringe Festival. After a few subsequent false starts, including an off-Broadway run that ultimately fell through, an expanded and reworked version of the show is set to return to Toronto this fall, helmed by “So You Think You Can Dance” choreographer Stacey Tookey, whose pièce de résistance of the original Fringe run was to cast actual dancers to play the various racehorses. Oct. 6 to Nov. 1 at the Terminal Theatre, 207 Queens Quay W.
Sleuth
The Shaw Festival, the repertory theatre company based in Niagara-on-the-Lake, couldn’t have picked a better production to kick off its three-year residency at the Harbourfront Centre in Toronto. Anthony Shaffer’s “Sleuth” is an adrenaline-pumping, cat-and-mouse play that subverts the classic murder mystery genre perfected by playwrights like Agatha Christie. Here, two smarmy men with some scores to settle are locked in a tête-à-tête over the course of an evening. But what begins as mere fun and games soon turns deadly. The multi-talented Peter Fernandes directs this production, which is currently running at the Shaw Festival before transferring to Toronto. Oct. 16 to Nov. 1 at the Fleck at Harbourfront Centre Theatre, 231 Queens Quay W.
Operation Mincemeat
Toronto audiences almost got to see this hit British musical comedy before it sailed off to Broadway last year, after Mirvish entered talks to present the show’s pre-Broadway engagement. Alas, those plans never came to fruition. Thankfully, though, the city is one of the first few stops on the musical’s North American tour, which launches this fall. One of the best new British musical exports in recent memory, “Operation Mincemeat” is a sharp, smart and stupidly irreverent comedy about the Second World War deception mission of the same name, with a five-person cast and an esthetic can best be described as “Hamilton” meets Monty Python’s “Spamalot.” Oct. 27 to Dec. 13 at the Royal Alexandra Theatre, 260 King St. W.
Romeo and Juliet
The National Ballet of Canada is moving forward by looking back. The centrepiece of the company’s fall lineup for its 75th anniversary season is John Cranko’s “Romeo and Juliet,” which has not been presented at the National Ballet since 2009, when it was retired to make way for choreographer Alexei Ratmansky’s fresh staging. Cranko’s setting of the Prokofiev ballet, however, was long a staple in the company’s repertoire — first acquired by founding director Celia Franca in 1964 before being performed more than 240 times. It was also regarded as one of the company’s opulent productions in its history. Oct. 31 to Nov. 8 at the Four Seasons Centre for the Performing Arts, 145 Queen St. W.
De Profundis: Oscar Wilde in Jail
This beguiling musical fantasia by Gregory Prest, Mike Ross and Sarah Wilson won big at the 2024 Dora Awards. It’s now returning to Soulpepper for a remount, featuring the entire original cast and creative team. Inspired by Oscar Wilde’s love letter of the same name, written while he was imprisoned for “gross indecency” at the height of his fame, the genre-defying show recounts Wilde’s tempestuous relationship with his lover, Lord Alfred “Bosie” Douglas, along with his spiritual reflections on Christ. Poetic, spare and dreamlike, Prest’s production features a monumental performance at its centre by Damien Atkins, who delivered one of the best performances of 2024 and is set to reprise his role. Nov. 3 to 29 at the Young Centre for the Performing Arts, 50 Tank House Ln.
Dog Days
Co-written by Canadian librettist Royce Vavrek and American composer David T. Little, “Dog Days” has won praise from critics ever since it premiered in 2012. This fall, it’s finally receiving its Canadian premiere, courtesy of Tapestry Opera and Against the Grain Theatre. Described as a contemporary rock opera, the show is inspired by a short story of the same name and is set in an apocalyptic, near-future America, following a rural family as they try to survive a devastating food shortage and the collapse of the country’s military. Tapestry Opera’s artistic director Michael Hidetoshi Mori will direct this new production, with a cast that’s yet to be announced. Nov. 18 to 29 at the Nancy & Ed Jackman Performance Centre, 877 Yonge St.
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