Armchair Traveller: Stratford Magic- Exploring the Charming Town and Catching a Show
- Lynn Abbey
- Aug 25, 2024
- 2 min read
Back to Stratford!
Trip 2 – Lunch and a matinée of Shakespeare’s Romeo and Juliet. When my friend and I do a theatre day trip, we like to leave Simcoe around 9 AM to have a bit of time to poke around in the shops and walk the flower-lined streets of beautiful Stratford! A stop at Rheo-Thompson’s chocolate shop is a must – the store is beautiful and the smell is heavenly! On this trip we had a nice lunch of omelette and salad at The Bluebird, a French-style bistro on the main street. The restaurants are very used to theatre patrons so service is snappy, but it is best to make an advanced reservation to ensure you get a table on time!
The play on this trip was another classic, and old English teacher that I am, I was looking forward to seeing how Shakespeare’s best-known play could be made fresh. I always love plays on the Shakespearean-style Festival Theatre stage, and it’s amazing to see how stairs and balcony, pillars and porticos, and trap doors add limitless possibilities to the staging of a play in that building. Directed by Sam White, this version of R&J runs until October 26, and I would agree with The Toronto Star that “This Romeo and Juliet is worth a visit.” Solid performances by Jonathan Mason and Vanessa Sears in the lead roles, and a brilliant turn by Graham Abbey (no relation) as Capulet made this play very engaging indeed! It’s a faithful and traditional production that will appeal to anybody who doesn’t like it when the director uses an alternative setting, modern costumes, or updated language. We all know how the story goes in this one, and that’s part of the beauty of the play itself!
One of this year’s productions that interests me is a play I saw years ago on Broadway, the 2015 Tony Award-winning Something Rotten. It’s a rollicking-good musical about the Bottom Brothers who are struggling to find success as playwrights in the 1595 theatre world dominated by none other than William Shakespeare. The Stratford version has received great reviews and remains on my “want to see it” list for this season! It’s funny, upbeat, and while you won’t likely know any of the songs, they resonate with the crowd to be sure! The smash hit of the season, Something Rotten has been extended until the final days of this year’s season, November 17!
Apart from the theatre offerings, all available online at www.stratfordfestival.ca, Stratford is a lovely destination, filled with beautiful neighbourhoods and parks, charming streets full of shops, and great restaurants of all sorts! If you are looking for a bargain – as the tickets themselves can get pricey – there are many ways to save on the website including seniors’ discounts, lower-priced mid-week shows, and information about rush seats available day of the production. I follow the festival on Facebook and have scored sale-priced tickets for several productions at great prices, too!
Safe Travels
Lynn Abbey
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