If you went to school within a 500-mile radius of Stratford, Ontario, then you might have been lucky enough to take a school trip to the Stratford Festival.
Montreal is a good six or more hours away from Stratford but the festival left such an impression on me when I was young that it was one of the first road trips I took with friends when I could go back.
I am a great lover of literature and plays but even for those that are not, Stratford offers plays for every personality.
This year, we’ve jumped on the chance to take our three boys to Stratford before the season wraps up. We are going to see The Lion, The Witch and the Wardrobe. I am reading the classic book by C.S. Lewis to the boys in preparation for our big event. They were hooked after the first chapter!
When I saw that The Lion, The Witch and the Wardrobe was one of this season’s plays, I knew it would be a wonderful introduction to theatre for the boys. In a similar regard, we read the first book of Harry Potter this summer, and then watched the movie. My heart swelled when their reaction to the movie was “Let’s read the next book!”.
Taking a beloved book and making it into a theatre production breathes new life to the story. It allows children (young and old) to experience what they envisioned in their minds from another person’s perspective. What the playwright and director produce on stage is their interpretation. I can’t wait to see their faces when they see the characters, the costumes, and the amazing set that Stratford has created for their production.
I have restrained from showing them these pictures:
Tom McCamus (left) as Aslan and Gareth Potter as Peter in The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe. Photography by David Hou.
Yanna McIntosh as White Witch in The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe. Photography by David Hou.
The Avon Theatre, one of four theaters dedicated to the Stratford Festival. Photography by Terry Manzo.
I know they will be fascinated with the interpretation on stage. And to be very honest, I’m so excited to see it as well!
If you have the chance to visit Stratford before the end of the season, consider it as a fall family road trip. Stratford is a wonderful family destination; you won’t be disappointed. The head librarian at our school has already gone to see The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe, and she was giddy telling me about it! And because this play has been sold out all season long, Stratford extended its season to November 13th!
I was notified of next season’s plays and the lineup is amazing. The family show will be Treasure Island! There will also be two musicals that would be fun for the whole family: HMS Pinafore and Guys and Dolls. Fore the teens, there will be Romeo and Juliet, and the great Shakespeare comedy, Twelfth Night. There will be even more, but these are the plays that will be most interesting to families.
For more information on the Stratford Festival, visit their website, or follow them on Twitter and Facebook.
If you would like to follow along as we travel to Stratford, I will be sharing all that I can on social media. My travelling hashtag is #travellingMOE and we’ll be using #MOEinStratford for this trip too. 🙂
Disclosure: I was compensated for this post, however, all opinions, as always are honest and my own.