In the month of February, the Grand Theatre in London, Ontario will present two plays which aim to present a modern spin on chapters in Canadian history.
The first, ‘Maggie and Pierre’, will deal with the relationship between Pierre Trudeau and his wife Maggie, the parents of current Prime Minister Justin Trudeau. The darker ‘Vigilante’, a travelling production from the Edmonton’s Catalyst Theatre, is a musical that deals with a turn-of-the-century crime war in nearby Lucan.
Maggie and Pierre, written by Linda Griffiths with Paul Thompson, is being directed by Rob Kempson and stars Kaitlyn Riordan as the titular “flower child” turned first lady. The play approaches its scandalous subject matter with a light touch, leading one reviewer to describe It as “a hilarious ride down memory lane”. Vigilante, meanwhile, tells the story of the infamous Donnelly clan, with book and music composed by Jonathan Christenson, who is also in the director’s chair. The musical is returning to the Grand Theatre after a sold-out tour two years ago.
Maggie and Pierre will have a brief run between February 12 and 16, while Vigilante will premiere on February 19 and continue showings until March 9. Local theatre companies often use poster printing and flyer printing to advertise their shows, so there may be some striking images displayed on London streets soon.
In addition to historical subjects, the Grand London Theatre’s season includes work by acclaimed Canadian authors like Margaret Atwood and Timothy Findley, as well as internationally famous plays like August Wilson’s ‘Fences’, recently made into a film by Denzel Washington, and classic musical ‘Cabaret’.