What happens when a Pulitzer Prize and Tony Award winning playwright decides to take on the unexpectedly twisted world of fairy tales? Branden Jacobs-Jenkins joins us to discuss his new work at the Shaw Festival.

Jacobs-Jenkins pulls back the curtain on crafting a show from scratch with a new ensemble of actors, the pure magic of spontaneous puppet design, and why storytelling remains an ancient, living art form. It is an insightful and hilarious conversation about honouring old traditions while daring to rewrite the rules.

Branden Jacobs-Jenkins joins the Shaw Festival as the writer and director of A New Work in Progress. An internationally acclaimed playwright and theatre artist, his celebrated works include Purpose, Appropriate, The Comeuppance and Gloria. His plays Everybody and An Octoroon have been produced here at the Shaw Festival. Branden is a Professor in the Practice at Yale University and serves as the Vice President of the Dramatists Guild council. He is the recipient of two Tony Awards, a Pulitzer Prize, a MacArthur "Genius" Fellowship, the Windham-Campbell Prize for Drama, and the inaugural Tennessee Williams Award.

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 actors have to perform two completely different masterpieces at the exact same time? Actors Tom and Michael join host Spike to talk about pulling double duty at the Shaw Festival in Amadeus and Heartbreak House. The two share stories from their earliest acting gigs before diving into what it actually takes to bounce between two massive scripts every day. They break down the literal physical challenge of acting on a steep, slanted stage, the trick to making centuries-old language sound natural, and how they find the human heart inside the legendary rivalry of Salieri and Mozart. It is a candid look at the messy, exhausting, and deeply rewarding reality of live repertory theatre.

Tom Rooney returns for his 4th season at the Shaw Festival, appearing in both Heartbreak House and Amadeus. Since joining the Shaw ensemble, Tom has delighted audiences in My Fair Lady, The Apple Cart, and Cyrano de Bergerac. A highly celebrated actor, he spent 14 seasons with the Stratford Festival and has starred in numerous hit productions at Crow's Theatre, including Uncle Vanya and Fifteen Dogs. Tom is a Dora and Sterling Award winner, whose extensive film and television credits include Transplant, Under the Banner of Heaven, and Guillermo del Toro’s Cabinet of Curiosities.

Michael Therriault celebrates his 5th season at the Shaw Festival, pulling double duty in Heartbreak House and Amadeus. His memorable Shaw credits include Me and My Girl, Anything Goes, and Rope. Michael is a prominent fixture of both the Canadian and international stage, having starred in The Lord of the Rings in Toronto and the West End, The Producers for Mirvish, and Fiddler on the Roof on Broadway, alongside a prolific multi-season tenure at the Stratford Festival. His screen work includes notable roles in Fellow Travelers, Chucky, Locke & Key, and Murdoch Mysteries.

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

On the second part of the conversation, Stephen sits down with Tim Carroll for an expansive, witty, and remarkably honest Q&A session.

This conversation was recorded live at the Shaw Festival in February 2026.

Stephen Fry is an award-winning English actor, author, and playwright whose connection to the Shaw Festival includes adapting the book for Me and My Girl and creating his solo trilogy Mythos, directed by Tim Carroll. A legendary figure in British pop culture from Blackadder to QI to The Traitors, Fry famously embodied the definitive screen version of Jeeves alongside Hugh Laurie in the 1990s television adaptation Jeeves and Wooster. He shares a deep, decades-long artistic relationship with Shaw Artistic Director Tim Carroll, which includes collaborating on the West End and Broadway transfers of the historic Globe Theatre productions of Twelfth Night and Richard III.

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

On the first of our special two part episode, Stephen Fry takes us from his isolated childhood in Norfolk and the realization that language was his ultimate superpower, to the transformative discovery of Oscar Wilde that helped him embrace his identity.

This conversation was recorded live at the Shaw Festival in February 2026.

Stephen Fry is an award-winning English actor, author, and playwright whose connection to the Shaw Festival includes adapting the book for Me and My Girl and creating his solo trilogy Mythos, directed by Tim Carroll. A legendary figure in British pop culture from Blackadder to QI to The Traitors, Fry famously embodied the definitive screen version of Jeeves alongside Hugh Laurie in the 1990s television adaptation Jeeves and Wooster. He shares a deep, decades-long artistic relationship with Shaw Artistic Director Tim Carroll, which includes collaborating on the West End and Broadway transfers of the historic Globe Theatre productions of Twelfth Night and Richard III.

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 creative team strips down a complex, surrealist masterwork to its rawest essentials? Director Philip Akin and actor Sophia Walker join movement director Spike to discuss their upcoming production of Adrienne Kennedy’s Ohio State Murders. The semi-autobiographical play follows a celebrated writer who returns to her alma mater, only to unravel a history of deep personal trauma and institutional racism.

Philip Akin returns to the Shaw Festival to direct Ohio State Murders. He has previously helmed several defining Shaw productions, including The House That Will Not Stand, Gem of the Ocean, Trouble in Mind, and "Master Harold"...and the Boys. A legendary figure in Canadian theatre, Philip recently directed the acclaimed Canadian premiere of The Lehman Brothers Trilogy at Canadian Stage. His pioneering career has been recognized with numerous honors, including the Premier’s Award for Excellence in the Arts, the Toronto Theatre Critics Award for Best Director, the Central Ontario Theatre Conference Lifetime Membership Award, and is a Member of the Order of Canada.

Sophia Walker enters her 3rd season at the Shaw Festival, appearing in Ohio State Murders and A New Work in Progress. Shaw audiences previously saw her powerful performances in The House That Will Not Stand and Gem of the Ocean. A veteran of the Canadian stage, Sophia spent 12 seasons with the Stratford Festival and has starred in recent contemporary hits like Fairview and Slave Play at Canadian Stage. On screen, she plays Councillor Liz Harding in Law & Order Toronto: Criminal Intent and has held recurring roles in Y: The Last Man and Shadowhunters.

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

In this episode, we tour the brand-new Shaw Artists' Village to see how this cultural hub is transforming life on and off the stage.

We sit down with lead sponsor Jim Burton to discuss the new Burton Center for Lifelong Creativity, and chat with Pragna Desai about the village’s community programming. Head of Wardrobe Jason Bendig and Associate Head Janet Ellis take us behind the scenes of costume creation, and Bailey Cohort interns Espoir Segbeaya and Rylan Thomas share what it’s really like to live and train on campus.

More information at https://www.shawfest.com/beyond-the-stage/

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 trap two powerhouse comedic actors in a high-stakes British farce filled with split-second timing, physical torture, and a mountain of Tiger Balm? Actors Peter Fernandes and Martin Happer drop by to talk about reuniting for One for the Pot and unleashing a masterclass in chaotic energy on the Shaw Festival stage.

They pull back the curtain on the grueling athletic precision required to survive a nightly slapstick routine, unlocking the show's mathematical rhythm, and the hilarious reality of having your old theater school demons come back to haunt you. From mastering complex regional dialects with expert coaching to juggling the dizzying gear shift between broad physical comedy and cerebral Shaw, they reveal exactly what it takes to keep a wild theatrical romp entirely on the tracks.

Peter Fernandes celebrates his 5th season at the Shaw Festival, stepping into the director's chair for Sleuth while also appearing on stage in One for the Pot. Shaw audiences will recognize him from past favourites like One Man, Two Guvnors, Charley’s Aunt, and The Importance of Being Earnest. A three-time Dora Award winner and recipient of the Philip Akin Black Shoulders Legacy Award, Peter has performed extensively with Canadian Stage (Fat Ham), Crow’s Theatre (Fifteen Dogs), and Soulpepper. He is also an artistic associate at Crow’s Theatre and an adjunct professor at the University of Toronto Mississauga.

Martin Happer is celebrating a remarkable 21st season at the Shaw Festival, appearing this year in One for the Pot and Heartbreak House. Over his two decades with the ensemble, Martin has become a mainstay of the Shaw stage, with credits including Wait Until Dark, Witness for the Prosecution, Dracula, and Saint Joan. Beyond Niagara, he has performed with the Arts Club, Studio 180, and Theatre Aquarius. Television audiences will also recognize him from his numerous screen appearances, including roles in The Hot Zone: Anthrax, The Expanse, Frankie Drake Mysteries, and Murdoch Mysteries.

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