New $72 million theatre opens in Stratford
After two years of sitting dormant, the Tom Patterson Theatre in Stratford is officially open.
Construction of the $72 million theatre was completed in 2020, but pandemic restrictions meant its first show was delayed until Tuesday.
Following a ribbon cutting ceremony full of pomp and circumstance, at 2 p.m. actors hit the stage for a performance of Richard III. The play has a special significance to the Stratford Festival.
In 1953 when the festival started, it was Richard III that opened it.
On Tuesday, Stratford legend Colm Feore took the stage in the play’s title role, marking the start of a new era and what he said is a very important summer for the festival.
“It marks the first opportunity to say ‘we’re back,’” Feore said ahead of the performance. “We’re back together. We’re going to be in a room together sharing the space, and for so many reasons, that’s such an encouraging thing.”
Festival organizers said ticket sales have been strong this year and they’re anticipating more than 300,000 people to attend. That’s still shy of the 400,000 plus seen during pre-pandemic years, but ten times the size of last year’s scaled down event.
'A SLEEPING BEAUTY'
The new Tom Patterson Theatre was designed by Toronto-based architect Siamak Hariri. In a media release, the festival said the building was inspired by its riverside setting, with undulating walls of shimmering glass, hung with thin bronze mullions.
“We have waited years for this day to come,” Stratford Festival artistic director Antoni Cimolino said of the opening. “This gorgeous theatre has rested here like a sleeping beauty during this long pandemic.”
“Our architect, Siamak Hariri, has designed an inspiring space, which we believe will be the best theatre room in North America, a space worthy of the exceptional work that has always been produced in this well-loved theatre.”
Correction
A previous version of this story incorrectly reported that the opening play of the first Stratford festival in 1953 was performed at the old Tom Patterson Theatre. The story has updated.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
More than 115 cases of eye damage reported in Ontario after solar eclipse
More than 115 people who viewed the solar eclipse in Ontario earlier this month experienced eye damage after the event, according to eye doctors in the province.
Toxic testing standoff: Family leaves house over air quality
A Sherwood Park family says their new house is uninhabitable. The McNaughton's say they were forced to leave the house after living there for only a week because contaminants inside made it difficult to breathe.
Decoy bear used to catch man who illegally killed a grizzly, B.C. conservation officers say
A man has been handed a lengthy hunting ban and fined thousands of dollars for illegally killing a grizzly bear, B.C. conservation officers say.
B.C. seeks ban on public drug use, dialing back decriminalization
The B.C. NDP has asked the federal government to recriminalize public drug use, marking a major shift in the province's approach to addressing the deadly overdose crisis.
OPP responds to apparent video of officer supporting anti-Trudeau government protestors
The Ontario Provincial Police (OPP) says it's investigating an interaction between a uniformed officer and anti-Trudeau government protestors after a video circulated on social media.
An emergency slide falls off a Delta Air Lines plane, forcing pilots to return to JFK in New York
An emergency slide fell off a Delta Air Lines jetliner shortly after takeoff Friday from New York, and pilots who felt a vibration in the plane circled back to land safely at JFK Airport.
Sophie Gregoire Trudeau on navigating post-political life, co-parenting and freedom
Sophie Gregoire Trudeau says there is 'still so much love' between her and Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, as they navigate their post-separation relationship co-parenting their three children.
Last letters of pioneering climber who died on Everest reveal dark side of mountaineering
George Mallory is renowned for being one of the first British mountaineers to attempt to scale the dizzying heights of Mount Everest during the 1920s. Nearly a century later, newly digitized letters shed light on Mallory’s hopes and fears about ascending Everest.
Loud boom in Hamilton caused by propane tank, police say
A loud explosion was heard across Hamilton on Friday after a propane tank was accidentally destroyed and detonated at a local scrap metal yard, police say.
Shopping Trends
The Shopping Trends team is independent of the journalists at CTV News. We may earn a commission when you use our links to shop. Read about us.
