aisling murphy

Found this on my travels today from an old Nappoholics (@intermissionmag.bsky.social) column, circa 2018.

(The irony, if you haven't seen The Neighbours, is that 100 per cent of that show is direct address.)

Little Willy is a laugh-out-loud parody of Romeo and Juliet – with very little Shakespeare Ronnie Burkett’s show is more interested in what it means to spend time in a Canadian theatre than in the particulars of the Bard

Oh, how lucky are we in Canada to have Ronnie Burkett. LITTLE WILLY is Burkett at his raunchiest (and least predictable) and I can't recommend it enough.

Critic's Pick for the show that made my belly hurt from laughing so hard:

www.theglobeandmail.com/culture/stag...

2026/2027 Season - Theatre Aquarius ArtsAlive! is a curriculum-based school-outreach program that works to maximize Theatre Aquarius as an arts education resource.

HEIST: Another Heist! (Arts Club is also doing it – doesn't appear to be a co-pro.)

Really decent season here – nice mix of an edgy big swing from Toronto, two crowd-pleasing musicals and two Canadian plays. Not mad at it.

Full season here: theatreaquarius.org/2026-2027-se...

MATILDA, starring Addison Wagman: Yessss. I'm bummed Addison's not in the Broadway BEACHES (I wondered if she'd transfer with it after appearing in the Calgary tryout), but this should be fun.

SISTERS OF '78 by Kristen Da Silva: Local playwright. Nice!

First, already announced by Crow's and Soulpepper: ALL'S WELL. Still thrilling.

JOSEPH AND THE AMAZING TECHNICOLOUR DREAMCOAT, starring Kolton Stewart, who you may have seen on Heated Rivalry: Smart piece of programming. Not my favourite musical (god, the megamix), but I'm looking forward to it.

A juicy one today: Theatre Aquarius in Hamilton. 🧵

The Neighbours is a gutsy, grisly play about the monster living next door Nicolas Billon’s play at Tarragon recounts a horrific crime through the eyes and mouths of two unassuming neighbours

I liked THE NEIGHBOURS, sort of – Tony Nappo offers an understated take on a dad who knows more than he's letting on.

Not obsessed with all the direct address in Nicolas Billon's script, but it's a solid night of theatre.

Review in @theglobeandmail.com:

www.theglobeandmail.com/culture/stag...

oh ok cool thanks google

A mini-announcement today: Crow's Theatre and Soulpepper (Crowpepper) will produce an adaptation of Mona Awad's ALL'S WELL next year, written for the stage by Erin Shields and starring Maev Beaty. #canlit

www.thestar.com/entertainmen...

New Drew Hayden Taylor play investigates Indigenous art fraud – and a fraught mother-daughter relationship The Undeniable Accusations of Red Cadmium Light runs at Winnipeg’s Prairie Theatre Exchange until March 8

Had a nice chat with Drew Hayden Taylor about THE UNDENIABLE ACCUSATIONS OF RED CADMIUM LIGHT, playing in Winnipeg at @prairietheatrex.bsky.social until March 8.

Q&A for @theglobeandmail.com here: www.theglobeandmail.com/culture/stag...

It's a safe season, if a slightly snoozy one. Very excited about John Proctor Is the Villain, and curious to see which musical winds up dominating the regional circuit next year (other than Come From Away). Otherwise, no surprises here.

Full season here: artsclub.com/media/2025-2...

Other highlights: BEHIND THE MOON (I liked this show and I'm glad to see it living on in the Canadian canon!); BIG STUFF (really pleased to see this show continuing to tour and evolve); LITTLE DARLIN' (nice to see the REDBONE COONHOUND duo on a new project).

JOHN PROCTOR IS THE VILLAIN: Yes. Yes. Yes. If it doesn't show up in Toronto (off-Mirvish, maybe?), I might have to hop on a plane and see this.

SHIRLEY VALTENTINE: 🤷🏻‍♀️

MUSICAL TBA: 🤷🏻‍♀️🤷🏻‍♀️

DEATH OF A SALESMAN: The next year is shaping up to be a big one for Arthur Miller in Canada, between Salesman in China at Mirvish, Death of a Salesman at Stratford and now regional productions of Death of a Salesman (this one's a Citadel co-pro). Sort of antithetical to "elbows up," no?

HEIST, directed by Andrew Kushnir: I was bummed to miss this at the Grand Theatre (Citadel co-pro) last year — interesting to see it moving through the regional circuit.

ELF: Not my favourite holiday show — I don't love the music and I find the book clunky.

Another one today (and more on their way, so I'm told): Arts Club Theatre in Vancouver, BC. 🧵

Kat Sandler play Yaga sells out after Heated Rivalry star cast in upcoming TV adaptation A surprise casting announcement sold out stock of Sandler’s play, a remix of the myth of Baba Yaga, at multiple booksellers

If you're so inclined to support Canadian journalism, here's my interview with Playwrights Canada Press, which includes the play's sales numbers in the immediate aftermath of the Hudson Williams casting news.

www.theglobeandmail.com/culture/book...

Hudson Williams’ Casting in Crave’s ‘Yaga’ Adaptation Sends Physical Screenplay Sales Soaring Physical copies of Kat Sandler's Yaga screenplay are selling out since Hudson Williams became attached to the TV adaptation of the mystery thriller.

Fabulous to see more coverage of Canadian theatre in a publication like @variety.com, but Yaga is a play, not a screenplay, and The Globe got to this nearly a week ago.

variety.com/2026/shoppin...

Kat Sandler play Yaga sells out after Heated Rivalry star cast in upcoming TV adaptation A surprise casting announcement sold out stock of Sandler’s play, a remix of the myth of Baba Yaga, at multiple booksellers

If you somehow missed the news, Hudson Williams (Heated Rivalry) will appear in the TV adaptation of Kat Sandler's play YAGA.

Here's my chat with @playcanpress.bsky.social about the epic surge in sales that followed the casting announcement:

www.theglobeandmail.com/culture/book...

I just finished YAGA by Kat Sandler, and it’s a really great ride! (I didn’t know it’s all over Twitter since I’m not on that site now.)

It’s funny and feminist and folktale-y and freaky.

And it might be on your library’s Hoopla digital service. Support authors by using public libraries!

📚💙

In Ottawa, two new plays and a Governor General’s Literary Award winner warm up the capital The Globe’s theatre reporter and critic reflects on two plays with room to grow at Undercurrents Festival, plus a solid production of The Piano Teacher further south

What a treat to spend a few days immersed in Ottawa's theatre scene — I cut my teeth as a critic in that city and, judging by this trip, the quality of work has only improved since my last trip east.

Here's the work that impressed me most:

www.theglobeandmail.com/culture/stag...

Went last night. Amazing to see Gabriella Sundar Singh really give'r for 45 minutes straight in a solo show.
Anusree Roy as unflinching a dramatist as ever.
Sold out as Aisling expected. The TPM Backspace has even fewer seats than it used to have!

fun fact. The original production of Kat Sandler's Yaga at Tarragon starred Seana McKenna.

Seana McKenna's son is Callan Potter.

Callan Potter plays Hayden Pike in Heated Rivalry, bff to Shane Hollander.

Shane Hollander played by Hudson Williams who will now star in Yaga the TV series!

A Canadian play has taken over Twitter. (Yes, some of us are still on that godforsaken site.)

Yaga has sold out on Amazon. There are Yaga memes in every other post. I couldn’t be more thrilled for Kat Sandler — and I can’t wait for the world to catch up with her brilliance.

Globe theatre reporter Aisling Murphy wins two Nathan Cohen Awards Murphy won for her writing on the Mirvish production MJ, and the opening of a production of Come From Away amidst a changing Canada-U.S. relationship

Congratulations to @aislingmurph.bsky.social on her Nathan Cohen Awards!
Judge this year was the Stage's Natasha Tripney - whose Café Europa newsletter is a must-read. www.theglobeandmail.com/culture/arti...

Thanks, Kelly!

Pretty verklempt about this whole thing. And the timing is wildly serendipitous: As of this week, my title at The Globe has officially expanded to Theatre Reporter and Critic.

I love this work. I can't wait to do more of it. Extraordinarily grateful to my team at The Globe. 🗞️❤️

Really lovely surprise this month: I won both the Outstanding Review and Outstanding Critical Essay categories (plus runner-up for review! what!) for the Nathan Cohen Awards this year.

Very, very grateful to my editors @heypereira.bsky.social and Rebecca Tucker at @theglobeandmail.com.

Thanks, Steve!

Copperbelt offers a Zambian-Canadian perspective and plenty of laughs Zambian-born, Toronto-based Natasha Mumba’s debut script could use tweaks, but Nina Lee Aquino’s production is zippy and bold

COPPERBELT: A really enjoyable night at the theatre (I'm not sure I've ever heard an audience get that loud), but an imperfect new play with surprisingly clunky direction.

Review @theglobeandmail.com:

www.theglobeandmail.com/culture/stag...