aisling murphy

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...

Got my tickets.
Anusree Roy is in her prime as a playwright. Should be done around the world.

A note on critic's picks: A few readers have pointed out there have been lots lately, and that's true — we're in an exciting moment for Toronto theatre.

To be clear: A critic's pick simply means I enthusiastically recommend a work, even with quibbles. (Those are usually spelled out in the review.)

Through the Eyes of God is a horrifying, gorgeous new play anchored by a virtuosic performance Anusree Roy’s play is a reminder of why we make theatre in the first place

THROUGH THE EYES OF GOD has some of the best onstage work I've ever seen. Gabriella Sundar Singh is a revelation as Chaya, a young mother tasked with saving her daughter from horrific circumstances. I all but guarantee it will sell out.

Critic's Pick review: www.theglobeandmail.com/culture/stag...

Canadian Opera Company names American Ian Derrer next general director Derrer starts on July 1, following an eight-year leadership stint with the Dallas Opera

#Exclusive: American Ian Derrer has been named the next general director of the Canadian Opera Company.

My interview with him is online now: www.theglobeandmail.com/culture/stag...

Argh — Salesman in China*, of course, not Death of a Salesman.

I have mixed feelings here. This is as close to an “elbows up” Mirvish season as we’re likely to get, but it’s also a sharp left turn from the programming of the last few years. I’d be curious to see subscription numbers in a few months.

As written in The Globe, audiences expecting more big-name shows like Phantom and Beauty and the Beast may need to see them as add-ons to their subscription. (Hannah didn’t confirm which shows might show up as add-ons.)