AN EDMONTON EXPERIENCE: THE CITADEL THEATRE
The Citadel is Edmonton’s premier venue for theatre arts in the city.
The 2018/2019 season offers wide ranging entertainment for audiences of all ages and interests. Drama, musicals, concerts and experimental theatre can all be enjoyed at the Citadel. Artistic Director Daryl Cloran, now in his second year in the role, is responsible for the artistic vision at the theatre. There are over fifteen events taking place at the theatre complex from now until May. Here a just a few examples.
Between 1914 and 1918, over four thousand First Nations soldiers volunteered to fight and die for Canada in the First World War. Redpatch is a new Canadian play that tells of a young Metis soldier, whose life and culture are transported with him to the battlefields of Europe. The Citadel’s Daryl Cloran saw the first production of this play in a small theatre in Vancouver, and was blown away by the beauty and impact of the story. He invited the theatre company who created he play to scale up the production for the larger Citadel stage. Vancouver’s Georgian Straight calls Redpatch ‘wholly immersive and brilliantly inventive theatre … an actual experience that the world hasn’t seen before.’ Redpatch runs from November 1 to 11 in the Maclab Theatre.
A tradition at the Citadel and for Edmontonians alike has been the telling of Charles Dickens’ A Christmas Carol. For 19 years, The Citadel has presented the much loved family classic as interpreted by playwright Tom Wood. For next season, the theatre will commission a brand new adaptation of the Dickens story, but as a final send off to the Tom Wood version, the entire cast will be from Edmonton. As many in this city have grown up attending A Christmas Carol at the Citadel, many of the actors have grown with the play as well. Julian Arnold who plays Scrooge in this year’s production, began with the role of Bob Cratchet 19 years ago. A Christmas Carol runs from November 30th to December 23rd in the Maclab Theatre.
When Iranian playwright Nassim Soleimampour was refused a visa to travel outside his country, he decided to send one play ‘White Rabbit Red Rabbit’ to theatre companies around the world. In a unique twist, he directed that the play was to be read, sight unseen, by a different actor each night. The play became a sensation in the theatre world, and has been performed by actors such as Whoopi Goldberg, Stephen Fry and Nathan Lane. The Citadel Theatre is proud to present Soleimanpour’s new work, Nassim , from April 30 o May 5. Again, the contents of Soleimanpour’s play will be unknown to the performer, and will be read by a different actor each night. In another twist, the script will be projected in the theatre to the actor and the audience, with the pages turned by Nassim himself. A real coup for Artistic Director Daryl Cloran and the Citadel, this is experimental theatre at its best.
A final note on one production Daryl Cloran is excited about this season...the presentation of two comedies being performed in two theatres, simultaneously, with the same ten actors playing the same characters! The Party tells of a political fundraising party where secrets are revealed and scandals are set in motion. The Candidate takes place nine months later on election night where the scandal breaks and has to be dealt with. Each play stands alone as a finished work, but would inspire a return to the theatre to see the other half of the story. And what fun to know when an actor leaves a scene, they’re running down the hall to be on stage in a different play!
You can find more information on the entire season at the Citadel by going to citadeltheatre.com
