The House of Tudor returns to GCTC with Kate Hennig’s The Virgin Trial, a gripping follow-up to The Last Wife

The House of Tudor returns to GCTC with Kate Hennig’s The Virgin Trial, a gripping follow-up to The Last Wife

OTTAWA August 28, 2018 –Lauded as one of Canada’s most exciting playwrights, Kate Hennig is back at the Great Canadian Theatre Company with The Virgin Trial: the sequel to her 2016-17 smash hit The Last Wife. In The Virgin Trial, Hennig reimagines the story of young Elizabeth I as a modern day crime drama, full of political and sexual intrigue in the Tudor court. Directed by GCTC Artistic Director Eric Coates (Ordinary Days and Gracie), The Virgin Trial runs on the GCTC stage from September 11 – 30.

“A gripping Tudor tale”
— The Star

“An impressive switch from being one of Canada’s most notable actors to being one of our most noteworthy playwrights.”
— The Globe and Mail 

“The popularity of The Last Wife was no accident. Kate’s scripts are magnetic, complex and terribly exciting. The Virgin Trial appeals to me not only as a director, but as an audience member, keen for intrigue and the eternal power struggle in our political systems,” says Coates.

In The Virgin Trial, fifteen-year-old Elizabeth has been summoned to London to shed light on her relationship with Thom Seymour, brother to her interrogator, Ted Seymour. Thom is charged with treason for attempting to assassinate Elizabeth’s nine-year-old brother, King Edward VI. As the investigation unfolds, Bess becomes dangerously implicated in the murder plot. How much does she know? Just how innocent is she? Hennig continues what she started on The Last Wife by cleverly exploring feminist themes of victim shaming, sexual consent, and female empowerment as she reimagines the scandalous and little-known story of Elizabeth I before she ascended to the throne.

CAST

Attila Clemann: Thom
Cassel Miles: Parry
Chris Ralph: Ted
Anie Richer: Mary
Lydia Riding: Elizabeth (Bess)
Kate Smith: Ashley
Kristina Watt: Eleanor

CREATIVE TEAM

Laurie Champagne: Stage Manager
Eric Coates: Director
Martin Conboy: Lighting Designer
Verne Good: Sound Designer
Jennifer Goodman: Set, Props & Costume Designer
Hugh Martignago: Assistant Lighting Designer
Jess Preece: Assistant Stage Manager

OPENING NIGHT FOR REVIEWERS

Thursday, September 13, 2018. Curtain is at 8:00 p.m. 

PERFORMANCE TIMES

Performances begin at 8:00 p.m. Tuesday – Friday. Saturday performances take place at 4:00 p.m. There are no Saturday evening performances for The Virgin Trial. Sunday matinee performances begin at 2:00 p.m. Pay-what-you-decide performance on Sunday, September 16 at 2:00 p.m. and a post-performance talkback will take place on the main stage on Thursday, September 20.

TICKETS

Tickets are on sale now at GCTC’s Box Office at 1233 Wellington West at Holland, 613-236-5196 or GCTC.ca. Regular ticket price range: $42 to $58.Rush Tickets$15 for students; $33 for adults.

Tickets can be purchased in person from the GCTC Box Office after noon on the day of performance. Valid student ID required for Student Rush.

SUBSCRIPTIONS

Subscriptions are now available for GCTC’s 2018-19 season. Prices start at $210 for a 6-Play subscription and $137 for a 4-Play. For more information on the 2018-19 season, visit GCTC.ca or call the GCTC Box Office at 613-236-5196.

THE FRITZI GALLERY

From September 11 to October 21, the Great Canadian Theatre Company (GCTC) and The Ottawa School of Art (OSA) will present Cyborgization, a solo exhibit featuring the works of student Laurence Finet at the Lorraine “Fritzi” Yale Gallery.  A vernissage, with an opportunity to meet the artists, will take place Tuesday, September 11th from 6:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m. GCTC’s partnership with the Ottawa School of Art is supported by Cube Gallery.

ABOUT GCTC

GCTC is celebrating its 44th season in 2018–19. We continue to foster, produce and promote excellent theatre that provokes examination of Canadian life and our place in the world. Now in the last year of a 3-year strategic plan, GCTC aims to increase the diversity on it stages, diversify its audiences and deepen their experience. GCTC also continues to embrace artistic risk and to ensure a wide range of theatrical experiences.

-30-

For more information or to arrange interviews, contact:

Andrew Soobrian
Marketing and Communications Manager
Great Canadian Theatre Company
marketing@gctc.ca
613-236-5192 ext. 229