This show is a MUST see! It’s been adored by audiences all across the world and now it’s your chance to enjoy Peter Colley’s masterpiece in your very own backyard!

Check out I’ll Be Back Before Midnight… TONIGHT AT 8PM (July 22), TOMORROW NIGHT AT 8PM (July 23), or SATURDAY NIGHT AT 8PM (July 24 – Closing Night).

BUT…

If you can’t make it to I’ll Be Back Before Midnight, we would love to see you at Tempting Providence!

Festival Players is thrilled to be hosting Theatre Newfoundland Labrador’s production of Tempting Providence, FOR ONE WEEK ONLY, at Fields on West Lake (15786 Loyalist Parkway, Bloomfield, K0K 1G0).

Tempting Providence, by Robert Chafe, is about Myra Bennett, a young British nurse, arrives on the rugged shores of Newfoundland in 1921. No roads, no electricity, no doctors for miles. She signed on for a year and stayed for a lifetime. A spell-binding tale of strength and heroism told with humour and elegant simplicity.

Tempting Providence runs from July 26-30, 2010 ONLY! Get your tickets now to avoid disappointment.

The Box Office can be reached at 613-471-1991 or 1-866-584-1991. Buy online TODAY via www.countytix.ca .

Sherri McFarlane as Jan Sanderson PHOTO CREDIT: Michael Grills Photography

Festival Players would like to thank all who attended Opening Night on June 30th.

Our fourth season launched last Wednesday, with the first show of the season, I’ll Be Back Before Midnight by Peter Colley.

I’ll Be Back Before Midnight plays June 29 – July 24 at Mount Tabor Playhouse in Milford (MAP).

Get your tickets today to avoid disappointment, and bring a friend.. or two.. depends on how chicken you are!

For tickets please call, email or visit the Box Office at 613-471-1991/866-584-1991, boxoffice@festivalplayers.ca, or 289 Main Street, Picton (inside Books & Co.).

Or buy your tickets ONLINE TODAY! Visit www.countytix.ca.

John Dolan as George Willowby PHOTO CREDIT: Michael Grills Photography

The roles have been cast, the set has been constructed, the rehearsals have been completed, and now we arrive at Opening Night.
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Tonight is the night, I’ll Be Back Before Midnight opens tonight at Mount Tabor Playhouse in Milford with a SOLD OUT 8:00pm performance!
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Reviews studded with headlines like “This one’s really a scream“ and “Don’t be afraid to scream out loud“, critics claiming “I just watched the second act through the shielding fingers of my right hand” (N. Reed, Vancouver Sun) and declaring that “No amount of praise seems excessive…you’ll either be shivering in your seat or rolling out of it with laughter” (A. Salanti, New York Theatre Voice) – high praise abounds for  I’ll Be Back Before Midnight. Peter Colley is a master. His skill at drawing the audience along, from laughter to screams and back again, is evidenced by the longevity of this play and by the sheer volume of productions it’s received since its premiere. I’ll Be Back Before Midnight has been described by the Globe & Mail as the most popular stage play in Canadian history. It has been produced in 27 countries, 48 of the 50 states in the U.S. and every province in Canada, breaking box office records along the way.
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I’ll Be Back Before Midnight runs from June 29 – July 24, 2010 at Mount Tabor Playhouse, Milford (Map).

Dubbed ‘Canada’s most produced play’ by the Globe & Mail, this crowd-pleasing show is full of twists and turns. It’s an action-packed psychological thriller with all the ingredients for a memorable night out. A couple from the city rents a house in the country so that the wife can recover after a breakdown – but their dream of quiet soon becomes a nightmare. There are ghosts, guns, and things that go bump in the night. People are not what they seem and things don’t go as planned. This show is not recommended for children (or the faint of heart).

“It’s great entertainment that’s for sure,” says Artistic Director Sarah Phillips who helms this production. “I don’t want to give anything away of course but it’s pretty scary stuff!”

The talent onstage for this production is stellar. John Dolan (Stratford, Blyth, Tarragon) plays the ‘farmer next door’, who seems nice enough; John Cleland (Shaw, Canstage, Theatre Passe Muraille), plays the suspicious husband; Sherri McFarlane (Shaw, Elgin, YPT), the anxious wife and Tracey Ferencz (Canstage, Thousand Islands, Shaw), the sultry sister.

I’ll Be Back Before Midnight plays from June 30 – July 24. Click here for schedule details. Tickets can be purchased in person at Books & Company, 289 Main St, Picton, by phone at 613.471.1991 or online at www.countytix.ca. Seating is limited so it’s best to purchase in advance.

“Books & Company has been supporting Festival Players since its inception and we’re grateful that we are, once again, taking up residence in their lovely space. They’re a go-to spot for arts and culture in the County. It’s great to be a part of that atmosphere. They’ve hosted our Playwrights Reading Series for the past couple of years and people always remark on the space upstairs, and the store, and the café. We’re lucky to have this kind of venue, and these kinds of supporters, right here in Picton,” says Artistic Director Sarah Phillips.

New this season, theatre-goers are not only going to be able to purchase tickets in person, via phone and by email but a new online purchasing system is going to make it easier than ever for people to get tickets to the shows they want! The ticketing site, www.countytix.ca will be live on May 21^st and Festival Players shows will be the first events for sale. Other events in the community will be sold via countytix as well starting this summer. Contact boxoffice@festivalplayers.ca if you’d like to know more about this service.

The 2010 season runs from June 29 – Aug 28 and the first show of the season is the classic Canadian comedy-thriller, I’ll Be Back Before Midnight by Peter Colley. This show is a hoot, and will scare the pants off you! The show plays at Mt. Tabor Playhouse in Milford. Next up is Tempting Providence by Robert Chafe playing at Fields on West Lake.  Presented in partnership with Theatre Newfoundland Labrador, it’s a heart-warming tale of a young British nurse arriving on the shores of Newfoundland in 1921. Chafe expertly captures the nuances of the people and the place and this production is an exercise in elegance and simplicity, taking the audience along on a memorable journey. The final show of the season, playing under a grand tent at the Waring House in Picton, is the new musical Amelia: The Girl Who Wants to Fly by John Gray. The play charts the rise and tragic fall of Amelia Earhart, iconic aviatrix and celebrity. As audiences have come to expect, these shows will be expertly executed, starring actors and musicians coming to us from the national and international stage.

There are many ways to add to the fun with Festival Players. Check out their website at www.festivalplayers.ca for information about bringing your group to a show, taking advantage of pre-show menus at various local restaurants, enjoying an accommodation package at a local establishment and much more.

Box office opens 10am, Friday May 21^st

Books & Company, 289 Main Street, Picton

Box Office phone: 613.471.1991 or 1.866.584.1991 

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Contact: Yorrick da Silva or Sarah Phillips       613.399.5677

yorrick@festivalplayers.ca or sarah@festivalplayers.ca

Each of the photos represents one of the three different shows in our summer season and were shot at three different locations in the County.

I’ll Be Back Before Midnight, was shot at none other than Macaulay Heritage Park in Picton. We were given access inside the  historic 18th century home and to the grounds of the old St. Mary Magdalene Parish Cemetary.

Tempting Providence,  was shot at the cliffs and the shores of the island to give the image the whole Newfoundland/maritime essence the show has.

And last,  Amelia was shot at Picton’s very own historic airbase, CFB Picton. The deteriorating surroundings and hauting atmosphere of the retired airbase was the perfect place to capture our aviatrix.

Check out Rene Dick’s blog (from Scout Design) for his behind the scene photos from the shoots!

After a banner year in 2009, with record attendance and rave reviews, the much anticipated Festival Players 2010 season has been announced.?

First up, the classic Canadian thriller I’ll Be Back Before Midnight by Peter Colley. A couple from the city rents an old farmhouse in the country. Their dream of a quiet retreat becomes a nightmare, though, when they find out about a murder in the house and the vengeful ghost that is reported to stalk the night. Laugh-out-loud funny and scream-out-loud scary. Not recommended for children (or the faint of heart!). It’s no surprise that Colley’s play has thrilled audiences and critics alike in over 25 countries and become the most-produced Canadian play ever.

Festival Players is delighted to be partnering with Theatre Newfoundland and Labrador to bring a most remarkable play to our community. Tempting Providence by Robert Chafe has toured world-wide, to the UK, Australia, the United States and across Canada, garnering awards wherever it goes. It’s the story of Myra Bennett, a young British nurse, who arrives on the rugged shores of Newfoundland in 1921. There were no roads, no electricity, and the nearest town was a day away on foot. The only medical professional for miles, she pulled teeth, set broken limbs, and birthed babies. It’s a spell-binding tale of strength and heroism told with humour and elegant simplicity.

The final show in the 2010 line up premieres the new version of the musical Amelia by John Gray. Gray’s Billy Bishop Goes to War is well known to audiences, winning the Los Angeles Critics Drama Award, the Governor General’s Award for Drama and the Chalmers Canadian Play Award. With Amelia, he re-imagines the meteoric rise and mysterious disappearance of the legendary Amelia Earheart, pioneering aviatrix. It’s part biography, part love story, part thrill of the flight – and chock full of wonderful music.

“It’s a stellar line up,” says Artistic Director Sarah Phillips. “There’s something for everyone – award winning plays, playwrights, and performers. Our audiences responded really well to the work in 2009 and we’re sure they’re going to be equally enthusiastic about the 2010 season.”

The season will expand to 8 weeks in 2010, running from late June to late August. Flex Passes are on sale until Dec 21 at the deepest discount of the year; $67 gets you three tickets to the 2010 season. That’s a 25% discount off the price of three regular priced tickets. Contact boxoffice@festivalplayers.ca or call 613-399-5677 to order a Flex Pass now for the theatre-lover on your Christmas list – or maybe even treat yourself!