Huron Country Playhouse Season

There’s something special about summer theatre in a rural setting near a resort beach town that is unlike any other.

Waiting outside the barn on a warm summer night at the Huron Country Playhouse for a show to go in, or looking out across the fields while eating an ice cream at intermission is a great way to make memories with friends and family. 

Drayton Entertainment which operates the theatre is renowned for big musicals on the Mainstage and delightful comedies in the smaller South Huron Stage (formerly Playhouse II), and this year is no exception.

On The Mainstage

The 2024 season on Ontario’s West Coast will open with a time-honoured favourite. Fiddler on the Roof has touched audiences around the world with its winning combination of humour, warmth, and honesty. The production features a magnificent score full of classic songs like “Matchmaker, Matchmaker”, “If I Were A Rich Man” and “Tradition,” making it one of the most acclaimed musicals in North American theatre history. Fiddler on the Roof runs June 12 to June 30.

Next up is the Tony, Grammy, and Olivier Award-winning musical, Jersey Boys. This international phenomenon takes you behind the scenes, and behind the music, of Frankie Valli and The Four Seasons as they work their way to the heights of stardom, thrilling audiences with electrifying performances of chart-topping hits like “Big Girls Don’t Cry”, “Sherry”, “Walk Like A Man”, “Too Good To Be True” and more. Don’t miss this worldwide phenomenon that will leave you exclaiming, “Oh, What a Night!” This Broadway blockbuster runs from July 10 to August 3.

The feel-good blockbuster Priscilla Queen of the Desert the Musical will end the 2024 season with a bang, running August 15 to September 1. With a spectacular array of outrageous costumes, flamboyant choreography, and a hit parade of dancefloor favourites, including “It’s Raining Men”m “I Will Survive” and many more, this wildly fresh and funny musical is a journey to the heart of FABULOUS!

South Huron Stage

Take a joyous jive down memory lane with Sh-Boom! Life Could Be a Dream. This jukebox musical features 25 chart-topping vintage doo-wop standards in heavenly harmony, such as “Fools Fall in Love”, “Tears on my Pillow”, “Runaround Sue”, “Earth Angel”, “Stay”, “Unchained Melody”, “Lonely Teardrops”, “The Glory of Love” and more. This feel-good musical is on stage June 12 to June 30.

Next up is the ageless comedy Doris and Ivy in the Home, a riotous tale that will shatter your preconceived notions of what “senior living” ought to be. When retired prison guard Doris Mooney moves into a retirement home and quickly befriends Ivy Hoffbauer, what follows is a testament to living each day to the fullest. Canadian playwright Norm Foster tackles retirement living with his typical wit and wisdom in this comedy about love and friendship among those in their twilight years. This mirthful production is on stage from July 11 to July 28. 

Finish the season with Drayton Entertainment’s perennially popular family panto. Next year’s offering is Peter Pan: The Panto. In the grand British tradition where audiences cheer the hero and boo the villain, Peter Pan boasts a winning combination of incredible musical numbers, slapstick comedy, outrageous costumes, audience participation, and of course, a dash of theatrical magic. So bring your children, grandchildren, nieces and nephews, and join us this summer as the beloved tale about the boy who never grew up becomes awash in swash and buckle. Float through the clouds to Never Land and be reunited with all your favourite characters. You’ll be hooked! Recommended for ages 5 and up. www.draytonentertainment.com

70689 B Line, Grand Bend