Postcard from Niagara-on-the-Lake: Me and My Girl!

Anyone who visits Canada is bound to visit Niagara – but we also made a special trip to Niagara-on-the-Lake and enjoyed Me and My Girl at the Shaw Festival Theatre.

The town is delightful and was bathed in sunshine. We resisted the option of a ride around in a pony and trap (see featured image above), and walked instead from our hotel to the theatre.

The Shaw Festival

According to their website: In 1962, in Niagara-on-the-Lake, Ontario, lawyer and playwright Brian Doherty parlayed his love for the work of Irish playwright Bernard Shaw into a summer theatre festival, producing eight performances of Don Juan in Hell and Candida in the Court House auditorium.  In this singular act of passion for theatre and culture, the Shaw Festival was born.

The grounds of the theatre include a beautiful garden with occasional statues. It’s the perfect place for a stroll before a show, in the intermission, or afterward.

There are more works of art inside the theatre. At the top of a sweeping staircase, under a magnificent chandelier, this selection of ‘busts’ caught our eye.

The show: Me and My Girl

The show was spectacular. As well as the wonderful costumes, the energetic choreography and clever set, the cast entertained us throughout – clearly enjoying every moment themselves.

George Bernard Shaw’s wit shone through with some lovely one liners, and had us laughing out loud.

The following morning, while tucking in to pancakes and maple syrup, we happened to see the star of the show Michael Therriault.

We had the opportunity to thank him for a wonderful performance, and to congratulate him on his Cockney accent.

He recognised immediately that we hailed from the UK and it turned out he, like us, once lived in Surrey.

Small world?

Where is The Shaw Festival?

The Shaw Festival theatre is located at 10 Queen’s Parade, Niagara-on-the-Lake, ON L0S 1J0 CANADA

If you’d like to see the show Me and My Girl, it’s on until 15 October. You have plenty of time to book your seats!

This post is one of my POSTCARD series, sharing all things ART with you when I go travelling. It’s the second one for this particular trip. Watch this space!