The Spiegeltent returns to the Shaw Festival grounds for another summer of extraordinary, anything goes experiences.

A portable nightclub famous throughout the Weimar Republic, the Spiegeltents, or “Mirror Tents”, were notable for their beauty, adorned with intricately crafted hardwood, stained glass and mirrors to stunning effect. Unfortunately, few remain in service today. Originally built in 1922 and brought over from Belgium for the 2023 season, The Shaw’s Spiegeltent has since become the Festival’s home for unique, not-to-be-seen-anywhere-else performances. This year, the Spiegeltent’s season features four one-of-a-kind shows, created exclusively for Shaw Festival audiences.

The Spiegeltent has something for everyone. Prioritizing laughs, improvisation and audience participation, The Shaw Variety Show and The Roll of Shaw kick off the Spiegeltent’s 2024 playbill with a bang. Kabarett, Footlights and Cotton Club engage the power of song and music to whisk audiences back in time to the cabarets of Weimar Era Germany, mid-century Broadway revues and hot nights in Harlem jazz clubs.

The Spiegeltent 2024 season features:

The Shaw Variety Show

May 17 – October 6

Conceived by Kristopher Bowman

Music directed by Travis Seetoo

Created and performed by Kristopher Bowman, Cosette Derome**, Manami Hara, Travis Seetoo, Shawn Wright and featuring a few surprise guests

Original music by Cosette Derome** and Travis Seetoo

Light the music and play the lights! Kristopher Bowman hosts an evening where no-holds-barred hilarity ensues! See the Shaw Ensemble in a whole new light – showing off their hidden talents, creative projects and, of course, flexing their improv skills. Unplanned, unrehearsed, and most importantly, unforgettable. Sponsored by the Shaw Guild.

The Roll of Shaw

May 30 – September 28

Created by and featuring Travis Seetoo

Bernard Shaw meets Dungeons and Dragons in a unique performance designed to bring the magic of Shaw to fans new and old alike. Roll the dice and come be a part of this one-of-a-kind adventure where the audience helps decide which way the story goes and how it ends.

The stage management team for The Shaw Variety Show and The Roll of Shaw includes Stage Manager Jane Vanstone Osborne and Apprentice Stage Manager Kaitlyn Alderson.

Kabarett

June 14 – October 12

Directed by Tim Carroll

Music directed by Paul Sportelli

Performed by Shane Carty, Kristi Frank, JJ Gerber*, Ruthie Nkut* and Taurian Teelucksingh*

Come hear the music play! Enjoy a night in old Berlin, experiencing the music of Germany’s Weimar Era in an intimate cabaret-style setting. Sponsored by James F. Brown.

Footlights

July 6, Aug 3 and 24, Sept 21 and 27, Oct 5

Directed by Tim Carroll

Performed by Tat Austrie*, Alana Bridgewater, Shane Carty, Kristi Frank, JJ Gerber*, Élodie Gillett, Graeme Kitagawa**, Ruthie Nkut*, Jeremiah Sparks and Taurian Teelucksingh**

Join members of the Ensemble as they ease down 42nd Street during the Golden Age of Broadway and celebrate beloved shows and songs of the era.

Cotton Club

July 17 – October 11

Directed by Kimberley Rampersad

Music directed by Paul Sportelli

Performed by Tat Austrie*, Alana Bridgewater, Élodie Gillett, Graeme Kitagawa** and Jeremiah Sparks

Sizzling songs from Harlem’s Jazz Age. New York summers may be hot, but these toe-tapping numbers are even hotter! Beat the heat with a cold drink and enjoy the sounds of summer in the city.

The stage management team for both Kabarett and Cotton Club includes Stage Manager Myra Malley and Apprentice Stage Manager Georgia Holland.

Coffee Concerts, Speakeasies, What’s In Your Songbook and Gospel Choir will also take place in the Spiegeltent. Speakeasies are sponsored by Critelli’s Fine Furniture and Spirit in Niagara – Small Batch Distillers.

All performances are recommended for audience members 12+/Grade 7+.

*RBC Emerging Artists are generously supported by the RBC Foundation

**The Baillie Cohort is generously sponsored by the Baillie Family Fund for Education

The Shaw Festival’s 2024 season runs through to December 22, with a playbill featuring Lerner and Loewe’s My Fair Lady, One Man, Two Guvnors, Sherlock Holmes and the Mystery of the Human Heart, Agatha Christie’s Witness for the Prosecution, The Secret Garden, The Orphan of Chao, Candida, The House That Will Not Stand, Snow in Midsummer and A Christmas Carol.

Visit www.shawfest.com.

Photo: The Spiegeltent at the Shaw Festival . © 2023 Michael Cooper.