This riveting story by Governor General Award-winning playwright Robert Chafe tells the incredible, yet true, tale of Marguerite de la Roque who was abandoned on a remote island in the Gulf of St. Lawrence in 1542. Part tragedy, part thriller, this gripping play makes its Toronto premiere at Guild Festival Theatre this summer.

Isle of Demons

Playwright Robert Chafe

Directed by Tyler J. Seguin

Cast: Kiera Publicover, Josh Johnston & Helen Juvonen

Production Design by Kalina Popova

Sound Design Ashley Naomi Skye

Preview: Aug 8th; Opening: Aug 9th

"Part psychological drama, part supernatural thriller, Isle of Demons brings something new to the Greek Theatre. I've always been a fan of Chafe's work and I'm excited to share this play with our Scarborough audience.” - Tyler J. Seguin, Co-Artistic Director of Guild Festival Theatre

The Play:

Young and impetuous, Marguerite must accompany her guardian, the Sieur de Roberval, on his new appointment as the first Lieutenant General of New France. But when Roberval discovers Marguerite’s passionate affair with a young officer, fury takes over. He abandons them both, along with Marguerite's hapless nurse, on a remote island in the Gulf of St. Lawrence, ominously known as the Isle of Demons. Stranded in a land of relentless hardships, unseen dangers, and seemingly supernatural threats, the trio must fight for their survival.

GFT is pleased to welcome cast members Kiera Publicover, an emerging artist of mixed Indigenous/settler ancestry (Arrowwood Theatre Company) and Josh Johnston (Stratford Festival), as well as Production Designer Kalina Popova (Favour the Brave, Frog In Hand), and Sound Designer Ashley Naomi Skye (Paprika Festival, Black Theatre Workshop). The team also includes GFT’s own Co-Artistic Directors - Helen Juvonen in the cast making her Greek Theatre debut, and Tyler J. Seguin as director.

Robert Chafe (Playwright):

Robert Chafe is a writer, educator, actor and arts administrator based in St. John’s, Ktaqmkuk (Newfoundland). He has worked in theatre, dance, opera, radio, fiction and film. His stage plays have been seen in Canada, the United Kingdom, Australia and in the United States, and include Oil and Water, Tempting Providence, Afterimage, Under Wraps, Between Breaths, Everybody Just C@lm the F#ck Down, I Forgive You (with Scott Jones, and The Colony of Unrequited Dreams (adapted from the novel by Wayne Johnston.) He has been shortlisted three times for the Governor General’s Literary Award for Drama and he won the award for Afterimage in 2010. He has been guest instructor at Memorial University, Sir Wilfred Grenfell College, and The National Theatre School of Canada. In 2018 he was awarded an honorary doctorate from Memorial University. He is the playwright and Artistic Director of Artistic Fraud.

Performance Venue:

The Greek Theatre, Guild Park & Gardens

201 Guildwood Parkway

Scarborough, Ontario

Performance Schedule:

August 8 to August 25

All performances at 7:30pm

Preview: August 8; Opening: August 9

Tickets:

$15-$30

For more information, visit www.guildfestivaltheatre.ca

Guild Festival Theatre 2024 Season

SPIN - in concert: July 6

Family Fest: July 10-14

Three Men on a Bike: July 18-August 4

Isle of Demons: August 8-25