This monthly column features Theatre and Dance performances happening this month in and around Toronto and the GTA that you should absolutely check out.
The Theatre Centre: The Moors
April 3 – 19
The Theatre Centre
Dora award-winning indie theatre company Riot King Art Market is presenting The Moors by acclaimed playwright Jen Silverman. The play riffs on Brontë-style Gothic tropes — isolated manor, stormy moors, repressed desires — putting them through a modern, queer lens. This dark comedy shows how love, desire, power and identity collide in a house where nothing behaves the way it should. Info here.
Tarragon Theatre: Strife
April 7– 26
Tarragon Theatre
In association with Tarragon Theatre, this Punctuate! Theatre Production is making its world premiere. Written by two-time Dora Award winner Matthew MacKenzie and directed by Yvette Nolan, Strife features an all-Indigenous cast. The play revolves around issues of identity, power, and the politics of representation, and is a powerful reflection on loss and resilience. Read our Interview with playwright Matthew MacKenzie and director Yvette Nolan here. Info here.
Crow’s Theatre: Mary, Mary, Mary, Mary
April 7 – May 17
Guloien Theatre At Crow’s
This is the world premiere of a new play by Governor General’s Award–winning Canadian playwright Erin Shields. Directed by Ellen McDougall, this feminist work reimagines four women from the gospels, all sharing the name Mary, each telling their own stories of faith, rebellion, and erasure. The play explores how women’s identities get blurred, overwritten, or collapsed into stereotypes. Info here.
Canadian Stage: Clyde’s
April 11 – 26
Bluma Appel Theatre
Helmed by director Philip Akin with an all-star Canadian cast, this boisterous play by two-time Pulitzer Prize-winner Lynn Nottage has been nominated for five Tony Awards, Set in Clyde’s diner, which is staffed by ex-convicts, Clyde’s is a transcendent story about second chances, rising above past mistakes, and reconnecting with the world, while demonstrating the healing power of food. Info here.
Soulpepper: How to Catch Creation
April 23 – May 17
Baillie Theatre at Soulpepper
This is the Canadian premiere of playwright Christina Anderson’s bold and imaginative exploration of the power of artistic expression and the lasting impact of those who dare to create. Directed by Mumbi Tindyebwa Otu, this is a feel-good story about second chances, finding purpose, and the legacies we leave behind, while leaning into the legacy of Black feminism. Info here.
Show One Productions: The Tragedy of Hamlet: Prince of Denmark
April 24 – 26
Elgin & Winter Garden Theatres
Created by two big names on the Canadian stage, this ballet adaptation of Shakespeare’s most famous tragedy is directed by Robert Lepage and choreographed by Guillaume Côte. The story is told through movement and music without a single spoken word, and set to an original score by John Gzowski. As a bonus, Côté and Sonia Rodriguez, both former Principal Dancers with The National Ballet of Canada, are coming out of retirement to star in this performance. Info here.
Holla Jazz: Room Upstairs
April 29 – May 2
Winchester Street Theatre
Choreographed by Holla Jazz Founding Artistic Director Natasha Powell, The Room Upstairs is a blend of jazz, lindy hop, and Black vernacular dance forms set to the music of John Coltrane, one of the most influential jazz musicians in history. It is a fitting tribute to Coltrane, in the year that marks what would have been his 100th birthday. Info here.
Are you looking to promote an event? Have a news tip? Need to know the best events happening this weekend? Send us a note.
#LUDWIGVAN
Get the daily arts news straight to your inbox.
Sign up for the Ludwig Van Toronto e-Blast! — local classical music and opera news straight to your inbox HERE.
- PERFORMANCE PICKS | Theatre, Dance & Performance You Need To See This Month: April 2026 - April 6, 2026
- PREVIEW | Neapolitan Ice Cream: A Delicious New Musical In The Making - March 31, 2026
- SCRUTINY | Violin Superstar Joshua Bell Led Toronto Symphony Orchestra in Crowd-Pleaser Program - March 30, 2026
