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Medium close-up of a woman with a garland of flowers and leaves around the back of her tied up grey hair, a shawl draped over her naked shoulders, gazes at us. The words Bremen Town A New Play on either side of her.
Medium close-up of a woman with a garland of flowers and leaves around the back of her tied up grey hair, a shawl draped over her naked shoulders, gazes at us. The words Bremen Town A New Play on either side of her.
Photo: Dahlia Katz

A rural folk tragicomedy A rural folk tragicomedy

about the painful truth of outliving our use.

Photo: Dahlia Katz

Home Events Performance Bremen Town

Bremen Town

Award-winning theatre artist Gregory Prest (Soulpepper, Mirvish) makes his playwriting debut this fall with the world premiere of Bremen Town at Next Stage Theatre Festival, with six performances from October 19 to 29, 2023 at Buddies in Bad Times Theatre.

About the play

After forty-five years of hard work and dedication, Frau Esel (Nancy Palk), the longest serving housekeeper of Völksenhaus, has been fired and sent out to pasture. In a rage, she sets out on a winding journey to Bremen to live with her estranged son, meeting a host of trying characters along the way (and doing her best to avoid the stupid Kite Festival).

Loosely based on a collection of folk tales collected by the Brothers Grimm, Bremen Town was greatly inspired and influenced by playwright/director Gregory Prest’s time working in a seniors’ home in his hometown of Pictou, Nova Scotia and witnessing his grandmothers’ end of life journeys. Bremen Town picks away at our assumptions and fears about aging, survival and the process of letting go.

A rural folk tragicomedy* about what happens when we outlive our use, it stars Nancy Palk, Oliver Dennis, Deborah Grover and William Webster, with Tatjana Cornij, Simon Gagnon, Farhang Ghajar and Veronica Hortiguela.

About Next Stage Theatre Festival

Next Stage Theatre Festival is Toronto Fringe’s annual curated theatre performance festival, formerly produced in January and now presented in the fall, presenting six shows over 12 days.

Medium close-up of a woman with a garland of flowers and leaves around the back of her tied up grey hair, a shawl draped over her naked shoulders, gazes at us. The words Bremen Town A New Play on either side of her.

Medium close-up of a shirtless, mostly bald man with a scruff of a mustache and beard, a garland of leaves and flowers hanging from his face like a beard, holding a squeeze box.

(Photo credits: top: Nancy Palk, bottom: Oliver Dennis, photos by Dahlia Katz.)

 

Event details

Event name: Bremen Town Collective Presents: Bremen Town at Next Stage Theatre Festival

Hosted by: Bremen Town Collective 

Type of event: theatre performance

Written & directed by: Gregory Prest

Cast: Nancy Palk, Oliver Dennis, Deborah Grover, William Webster, Tatjana Cornij, Simon Gagnon, Farhang Ghajar and Veronica Hortiguela

Dates & times:

    • Thursday, October 19 @ 9:00 PM ET
    • Saturday, October 21 @ 2:00 PM ET
    • Monday, October 23 @ 7:00 PM ET
    • Thursday, October 26 @ 9:15 PM ET
    • Friday, October 27 @ 7:30 PM ET
    • Sunday, October 29 @ 4:00 PM ET

Duration: 100 minutes (no intermission)

Cost: C$20.00 + $3.50 order fee

Location: Buddies in Bad Times Theatre, 12 Alexander St., Toronto, ON, M4Y 1B4

Booking link: Book your tickets here

Contact Details: Next Stage Theatre Festival (Toronto Fringe); 416-966-1062, general@fringetoronto.com, fringetoronto.com

 

* a tragic tale, told with humour

Content warning: For audiences 18+.

Accessibility: Info here.

COVID-19 policy: Please note, Buddies In Bad Times Theatre requires all audience members to be masked while attending Next Stage shows in their venue. More info here.