From Hamlet to Mary Poppins, Stratford Festival unveils ambitious 75th season  Jonathan Church’s first season spans Shakespeare, spectacular musicals, Canadian premieres and a landmark three-play collaboration with Saul Rubinek  Media Release supplied by Stratford Festival, September 23, 2026… The Stratford Festival will celebrate its 75th season with a sweeping 13-production playbill that brings together Shakespeare, major musicals, new Canadian work, family shows and large-scale historical drama in Artistic Director Jonathan Church’s inaugural season. It is a slate that reflects both the traditions that have shaped Stratford since its first season in 1953 and the artistic curiosity that continues to drive it forward. Jonathan Church At the heart of the milestone season is Hamlet, opening on the Festival’s anniversary date, July 13. The season will also feature Mary Poppins and Chicago; the Canadian premieres of Hilary Mantel’s Tudor epics Wolf Hall (Part 1) and Bring Up the Bodies (Part 2); Eric McCormack in Noël Coward’s Present Laughter; The Taming of the Shrew; Daniel David Moses’s Almighty Voice and His Wife; the return of Kat Sandler’s Anne of Green Gables; the world premiere of a new Canadian musical based on Mordecai Richler’s Jacob Two-Two Meets the Hooded Fang; and an ambitious three-play exploration of Jewish identity, memory and representation led by Saul Rubinek. “One of the things that drew me to Stratford is the extraordinary range of work that can flourish here,” says Church. “There are very few theatre companies in the world where Shakespeare, major musicals, family theatre, new Canadian plays and large-scale historical drama can share the same season. That breadth is one of Stratford’s great strengths and it is something I wanted to embrace in my first season as Artistic Director.” “Since Jonathan’s arrival at Stratford, he has brought enormous energy, curiosity and respect for this institution and its artists,” says Lawrence ...