Book Reviews and More: Anne of Green Gables Stratford 2025 A Review

Anne of Green Gables

2025

Stratford Festival

Director Kat Sandler

Set and Costume Designer Joanna Yu

Lighting Designer Davida Tkach

Composer James Smith

Sound Designer Debashis Sinha

Fight and Intimacy Director Anita Nittoly

Movement Director Julie Tomaino

Anne of Green Gables Stratford 2025 A Review

This was the sixth of six planned shows this season my son, and I attended with shows ranging from late May to early November. This one my youngest daughter also attended, at 14 she absolutely loved this production. Over the last few years my son, who is now 17, and I have attended a number of plays in Stratford at the festival, and each year we have an ever growing list of shows we want to see. This year his younger sister found a love for theatre and this is the fourth show she joined us for. We have already looked at the announcement of next season’s shows and we often buy our tickets early in the winter. The other shows we have this season are Macbeth , As You Like It, The Winter's Tale, Annie, and Goblin Oedipus.

This is an wonderful production, excellently staged!

All three of us loved this production. It was a wonderful experience from the beginning to the end. There were so many excellent elements in this production.

The summary of the play on the festival site states:

““IT SEEMS LIKE SUCH A WASTE TO LOOK AT A PERSON AND NOT ASK ABOUT ALL THE THINGS THEY'RE THINKING AND FEELING AND WONDERING, DOESN'T IT?”

When Anne Shirley arrives at Green Gables she’s a bit of a surprise to Matthew and Marilla Cuthbert, the brother and sister who had planned to adopt a boy to help out around the farm. With her tenacious spirit and winning personality, Anne earns their love and respect. But when Anne’s fiery temper causes sparks to fly in Avonlea, will she be able to win the town over too? Will her best friend Diana be lost to her forever? What about her arch nemesis Gilbert Blythe?

Generations of readers have fallen in love with Lucy Maud Montgomery’s timeless tale about the red-headed orphan longing for a forever home. Prepare to be swept off your feet once more by a fresh, new adaptation that will touch your hearts and tickle your funny bone.”

The synopsis in the house program states:

“Generations of readers have fallen in love with Lucy Maud Montgomery’s timeless tale of imagination, resilience and the transformative power of love. In this playful retelling of the literary classic, freckle-faced orphan Anne Shirley arrives in Avonlea, Prince Edward Island, with little more than the clothes on her back. Soon, her vivid imagination, fiery temper and tenacious spirit win over her adoptive parents, Matthew and Marilla, as well as local residents and her schoolmates, including her arch-nemesis, Gilbert Blythe and her kindred spirit, Diana Barry. In this exuberant take on the beloved classic novel, audiences meet Anne, illuminated by her signature charm and irrepressible glory—minus the show tunes!”

After the play we have an almost an hour drive home, and usually spend the time discussing the performance. One of the things we often discuss is favourite performers. We each come up with our list; this time there is significant overlap. And it is the first time we all had the same top pick. I did not include Caroline Toal

In my list as in the lead role you would expect a good performance and hers was outstanding!

My top ranking for the performers would be:

Tim Campbell as Matthew

Jordin Hall as Gilbert

Sarah Dodd as Marilla

Julie Lumsden as Diana

Maev Beaty as Rachel

My son's top picks are:

Tim Campbell as Matthew

Helen Belay as Josie

Sarah Dodd as Marilla

Josue Laboucane as Mr. Phillip

Caroline Toal as Anne

My daughters were:

Tim Campbell as Matthew

Maev Beaty as Rachel

Jordin Hall as Gilbert

Caroline Toal as Anne

Julie Lumsden as Diana

The full cast is:

Anne Shirley - Caroline Toal

Marilla Cuthbert - Sarah Dodd

Matthew Cuthbert - Tim Campbell

Rachel Lynde, Chorus - Maev Beaty

Diana Barry, Chorus - Julie Lumsden

Gilbert Blythe, Chorus - Jordin Hall

Prissy Andrews, Chorus - Jennifer Villaverde

Moody Spurgeon, Chorus - Josue Laboucane

Josie Pye, Chorus - Helen Belay

Jane Andrews, Chorus - Steven Hao

Understudies

Josie Pye, Chorus - Yoshie Bancroft

Diana Barry, Chorus - Ijeoma Emesowum

Prissy Andrews, Chorus - Manami Hara

Rachel Lynde, Chorus - Jenna-Lee Hyde

Anne Shirley - Allison Lynch

Gilbert Blythe, Jane Andrews, Chorus - Douglas Oyama

Marilla Cuthbert - Irene Poole

Matthew Cuthbert, Moody Spurgeon, Chorus - Rylan Wilkie

As mentioned all three of us loved this production. I believe it is the first show we have seen directed by Kat Sandler. Kat at the end of her director’s note states:

“Our adaptation celebrates AGG’s rich legacy while bringing something new: a fusion of ancient Greek drama, vaudevillian comedy (did you know the Avon was once a vaudeville house?), irreverent meta-fiction and swoony rom-coms. For us, this true Canadian epic is a timeless tale that celebrates our differences and revels in chosen family, belonging, the quest for women’s rights and the power of education.

With everything happening in the world, it has meant so much to us to spend time in a story that is all about love. Anne reminds us that if we can dream it, it can become reality. She shows us the power in our differences, the beauty in our surroundings and the joy of returning to a beloved story again and again. She reminds us to be grateful for Octobers.”

The first act is a traditional presentation of Anne, We are surprised by the chorus, a book club that is reading the book, and their imagination brings the story to life for us. The second part after the intermission is updated to today’s clothing, set, technology and some language. The two parts work well together, and overall it is a stunning production.

Originally we had tickets much earlier in the season, but had to move them because of a family situation. I am very grateful we were able to attend. It was well worth the wait. Days later, long after the show ended we are still talking about it.

This was another absolutely wonderful production from the cast, crew and artistic team at the Stratford Festival. The show was extended twice that I am aware of well into the fall.

Note: Photos by David Hou/Stratford Festival, or my own.