Globus Theatre in Bobcaygeon is kicking off its 2024 season with a special dinner theatre show on Mother’s Day weekend featuring actor, singer, and storyteller Mark Whelan.
Running for three performances from May 10 to 12, including a matinee show on Mother’s Day, An Evening with Mark Whelan: Raised on Songs and Stories is an intimate cabaret performance where Whalen — through personal story, music, and song — takes the audience on a colourful journey through his formative years as a boy in Dublin, Ireland.
Originally from Dublin and a graduate of the Irish College of Music, Whelan is an accomplished film, television, and stage actor. Although perhaps most recognizable to the general public for his role as the narrator in commercials for Sleeman Breweries a decade ago, he has appeared on the screen in Republic of Doyle, Murdoch Mysteries, The Divide, Sunday at Tiffany’s, Pompeii, and more.
As well as being a founding member of The Irish Stage Company, Whelan has also written and produced a one-man live performance production called Is This Love that examines the power and effect of love through the spoken word and song (he is a trained tenor). A Globus audience favourite, his previous appearances at the Lakeview Arts Barn include Stones in his Pockets, Sunshine Express, and last year’s Tip of the Iceberg.
An Evening with Mark Whelan: Raised on Songs and Stories takes place at 6 p.m. on Friday, May 10th and Saturday, May 11th with a noon matinee on Sunday, May 12th (Mother’s Day). The $100 ticket price (plus tax and fee) include dinner — lunch on Sunday — and the show.
Tickets are available online at globustheatre.com or by calling the box office at 705-738-2037 (toll free at 1-800-304-7897).
VIDEO: “Pirates” with Mark Whelan
Mark Whelan’s show is one of 13 productions at Globus Theatre this season, including 10 mainstage shows as well as two more special events.
“Thirteen shows is a lot certainly, but there isn’t a single one I’d want to take out of the mix — they are each so different from each other and unique in their own way,” says Globus Theatre’s artistic director Sarah Quick. “Combined, they form a really great eights months of theatre with some of the best performers on stage today.”
The first mainstage show of the season is the world premiere of The Dating Game, a romantic comedy by award-winning playwright Peter Quilter running from May 29 to June 8. Then, from June 14 to 16, one of Canada’s most popular sports podcasts will come to the Globus stage with This Day in Sports by Sandy Jobin-Bevans, Mike Shara, and Matt Kippen.
From July 3 to 13, Globus presents Kristen Da Silva’s Where You Are, a hilarious and poignant comedy about love and family, followed by the concert Bond, James Bond: The Songs of 007 by Rebecca Perry from July 17 to 21.
Globus Theatre’s popular interactive murder mystery dinner experiences return from July 24 to August 3 with Who Killed The King, about a murder at the Elvis Festival. A season at Globus would not be complete without a play from Canada’s most-produced playwright, and Norm Foster’s golf comedy The Ladies Foursome will run from August 14 to 24.
Coinciding with the Ontario Plowmen’s Association’s International Plowing Match being held in the Kawartha Lakes this year, Globus is presenting Buying the Farm, a comedy by Shelley Hoffman and Stephen Sparks, from September 25 to October 5. Leisa Way, another Globus mainstay, returns to the Lakeview Arts Barn from October 15 to 19 to present the music of legendary singer-songwriter Gordon Lightfoot in Early Morning Rain.
From November 13 to 23, Globus will be presenting the second interactive murder mystery of the season with Murder at the Snowball Ball. Capping off the mainstage shows of the 2024 season will be Globus Theatre’s annual traditional British panto, with Sarah Quick’s Aladdin running from December 4 to 15.
Other special events in 2024 include the annual hit comedy Girls Nite Out on August 9 and 10 and a reading of Poster Boy, a new play by Norfok County’s Chris Rait, Jeannine Bouw, and Mark Williams — whose first play, the musical comedy Tip of the Iceberg, ran at Globus last August — on September 14.
Along with tickets to individual shows, Globus Theatre also offers subscription packages, ranging from the full season (all 10 mainstage shows and three special events), all 10 mainstage shows, or a selection of four, five, or six shows. To purchase subscription packages, call the box office at 705-738-2037 (toll free at 1-800-304-7897).
“If this is your first year joining us, talk to our lovely box office people and they will guide you in the right direction as to which shows would be good for you,” Quick says.
