Trent Valley Archives Theatre has announced the full cast of its inaugural history play Tide of Hope, coming to downtown Peterborough’s Market Hall Performing Arts Centre on May 15 and 16.
Written by Peterborough playwright Ed Schroeter and directed by Gerry McBride, the play is a prequel to the immigration story of Peter Robinson, the 19th-century politician in Upper Canada who administered the passage and settlement of over 2,500 poor Catholic families from Ireland to what is now eastern Ontario.
Tide of Hope follows the fortunes and misfortunes of David Nagle, an Irish land agent and rent collector forced to flee to Upper Canada in 1825 when Irish rebels fighting against English tyranny brand him a traitor.
According to McBride, most of the cast and crew are experienced members of the Peterborough theatre scene.
The cast includes Lauren Murphy, Nathan Govier, June Govier, Brogan McKellar, Lucas Pronk, Carling Dulder, Drew Mills, and Elaine Day, along with newcomer Paul Baines.
Along with McBride, the crew includes stage manager Marilyn Robinson and musician Michael Ketemer.
Ketemer, a Peterborough multi-instrumentalist best known for his performances in the annual In From The Cold Christmas fundraising concert, will be providing live musical narration for the play using the tin whistle, concertina, and hammered dulcimer.
“This idea is a stroke of genius by our director,” says Schroeter in a media release. “We are lucky that such a celebrated and talented local musician as Michael has joined our team.”
As for the cast, Lauren Murphy and father and daughter Nathan and June Govier have previously performed in Trent Valley Archives’ cemetery pageants. Murphy plays the part of Mary, Nathan performs as Lord Kingston, and June — a Grade 7 student at Adam Scott Intermediate School — performs as Elizabeth.
Millbrook resident Brogan McKellar, a Grade 8 student at Crestwood Intermediate School, takes on the role of The Stage Manager. McKellar most recently appeared in last year’s remounting of Robert Winslow’s The Cavan Blazers at 4th Line Theatre in Millbrook.
The role of Peter Robinson is filled by Lucas Pronk, who will be familiar to local audiences for his 2019 and 2020 appearances at 4th Line Theatre. Pronk has also appeared in a CIBC commercial and the TV series Disasters at Sea (2018), My Paranormal Nightmare (2020), and The Haunted Museum (2021).
Carling Dulder, who plays Lady Mount Cashell (aka Margaret), has performed on stage at the John Candy Box Theatre at Second City Toronto, Blackfly Theatre (Too Many Cooks), and the University of Guelph (Swollen Tongues).
Drew Mills, who plays David Nagle, directed the St. James Players 2015 production of Pied Piper: The Musical and performed as The Scarecrow in the St. James Players 2016 production of The Wizard of Oz.
Another cast member who will be familiar to local audiences is Elaine Day, who plays the role of The Descendant.
Along with these experienced actors, Paul Baines will take to the stage for the first time as Patrick. While he is new to acting, he has experience with the performing arts. Coordinator of the Blue Communities project for the Federation of the Sisters of St. Joseph, Baines was the Canadian coordinator for the 2020 Being Salmon/Being Human Tour, a unique storytelling performance from Norway combining original music, traditional tales, poetry, and contemporary philosophy.
With rehearsals under way, both the cast and crew are preparing to present Trent Valley Archives Theatre’s inaugural production to Peterborough audiences, which includes two public performances and a school group performance.
“It’s always exciting to watch actors take characters from the page and make them their own throughout the rehearsal process,” McBride says.
Tickets for the two public performances of Tide of Hope at the Market Hall — at 7:30 p.m. on Wednesday, May 15th and Thursday, May 16th — are $40 for assigned cabaret table seating or $30 for regular assigned seating.
Tickets are available in person at the Market Hall box office (140 Charlotte St, Peterborough), by phone at 705-775-1503, or online at tickets.markethall.org/tide24. Suitable for audiences aged 12 and older, the play runs for around 95 minutes, including a 15-minute intermission.
Prior to the two public performances, there will be a performance of Tide of Hope for school groups at 1 p.m. on Wednesday, May 15th, at a subsidized rate of $10 per student. Teachers can book their classes by calling Mary Conchelos at 705-872-6557 or emailing her at trentvalleyarchivestheatre@gmail.com.
More information, including educational resources, is available at trentvalleyarchives.com/tvat/.
kawarthaNOW is proud to be a media sponsor for Tide of Hope.
