After being turned into a soccer field for its World Cup murder mystery, Globus Theatre’s stage in Bobcaygeon is now being transformed into a bowling alley for the world premiere of a new comedy by Canadian actor Bradley Austin, who will also star in the play.
Tickets are still available for Sore Losers, which tells the story of a ragtag team of underdogs competing in a high-stakes bowling championship. The hilarious and heartfelt comedy is being staged for 10 performances Wednesdays to Saturdays from July 15 to 25.
While this is only his second play, Austin has been an actor for more than two decades, appearing on stage including at Lighthouse Festival Theatre, Drayton Entertainment, and The Foster Festival, as well as on hit television shows like Law & Order Toronto: Criminal Intent, The Boys, Schitt’s Creek, and Doc.
Along with Sore Losers, Austin wrote the two-act comedy Tips for Living Without Your Dog, which saw a staged reading in Niagara Region this past April at the third annual Fostered Playwrights Festival, which nurtures Canadian voices and brings new stories to the stage.
For its part, Globus Theatre is doing the same by providing a stage for the world premiere of Sore Losers.
“I love it when Globus Theatre becomes this incubator and gives opportunities, whether it’s to a new artist or a new playwright,” Globus Theatre artistic director Sarah Quick recently told kawarthaNOW.
In Sore Losers, Burt and his niece Angie are struggling to keep their family-run bowling alley in business as they bleed customers to the bigger, newer, and flashier Galaxy Bowl across town.
That’s when Burt’s lifelong friend Jim hatches a plan. Unlike their famous bowling champion fathers, Burt and Jim have never won anything, but Jim proposes that they enter the provincial bowling championship and win, saving the business and their pride. Angie’s on board with the plan, and all they need to do is convince Burt and recruit Greg, the town’s clueless new dentist, to join their team.
“I wrote this play as a love letter to losers — to the ones who keep trying even without getting the desired result,” Austin says in a media release. “I wanted an underdog story, and I wanted to laugh. A ragtag, cobbled-together team that, against the odds, risks it all to get the big win … who doesn’t want to see that?”
“We have all felt that way in our lives, haven’t we? Bad runs of luck where everything goes wrong. When you can’t catch a break no matter how hard you try. It can be disheartening, demoralizing, and really funny. I love these losers; they remind me that playing for the sake of winning isn’t as important as who you’re playing the game with, and ultimately for.”
As well as seeing his play performed before audiences for the first time, Austin will also be be making his Globus Theatre acting debut by playing the role of Burt.
“It’s really exciting to be able to go through the rehearsal process with the playwright right there,” Quick says. “That is very helpful for the first time that a show is being performed.”
Joining Austin on stage will be Globus Theatre’s artistic producer James Barrett as Jim, Mallory Brumm (Buying the Farm) as Angie, and Kyle Claeys (Galatea, Shakespeare BASH’d, Comedy Bar Danforth) as Greg. Both Brumm and Claeys are fresh off their roles in Globus Theatre’s recent murder mystery, Murder at the Match: World Cup 2026 Edition.
“I could not be happier that Sore Losers gets to have its world premiere here at Globus, a place known for its dedication to telling great stories with humour and heart,” Austin said. “As it’s my first world premiere, I am also extremely grateful and humbled to be included in the season with so many playwrights that I look up to.”
Quick told kawarthaNOW that Austin was mentored by Canadian playwright Kristen Da Silva, who wrote Beyond the Sea, which is being staged by Globus Theatre later this year. In turn, Da Silva was mentored by Norm Foster, whose comedy A Woman’s Love List Globus Theatre is also presenting this season.
“It’s lovely that there are all of these Canadian writers passing on their knowledge, and helping and encouraging and inspiring,” Quick said.
Globus Theatre’s production of Sore Losers runs at 8 p.m. Wednesdays to Saturdays from July 15 to 18 and July 22 to 25, with additional 2 p.m. matinee performances on July 18 and 23. An optional dinner is available before evening performances, although some are already sold out.
Tickets are $50 for the show only or $100 for the show and dinner, plus tax and fees, and are available at globustheatre.com/shows-all/sore-losers.
For information on group bookings, call the box office at 705-738-2037 or toll free at 1-800-304-7897.
