For Peterborough’s Megan Murphy, stories can be transformative, but it’s the people behind the stories that give them their real power.
A performer, filmmaker, playwright, director, writer, radio host, emcee, and storyteller, Megan can help people, businesses, and organizations discover their stories and share them with the world through story-mining workshops, ideation consulting, branded filmmaking, live events, and more.
“I’m interested in people,” Megan says. “You’re not just selling a product or a business — you’re selling people.”
Megan is well known in Peterborough and beyond for both her creative career and community leadership. A graduate of the Second City Conservatory Program as well as the Documentary Filmmaking Institute at Seneca College, she has won awards for her short films and documentaries, including her feature film Murphy’s Law that retraced her late father’s cycling journey across Ireland.
Inducted into Peterborough’s Pathway of Fame in 2021 for cultural and community betterment, Megan was most recently celebrated for Wild Irish Geese, her acclaimed play about the journey of thousands of Irish settlers to Canada in 1825 under the Peter Robinson emigration plan, in which she also performed as the play’s seanchaí, an Irish storyteller. The play, which premiered at 4th Line Theatre in Millbrook to a sold-out run in 2025, returned to 4th Line for a second run this past August.
Megan’s vibrant energy, sense of humour, and love for the community has made her a popular speaker about the power of stories and authentic connections. She also takes to the stage as the emcee for a variety of events including conferences, fundraisers, galas, and panel discussions. As an emcee, she works with the event organizer to capture the “heartbeat” of the event.
“There’s an art to emceeing,” Megan explains. “It’s a real-time presence, it’s reading a room and holding that energy, and it’s making strangers feel like they’re part of something together.”
Megan also supports businesses and organizations through branded documentary filmmaking, where she uses imagery to tell authentic stories.
If you’re not sure how to identify and tell your story, Megan can help. As an ideation consultant, she will work with you to come up with creative solutions and she can lead your team in a story-mining workshop.
“What I try to do in workshops for people, businesses, and organizations is to think about the essence of what they are doing,” she says. “What is the real heartbeat of the story, and how do we share that with the public in a way that is palatable, real, and authentic and feels like you? I use the same elements we use in theatre to help businesses and organizations tell their stories effectively.”
Sometimes Megan starts with improv that gets you out of your head and feeling comfortable making mistakes, before moving on to other forms of storytelling such as collaging to come up with social media posts or reels.
“My job is to find what your value is as a business and help you tell that to the best of your ability, so that whatever marketing you’re putting out there feels like you because it’s coming from an authentic place. I enjoy lighting the fire for people and letting them take over from there.”
Megan will soon be sharing her own story in a soon-to-be-published book of heartfelt, observational, and humorous essays. She will be doing live readings from the book in early 2027.
You can reach Megan at murphy.megananne@gmail.com. She will be launching a new website at www.meganmurphy.ca, and you can find out more about her award-winning documentary Murphy’s Law at murphyslawfilm.net.
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