Geordie Theatre Fest stages a virtual edition from Feb. 3–6

Montreal production company Geordie Theatre is holding its annual Geordie Theatre Fest from Feb. 3–6. The 2021 edition will of course be virtual, but in keeping with all things Geordie, the content was created with care for theatre lovers aged 0 to 100.

Staged readings of Sarah Currie’s The Borrowing Man and Jenna McLean’s Until Tenth Grade are being presented exclusively in Quebec schools on Feb. 3 and 4.

On Feb. 6, the public can tune in at noon to see The Little Mighty Superhero, a play (geared towards kids aged five and up) that Geordie has staged over 60 times for more than 8,000 students. Written by acclaimed Filipino-Chinese playwright Marie Barlizo and directed by Liz Valdez, the play, described as “a heartwarming journey of a young boy’s quest in rediscovering imagination and memory in the face of fear and the unknown,” features Concordia theatre grad Alyssa Angelucci-Wall, the National Theatre School’s Wahsonti:io Kirby and University of Victoria alumnus Douglas Peerless, who moved to Montreal for this play’s tour. The performance will be followed by a talkback with the actors, moderated by Geordie’s artistic director Mike Payette. With the purchase of a ticket for The Little Mighty Superhero, Geordie Theatre School is offering a pre-show storytelling workshop for kids aged 6 to 12.

Also on Feb. 6, Geordie Theatre Fest presents Celestial Bodies (12+), written by National Theatre School grad Jacob Margaret Archer and developed in partnership with the NTS. Directed by Payette and starring actors Kirby and Angelucci-Wall (alternating performances at 3 p.m. and 5 p.m., respectively), Celestial Bodies depicts coping with the first year of high school in positive and negative ways, or “one girl’s cosmic journey to truly owning, literally and metaphorically, the space she occupies.” And with the purchase of a ticket for the first performance, Geordie Theatre School is offering a pre-show character creation workshop for teens.

Geordie Theatre Fest runs from Feb. 3–6, with performances of The Little Mighty Superhero (12 p.m.) and Celestial Bodies (3 and 5 p.m.) streaming for the public on Saturday, Feb. 6. For more details and to buy tickets ($10 per household), please visit the Geordie website.

For more on Montreal arts, please visit the Arts section.