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Huron Country Playhouse

The New Canadian Curling Club

A Hit Comedy That Hurries Hard

August 3 to August 20, 2023

By Mark Crawford

The New Canadian Curling Club is a brand new comedy about immigration, community, and national identity—with a heart as big as Canada itself!

Inspired by the local refugee resettlement program, a small town organizes a Learn-to-Curl class to welcome newcomers. But when its organizer slips on the ice and breaks her hip, the rink’s ice maker and former champion curler Stuart MacPhail is forced to step in as head coach. Trouble is, Stuart has some strong opinions about immigrants...

What follows is an inspiring and hilarious story of a group of unlikely athletes who face off against local prejudice and claim their identity as “new Canadians”.  Don’t miss the hit comedy about burning rocks, bonspiel beers, and becoming a team.

Audience Recommendation: This production contains language and mature themes. Recommended for ages 13 and up. There is no official rating system for live theatre. We encourage you to use your judgment based on your child's age and maturity level.

The New Canadian Curling Club is a compelling story that champions the values of acceptance, diversity, inclusivity, and community. Like many impactful theatrical experiences, the journey towards a deeper understanding of others' perspectives is marked by conflict. This play delves into the complex themes surrounding the lived experiences of newcomers and tackles the subject matter with mature language and race-based jokes. We hope that these thought-provoking themes spark meaningful discussions, fostering a culture of kindness and an appreciation for our differences, which ultimately contribute to the strength of our communities and our nation.

A Note From The Playwright:

Stop me if you’ve heard this one: a Chinese guy, an Indian guy, a Jamaican lady, and a Syrian refugee walk into a curling club… It sounds like the set-up to a joke, but it’s actually the premise of this play. In fact, The New Canadian Curling Club begins with characters cracking jokes…or rather, attempting to. Their individual ideas of what’s funny don’t always land with the other people on stage!

On the surface, The New Canadian Curling Club is a comedy about a group of new Canadians who sign up for a Learn to Curl night. But it doesn’t stop there. As a playwright, I’ve used the familiar genre of an underdog sports comedy to tackle some more serious themes: immigration, community, racism, small-town prejudice, and even the question of national identity.

That’s not to say this is a heavy play. All of the characters employ humour for a variety of reasons: to lighten the mood, to entertain, to commiserate, to find common ground, but also to establish status, to distance themselves from others, and to belittle, or even attack. Because it’s live theatre, the audience is an active participant in the comedy. Just as people use humour in various ways, our responses come from innumerable sources: delight, surprise, shock, discomfort, recognition, connection…I could go on and on. Sometimes, we laugh to deflect deeper emotions, or to protect ourselves from the darkness of a situation. Having seen several different productions of this play, some of my favourite laughs are the ones where audience members start laughing, then catch themselves, then question whether or not they should be laughing, and then laugh at their own discomfort from having laughed in the first place. We are complex emotional beings, aren’t we? 

By all means: please laugh along with the characters in this play! In addition to eliciting chuckles and guffaws, I hope the story makes you feel something. And I hope, maybe, the play even makes you think.

Thank you for coming to The New Canadian Curling Club, and thank you for attending live theatre. Enjoy the show!

~Mark Crawford

Running Time: 2 hours including a 20 minute intermission.

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Reviews

A very entertaining show with both funny and poignant moments.
Christine R, Forest
I recommend this play. Not only amusing but also has something to tell. We can all learn. Heartwarming
Lolly F, Goderich
This was an excellent production, very topical given how racism is still with us. The play gives an understanding of what it must be like coming to a new country, an experience most of us will never have to go through. The humour weaves the story together showing that this a well written production with superb actors and actresses. Well done!!
Peter F, London
The story is so relevant and the actors were amazing. We thoroughly enjoyed the show, as well as the venue.
Lynda H, Goderich
Loved the show. Very funny, thought provoking, and right on target.
Brigitta D, London
Lighthearted moments made me laugh despite serious content addressing how we Canadians respond to newcomers. Appreciated the positive ending!
Linda A, London
Great message! Great acting!
Mary KL, Waterloo
It was funny, controversial, sad, happy, entertaining and a delightful theatre experience. The actors, the staging and the whole performance was a delight. Thank you again Drayton for delivering such a heart warming story of new immigrants.
Jewel P, London
You'll laugh and you'll cry. An amazing performance by the entire cast! What perfect timing for such a show, as I see a rise in hate towards immigrants during our housing crisis. As a life long resident of rural southern Ontario I can attest to the fact racism is alive and well in Huron and Perth counties. Thank you for not being afraid to bring forward such uncomfortable truths to small rural towns, and using the best form to do so: comedy.
Erin M, Stratford
Very well done!! Serious topic but handled with humour and, of course, a good outcome.
Gail S, London
What a wonderful play. We laughed and enjoyed it from beginning to end. Layered through the play was a strong message of acceptance of new immigrants to Canada. It pointed out some of our failures as Canadians to be welcoming and supportive of these folks to our country.
Brenda H, Grand Bend
Really enjoyed the show and the comedy.
Terri-lyn D, London
Fantastic show. Quick paced, funny, very entertaining.
Kathy M, London
Such an excellent show! I had so many tears of laughter moments. A wonderful message!!
Elizabeth B, London
We really enjoyed this play. The characters were true to life, and there were many funny and emotional moments. Well done! Script writing was perfect.
Tina C, St Marys
Funny and insightful! Well acted.
Richard C, Bayfield
Great show! A story we all need to see, well played by the outstanding cast
Maureen O, Grand bend
Excellent! Funny and thought provoking.
Audrey D, London
Excellent show - great message
Carlos R., London
Very funny, but also hits the nail on the head as far as discrimination is concerned.
Ronald P, St. Thomas
Thought provoking play. We know some immigrants, it is interesting what they face and endure in Canada.
Jim M, Exeter
Great acting, sure hope they won the Brier!
Bonita L, Exeter
We really enjoyed this show! It was extremely well-written and the actors were very well-cast! Thank you!
Monica C, Parkhill
Excellent Performance - delivered as advertised
Gary S, Sarnia
This show was great!!! It was funny, engaging, touching, and thought provoking. I might go again!
Haley W, Sarnia
Great show. Very funny. Thanks!
Jane G, St Marys
My 86-year-old Mum and I really enjoyed this show, we had matinee tickets for August 3rd. It was the perfect way to spend our afternoon, we didn't stop laughing. The set design was fantastic and the actors were spot on!! Very entertaining.
Beverly W, Sarnia

Meet The Artists

Chiamaka Glory headshot

Chiamaka Glory

Charmaine Bailey

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John Jarvis

John Jarvis

Stuart MacPhail

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Zaynna Khalife headshot

Zaynna Khalife

Fatima Al-Sayed

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Andrew Prashad headshot

Andrew Prashad

Anoopjeet Singh

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Norman Yeung headshot

Norman Yeung

Mike Chang

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Resources

Drayton Entertainment is committed to creating safe spaces for our audience members and suggests the following local newcomer resources should you require support.

Immigration Partnership is a collaboration of community service, business, municipal and post-secondary organizations and Waterloo Region residents working together to create the conditions for immigrants to succeed and help build a welcoming, dynamic community.

165 Elmwood Ave E, London, ON 
519-336-9622
Website

A community-wide, multi-sectoral partnership that works to increase collaboration between settlement agencies and smooth the settlement and integration experiences for newcomers.

789 Broadway St. Wyoming, ON 
519-344-2062 ext. 2161
Website

Assist immigrants by connecting them with services and providing information to raise awareness about services and accessibility.

300 Dufferin Ave., London ON 
519-661-2489 ext. 7377
Website

Focused on enriching community through services and advocacy, furthering the success and sense of belonging of newcomers and individuals from diverse backgrounds.

505 Dundas St., London ON
519-432-1133
Website