Play the Fool is BACK at The Westbury Theatre, September 27-28!
Join us for the beautiful chaos as Canadian clowns take to the stage for a weekend of laughs!
This year’s festival features the Spectacular Cabaret, festival favourite the Rookie Cabaret, our annual online panel discussion, and new this year The Chaos Cabaret!
Check out the 2025 Play the Fool Festival program:
Watch the 2025 FREE online panel discussion here:
Tickets on Sale NOW!
Click the button for a full listing of Festival shows!
90 mins (+intermission) | 18A
Saturday, Sept 27th @ 10:30pm
Comedy madness where anything can (and does) happen!
Join us for laugh-yourself-silly shenanigans at the Play the Fool Festival Spectacular Cabaret! We never know what they will get up to when our favourite fools take the stage to entertain and amaze.
Featuring:
- Franco Correa
- Sophie May Healey
- LeTabby Lexington
- Erin Pettifor
- Aidan Laudersmith
- Jacqueline Russell
- Anna Pratch
- Christine Lesiak & Ian Walker
- Lauren Johnson
60 mins | 18A
Sunday, Sept 28th @ 7pm
Welcome to the beautiful chaos!
Join us for Play the Fool’s newest variety show – The Chaos Cabaret! With these fools, the evening is sure to spiral into chaos…
Hosted by Alex Dawkins, with musical accompaniment by Mary-Lee Bird
Featuring:
- Alexa Elser
- Annalyn Kind
- Rainer Pearl-Styles
- Ivan Guevara Garcia and Mariza-Fernanda Iturbe
- Anastasia Maywood and Krista Lin
- Viktoria Kibblewhite and Liam Sievwright
60 mins | Ages 16+
Saturday Sept 28th @ 9:00 pm
Your wild & unexpected Sunday Night.
This festival favourite is back! This years’ Play the Fool’s Rookie Mentorship Program showcase features eight emerging clowns and physical comedy artists in 6 turns. Artists work with Rookie Program Director Christine Lesiak to take their idea from concept to stage.
This year we have 6 acts featuring:
- Mimmy in Rat Circus, by Victoria Skorobohach
- Jobby, aka Spenser Kells
- Jimmy & Louis in Roosterz Uncaged, by Nico Maiorana & Jacquelin Walters
- Baba as Clownter-terrorist, by Ali Muhammad Khowaja
- Tulipa in Flying Birds, by Mariel Ansion
- Garbanzo and Sooz E. in Toy Story, by Jasmine Hopfe & Natasha Riddell
Content warnings: The following sensitive topics are explored through comedy; sexuality, war violence, animal abuse, misandry, and misogyny.
The Fourth Wall is a Joke: Audience Engagement in Clown & Physical Theatre
Clown and physical theatre thrive on the electricity of live interaction — but how do artists craft experiences that feel authentic, transformative, and more than just a quick gag? This online panel brings together a few artists who have made audience engagement central to their practice. We’ll explore the delicate balance between risk and care, laughter and vulnerability, surprise and structure.
Panelists: Isaac Kessler, Katie Yoner, Jay Flair
Live Captioning by Tamara Kremer
Moderated by Jake Tkaczyk, the conversation will dig into questions such as:
- How do we invite audiences into a shared moment rather than putting them on the spot?
- What strategies help create safety, connection, and genuine participation?
- How do cultural contexts and performance spaces shape the ways we engage?
- Where is the line between manipulation, complicity, and collaboration?
Join us as we highlight the creative tools clowns and physical performers use to turn spectators into co-conspirators. Expect insights, anecdotes, and perhaps even a few surprises along the way.
Watch the panel live here:
Questions about the Rookie Cabaret? Email: rookie@playthefool.ca
Questions about the Spectacular Cabaret? Please email: curator@playthefool.ca
General questions? Contact: producer@playthefool.ca
Thank you to Play the Fool Festival Partner Fringe Theatre Adventures!
