It’s 10 years of the Bard under the stars for Tottering Biped Theatre

Hamilton’s Tottering Biped Theatre celebrates a decade of staging summer Shakespeare with its most ambitious season yet – three 2026 productions and many returning artists.

Ten years is a milestone few indie theatre companies can boast.

Amid economic challenges, competing entertainments, and changing audiences, making theatre as an independent company in Hamilton is never easy. But every August, for the past decade, Hamilton’s Tottering Biped Theatre (TBT) has been successfully staging summer Shakespeare outside, and inviting audiences to enjoy the Bard under the stars.

It’s a winning formula that artistic producers Trevor Copp and Alma Sarai have worked hard to keep running. “This is the largest, most ambitious summer we’ve ever had,” says Copp. A true celebration of the project’s history, Sarai adds that “this year’s festival is the most ambitious, with a main-stage show, two staged readings, and a mime performance.”

For this year’s main-stage performance, the company has chosen the romantic tragedy Romeo & Juliet, once again using the grounds behind historic Dundurn Castle as its stage. It will be the first time Tottering Biped has tackled the iconic story of two star-crossed lovers.

The company has staged a wide range of Shakespearean dramas, from Merchant of Venice (2017) to Macbeth (2018) to Tempest (2023), as well as comedies like Midsummer Night’s Dream (2016 & 2022), Twelfth Night (2019), and As She Likes It (2024), as well as The Complete Works of William Shakespeare in 2025.

For Copp, the appeal of Shakespeare to Hamilton audiences is tied to the visceral nature of theatre. “Often when we sell a ticket, it’s not really to a specific play,” he says,”it’s to the idea of seeing Shakespeare under the stars. It’s a summer experience that everyone should take in. To me, it’s the reason why the snow melts at all.”

Sarai sees their audiences as an eclectic bunch. “It’s been a mix between ‘I’m not sure what I just watched, but I like it!,’ to ‘What an awesome interpretation.’ My goal as the director of Romeo and Juliet is for at least one person to walk away having seen themselves onstage in a character they might never have seen before. To me, that’s what Shakespeare needs to make it feel relevant.”

Although Shakespeare in the park isn’t unique, both Copp and Sarai cite the use of the Hamilton landmark at Dundurn Castle as key to their program’s longevity. “There’s a certain energy to these spaces that you can’t quite put a finger on,” says Sarai. “It adds to the atmosphere in ways we can’t control [and] makes for a new show every night, honestly.” 

The layer of mystery and deep-seeded history of Hamilton is another critical factory. For Copp, the space “brilliantly contributes to the all-around awe of the night.” 

Sarai adds that “cultural landmarks and museums as performance spaces feels like doing something that’s part of the building’s experience. It implies a sturdiness and a legacy and makes the play feel rooted in Hamilton.”

When the series started in 2016, Tottering Biped based its productions at the Royal Botanical Gardens. After a break, and a successful fundraiser to help boost the program during COVID, the company moved to Dundurn, which has been its home since 2022.

It’s a collaboration that Sarai notes as key to making the productions run smoothly and attract new audiences in spite of challenges like weather. “The folks at Hamilton Civic Museums have been incredible venue partners. They have such awesome programming, so we are happy to be included and welcomed into the space.”

With this year’s anniversary, says Copp, the company has programmed a series of performances that “look at Shakespeare and Canada [with] readings from Canadian playwrights whose plays deal with Shakespeare.” These include the iconic plays Elizabeth Rex by Timothy Findley and Goodnight Desdemona, Good Morning Juliet by Ann-Marie McDonald.

Findley’s play, a Stratford hit and winner of the 2000 Governor General’s Award for Drama, deals with an aging Queen Elizabeth and her dialogue with Shakespeare and one of his company actors while awaiting the execution of a former lover. McDonald’s play on the other hand, is an uproarious comedy first produced by Toronto’s Nightwood Theatre in 1988. It follows a put-upon scholar who literally falls into the dual tragedies of Othello and Romeo and Juliet, with hilarious consequences.

Joining the trio of Shakespearean pieces is a kids mime show performed by Copp. An award-winning physical theatre creator, Copp is also an internationally recognized mime artist who studied at the Marcel Marceau School in Paris and will bring his expertise to a special show for children of all ages.

For Sarai, the sheer number of performances featured this year is not only a celebration of the program’s history but a chance to reunite with past artists from the company. “We’re getting the band back together,” she says, “Between all four productions on offer, we’ve invited back as many artists and technicians from previous years as possible, and we were floored by the generous response.”

For local audiences, who have followed TBT’s summer Shakespeare lineup, this year’s anniversary celebration does indeed sound like a reunion. Alongside Sarai and Copp, Hamilton stalwart Michael Hannigan is returning this year as assistant director as well as collaborating with Copp on the mime show. Zach Parsons is also back as composer  and sound designer, as well as performing Benvolio in Romeo and Juliet.

Others from past company shows include Caitlin Collingwood, Philip Krusto, Caitlin Pace, Rebecca Durance Hine, Shawn Desouza-Coelho, Tamlynn Bryson, Raymond Louter and his daughter Paige, Michael Rode, Pascal Simmons, Eric Lessa Fratini, Addie Moody, Nada Abusaleh, Zita Nyarady, Vanessa Whyte, Madeleine Storms, and Matt Lazarus-Brunner. New to this year’s celebrations are Wren Groen, Chhavi Disawar, and Tamlynn and Stevie Garcia.

Throughout their decade of working together, Copp and Sarai have formed a tight bond built on trust and respect for the craft. “Alma has kept me going,” says Copp. “She’s driven forward, writing the grants and giving the kind of forward-moving energy when mine was down. She’s taken over the program and I’m just thrilled to support her in this capstone summer.” 

For Sarai, “this season feels like a culmination of all that we’ve been grateful for these past 10 years with different ways to experience theatre.” The importance of making the 10th anniversary special is all about giving back to the artists, the technicians, the audiences, she says. 

“Our collaborators and supporters are the lifeblood of TBT and make up the community we are so privileged to be a small part of.”

Audiences looking to catch the company’s latest summer Shakespeare are encouraged not to wait. “There are only two weeks to catch this festival and you won’t want to miss it,” says Sarai. 

“Summers go quick,” echoes Copp. “The magic of it can be hard to find; but this isn’t.”

NEED TO KNOW

Summer Shakespeare at the Castle
Romeo and Juliet
Tottering Biped Theatre
Aug. 17 - 29
Dundurn Castle Park
610 York Boul.
Pay what you can
Schedule and tickets here