“★★★★★
This is an extraordinarily moving story,
well-crafted and compassionately told.
See it now before it sells out.”
Directed by Stuart Cox
Designed by Catherine Hume
Media Design by Calvin B. Grant
Based on her bestselling memoir, Alison Wearing's solo show has played to sold-out theatres across Canada, off-Broadway, and from Mexico to Sri Lanka, earning ovations and top honours at virtually every festival in which it has appeared.
Woven through music and imagery, this comic monologue tells the story of growing up with a gay father in the 1980s. These were early days, before the words 'gay' and 'father' had even been put into the same sentence, when no one yet knew if that might, someday, become possible.
Balancing intimacy, history and uproarious humour, this is not just a story of one family's challenge and quest for liberation. It is a moving and celebratory tale of family life: deliciously imperfect, riotously challenging, and full of life’s great lessons in love.
The show’s numerous awards include four Fringe Festival Best of Fest awards, the CBC’s Outstanding Solo Show award, and Best Dramatic Script at NYC's United Solo, the largest festival of solo theatre in the world.
“★★★★★ This show is a five-star work of heart.”
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“★★★★★
Uber-literate Alison Wearing holds the audience in the palm of her hand...Almost every sentence has a ticklish wordplay or phonic treat that makes listening a pleasure.
Combined with her presence on stage, Confessions is great storytelling. Grab your tickets early; they’ll be in hot demand.”
“★★★★★
Blending an easily digestible mix of storytelling, impressions, physical comedy, and a handful of costume props, Wearing takes you to the most awkward, and sometimes most hilarious,
moments in her unconventional family’s history...
The humanity in this show is overwhelming.
Drag your favourite homophobe along and challenge them not to be moved by this story.”
“★★★★★
The show works beautifully on all levels. Wearing is a skilled actress who commands our attention. Her script is tightly written, cleverly constructed and highly literate...
Be forewarned, the word is already out on this show. Line up (or buy advance tickets) early. Do make the effort; you will not be disappointed.”
“★★★★★
I would have sobbed loudly, but I’m too damn manly, so I just grunted and choked...Decades-old angst about sexual orientation might have felt stale, but, from the kid’s perspective, it’s fresh...The show, which Wearing performs expertly, also bursts with humour: how could she not have known her old man was queer when, instead of loot bags at one of her early birthday parties, he gave out homemade cassettes of a Mozart wind quintet?”
“A moving, tender joyous show...
Don’t miss it.”
Past Performances
Theatre Row: New York, New York
George Ignatieff Theatre: Toronto, Ontario
The Cultch Historic Theatre: Vancouver, British Columbia
WordFest Literary Festival: The Banff Centre: Banff, Alberta
Eden Mills Literary Festival: The Bookshelf: Guelph, Ontario
Stratford Writers Festival: Stratford, Ontario
WordFest Literary Festival: Calgary, Alberta
Galle Literary Festival: Galle, Sri Lanka
Burlington Performing Arts Centre: Burlington, Ontario
Maureen Forrester Recital Hall: Waterloo, Ontario
Northern Arts & Cultural Centre: Yellowknife, Northwest Territories
Huntsville Festival of the Arts: Huntsville, Ontario
The Cornelia Street Theatre: New York, NY
The Arts & Letters Club: Toronto, Ontario
Vancouver Writers Fest: Vancouver, British Columbia
Red River College Theatre: Winnipeg, Manitoba
Victoria Theatre: Saskatoon, Saskatchewan
Staircase Theatre: Hamilton, Ontario
Mackenzie Gallery: Regina, Saskatchewan
Kingston Writers Fest: Kingston, Ontario
Lebovic Centre for the Arts: Stouffville, Ontario
Lighthouse Theatre: Port Dover, Ontario
Imperial Theatre: Saint John, New Brunswick
Frye Festival: Moncton, New Brunswick
Bryan Jones Theatre: Lakefield, Ontario, Canada
Nozhem Theatre: Peterborough, Ontario, Canada
The Rio Theatre: Haida Gwaii, British Columbia
Massey Hall: Guelph, Ontario
Gabriola Island Theatre Festival: British Columbia
Harbour City Theatre: Nanaimo, British Columbia
Historic Gayety Theatre: Collingwood, Ontario
The Palace Theatre: London, Ontario
Coffin Ridge Theatre: Owen Sound, Ontario
Fifth Wind Theatre: Cobourg, Ontario
Lakefield Literary Festival: Lakefield, Ontario
TaDa! Festival: Centre Wakefield La Pêche: Wakefield, Quebec
El Fauno Feliz: Tepoztlán, Mexico
The Downtown Centre: Victoria, British Columbia
Gordon Best Theatre: Peterborough, Ontario
Factory 163: Stratford, Ontario
Garafraxa Live Theatre: Durham, Ontario
Bayfield Town Hall: Bayfield, Ontario
Rotary Hall: Lion's Head, Ontario
Theatre Aquarius Studio: Hamilton, Ontario
The Black Sheep Inn: Wakefield, Quebec
Production History
The Confessions of a Fairy's Daughter one-woman show was created in Tepoztlán, Mexico, by writer Alison Wearing and director Stuart Cox. It had its premiere in Mexico in March 2011. The show was redesigned and remounted by Catherine Hume before touring in Quebec and Ontario, Canada. Thanks to a grant from the Canada Council for the Arts, Alison then devoted one year to expanding the script into a full-length book. When the memoir was published in 2013 by Alfred A. Knopf Canada, Alison did a cross-country tour of the book, together with the show, doing more than 50 performances in 5 months in 15 cities, and garnering 5-star reviews and awards in virtually every festival in which it appeared, including Best Dramatic Script in New York City's United Solo Festival, the largest festival of solo theatre in the world. The show has continued to play in theatres and international festivals across the country and abroad.