Press Release – Persephone Closing Season with the Comedic Wit of Noël Coward

Saskatoon, SK – It may have taken more than 50 years, but Persephone Theatre will showcase the work
of legendary playwright Noël Coward for the first time.

The 51st season will close with a production of the celebrated classic Blithe Spirit by Noël Coward on the
Main Stage April 29 to May 10, 2026.

It is a production of many firsts, as it is also the first time Saskatoon’s Skye Brandon will be directing at
Persephone Theatre. Brandon has graced the stage as an actor many times for the company, the most
recent being in 2024 for This Is How We Got Here by Keith Barker.

“I was excited to get the chance to direct for Persephone Theatre,” Brandon said. “It is also my first
chance to work on a Noël Coward play as well, even though I’ve seen a few productions over the years.
The combination of that (and my love of classic theatre) was what made me jump at the chance to take
on this production.”

Although Coward’s plays are from the early-to-mid 20th century, they still resonate with audiences
today, because of the themes he wrote about.

“I think his plays work so well because he is often pointing out hypocrisies that exist in relationships and
social circles, and those hypocrisies are as present as ever today,” Brandon said. “Additionally, he does it
in such a comedic fashion that it is tremendously entertaining to watch.”

Brandon said Blithe Spirit is a good example of how Coward’s work can have themes which feel relevant
to modern audiences.

“For me, the play is partly about how having an opportunity to revisit someone important from your
past is not necessarily a great thing,” he said. “People change, and we can’t make everyone else happy
all of the time.”

Coward takes these themes and turns them into sharp, witty comedy, weaving an entertaining story for
audiences of all kinds.

“I think people will like the play because the comedy is so well-written and it also creates many
opportunities for us to create funny moments within the writing,” Brandon said.

It balances comedy with supernatural, something Brandon said is “in service to the comedy” and the
creative team looked for ways to add comedic moments into the supernatural circumstances.

“If we do our jobs, then audiences will begin to laugh early in the play, and the laughter will continue to
grow. Coward wrote Blithe Spirit during the early years of World War II, and it proved to be a much-appreciated escape from the news of the day. It sure feels like we could use a bit of the same.”

Another important aspect of this production for Brandon was bringing in local talent. He explained he
was considering bringing in talent from elsewhere who were more familiar with Noël Coward, but
ultimately decided to use mostly local talent, some who are working on the Main Stage for the first time.

“If this is the first time that Coward has been done at Persephone, when will some of the artists here get
another chance to work on his plays? It seemed only fitting that we have as many local artists involved
as we can, especially when we have so many talented people living right here,” Brandon said

He hopes the Saskatoon community comes out to enjoy this fun, spirited, comedic production.

“As the weather begins to warm up, I can’t think of a better way to spend the spring than laughing at the
foibles of others – even if we may see a bit of ourselves in them as well.”

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For more information or to book an interview, please contact:
Jodi Schellenberg, Director of Marketing & Communications
306-384-2126 ext. 237
[email protected]