By Emily R. Zarevich, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter
School bullies get what’s coming to them, and so do exploitative bosses. The disgruntled owner of a confectionery stall wants more out of life, and parents cannot resolve a single problem without regressing into childlike behaviour. These are some of the intriguing experiences being offered by the local theatre scene in late September of 2026. Here is what is on the schedule.
On Friday, September 18, 2026, the Oakville Centre for the Performing Arts will be putting on a societal farce directed by Yo Mustafa, who is known in Burlington for his popular works staged at West Plains United Church on Plains Road. This play is God of Carnage by Yasmina Reza, originally published in 2008 under the French name Le Dieu du carnage.
In God of Carnage, two sets of well-meaning parents have an issue. One set’s son has taken to bullying the other, an unacceptable situation in the eyes of both families. They arrange a meeting to discuss the matter like civilized grownups, but there is another issue. The parents are equally as immature as their children, and the night quickly becomes a scene of classroom-like chaos with no actual adult to supervise. Performances of God of Carnage will take place from September 18 to September 20, 2026. A single ticket costs $32.00 for regular seating (including tax). Tickets can be purchased here.
Also at the Oakville Centre for the Performing Arts, the BurlOak Theatre Group is putting on a production of the lively musical Mean Girls. From Thursday, September 24 to Sunday, September 27, 2026, theatregoers can join Cady Heron’s venture into the savage jungle of high school. Cady will receive a first-rate education in cliques, queen bees, teenage rebellion, cyberbullying, and, of course, learning how to be true to yourself. Tickets to Mean Girls can be purchased here. Tickets are $44.00 for regular seating and $39.00 for Big Ticket members.
On Thursday, September 24, 2026, the Kitchen Sink Collective will be premiering their production of John Osborne’s 1956 realist drama Look Back in Anger. This famous play is a major staple of the “kitchen sink realism” genre in that it depicts, without any sort of sugar-coating, the plights of working people who live in cramped, derelict housing.
Osborne’s story depicts a dysfunctional married couple from different walks of life failing to reconcile their expectations with their reality. Jimmy Porter, the embodiment of the kitchen sink drama “angry young man” character, is a well-educated, working-class individual who feels that his potential for greatness is wasted running a sweets shop at the local market. His wife Allison, who comes from a more affluent upper-class family, is equally dissatisfied, not just with their small income, but with their mundane daily routine in an attic that feels more claustrophobic than cozy.
Look Back in Anger will play at the West Plains United Church, located at 549 Plains Road, from September 24 to October 4, 2026. Tickets can be bought here. Ticket buyers have the option of purchasing show-only tickets or a ticket that includes a three-course dinner (evening show) or an afternoon tea (matinee show). Show-only tickets without meals cost $30.00. Shows that include a meal cost $85.00.
On September 25, 2026, Theatre Burlington will be premiering their production of a Depression-era drama by Vern Thiessen. Tim Denis, who played a family man afflicted with Alzheimer’s disease in Theatre Burlington’s 2025 production Timepiece, will be taking on the role of director this time. Maureen Dwyer, who enjoyed great success earlier this year directing an award-winning production of Mary’s Wedding, will be producing.
Icemen is a play that hits close to home with its issues that transcend time: workers being severely underpaid for their labour, and new technology threatening to eliminate people’s jobs virtually overnight. Joe and Rennie are top-performing ice harvesters who are extremely competent at their jobs. However, this means nothing to their greedy boss, who wants to introduce refrigeration to the company and sack his employees. The working class strikes back, and audience members will personally witness who will win this round of the class war.
Icemen will play at Theatre Burlington from September 25 to October 10, 2026. Tickets cost $33.00 for adults and $28.00 for seniors. Tickets can be purchased here.
The Burlington Performing Arts Centre (BPAC) has two theatrical events taking place in late September. The first is Paquette Entertainment Productions’ Seven Drunken Nights: The Story of the Dubliners. A romp for lovers of traditional Irish music, this experience will lead audience members through a toe-tapping musical journey consisting of hit songs from the renowned band The Dubliners. Set in the historic O’Donoghue’s Pub, a band of musicians will share the tale of the Dubliners’ rise from obscurity to success in a style that combines jukebox with jig.
Seven Drunken Nights: The Story of the Dubliners will take place on Saturday, September 19, 2026, and Sunday, September 20, 2026. Tickets cost $69.00. However, groups of 10 or more enjoy a 10% discount if purchases are made by phone or in-person.
The second BPAC event will be “Wander: Artistic Interventions in Unexpected Places” on Saturday, September 26, 2026, a celebration of the venue’s 15th anniversary season. This will be an all-ages, interactive event, free and open to the general public between 1:00 and 4:00 p.m. Visitors can tour the site and enjoy the performances by fifteen different groups of artists strategically scattered throughout the building. Tickets to the evening portion of the event cost $150.00.
Wednesday, September 30, 2026, will be the opening night of Theatre Aquarius’s production of Kristen Da Silva’s socio-politically charged play Sisters of ’78. Workers’ rights and the battle for labour recognition will once again claim prominence on a local stage. Da Silva’s powerful script is based on the real-life 1978 events of the Fleck Strike in Centralia, Ontario.
In Da Silva’s theatrical translation of this historic protest, dissatisfied female factory workers take centre stage, rising up against the unsafe conditions and the sexual harassment that make their working lives unbearable. Tickets for Sisters of ’78 can be bought here. Ticket prices vary by seating.
Readers can regularly check Burlington Local-News.ca for local theatre updates and reviews.
