Blyth is a centre for Canadian theatre

 

   The village of 1,000 people has an outsized role in theatre in Canada, having produced more new Canadian plays in the past 43 years than nearly any theatre in Canada.

   When villagers wanted to honour the dozens of local men who gave their lives in battle in World War I, they decided to build Blyth Community Memorial Hall. The hall includes a gem of a theatre which by 1975 was seldom used, but local residents saw an opportunity to bring the exploding theatre scene in Canada to a rural location.

   Because there were few plays written for rural audiences, the Blyth Festival began producing new scripts on rural themes. Now in its 42nd season, the Festival has produced more than 100 world premieres, some of which have gone on to be presented around the world. (For more information on the 2017 season see our theatre page.)