Stageworthy
stageworthy.ca
Stageworthy
@stageworthy.ca
Stageworthy is Canada’s theatre podcast, bringing you in-depth interviews with theatre artists, panel discussions, and more. Each week, @philrickaby.com sits down with the people who make theatre happen—from household names to artists you should know.
Did you know that @soupcantheatre.bsky.social's A Christmas Carol is in its 7th year? Way back in its first year, I spoke to Scrooge himself, Thomas Gough on the podcast about this immersive theatrical experience! This show will sell out, so get tickets now!

stageworthy.ca/161-thomas-g...
Thomas Gough
Thomas Gough was first on stage at the age of five, but clearly remembers acting before that. He works frequently in the Independent Theatre in Toronto, having appeared in the last few years with …
stageworthy.ca
November 19, 2025 at 7:36 PM
This week on Stageworthy, Phil Rickaby talks with Dian Marie Bridge, Artistic Director of Montreal’s Black Theatre Workshop, about BTW’s 55-year legacy, artist development, and their production of Our Place by Kanika Ambrose.
Dian Marie Bridge
This week on Stageworthy, host Phil Rickaby is joined by Dian Marie Bridge, Artistic Director of the Black Theatre Workshop (BTW) in Montreal. Dian discusses the legacy of BTW, which is celebrating its 55th anniversary this year , as one of Canada's oldest Black and ethnocultural theatre companies. The conversation delves into the company's commitment to community service and fostering new talent through its influential program, as well as BTW's production of Kanika Ambrose's Our Place at Montreal's Segal Centre for Performing Arts (Studio) from Nov. 19-30.
stageworthy.ca
November 18, 2025 at 12:51 PM
This week on Stageworthy, Phil Rickaby talks with Aaron Joel Craig (Same Boat Theatre) and Stephanie Hope Lawlor (Rooks Theatre) about reimagining A Doll’s House for 2025 and building sustainable indie theatre in Hamilton.
Aaron Joel Craig & Stephanie Hope Lawlor
This week on Stageworthy, host Phil Rickaby welcomes Aaron Joel Craig (Same Boat Theatre) and Stephanie Hope Lawlor (Rooks Theatre) to discuss their co-production of Ibsen’s A Doll’s House in Hamilton.
stageworthy.ca
November 11, 2025 at 1:17 PM
The budget came out today, and it isn't good for the arts. I'm working my way through it, with an eye towards Canadian theatre. I'll have something to say, I'm sure.
November 4, 2025 at 11:10 PM
This week on Stageworthy, Phil Rickaby talks with Will Parry — actor, singer, and content creator — about authenticity, creative confidence, and how artists can build meaningful connections both on stage and online.
Will Parry
This week on Stageworthy, host Phil Rickaby welcomes Will Parry, actor, singer, and content creator based in Toronto. Known for his work as a musical theatre performer and social media consultant for artists and theatre companies, Will shares insights into how creatives can better express their authentic selves online while building stronger connections with audiences.
stageworthy.ca
November 4, 2025 at 1:10 PM
This week on Stageworthy, Phil Rickaby talks with Steven Hao, actor, director, and AD of Puckers Theatre Company, about his journey from Victoria to the Stratford Festival, creating space for new voices, and leading the next generation of theatre makers.
#436 – Steven Hao
This week on Stageworthy, host Phil Rickaby welcomes Steven Hao, actor, director, and artistic director of Puckers Theatre Company. Currently in his second season at the Stratford Festival, Steven shares his journey from Victoria, BC, to the national stage, performing in acclaimed productions like Anne of Green Gables, Forgiveness, Salesman in China, and Romeo and Juliet.
stageworthy.ca
October 28, 2025 at 12:41 PM
This week on Stageworthy, Phil Rickaby talks with Emily Dix of Bygone Theatre about creating design-driven indie theatre, the evolution of her company, and building Toronto’s new arts hub, The Bridge.
#435 – Emily Dix
This week on Stageworthy, host Phil Rickaby is joined by Emily Dix, artistic executive director of Bygone Theatre and the lead behind their mixed use affordable arts space, The Bridge. Emily shares the company’s journey from its beginnings in classic theatre to its evolution into original Canadian works that blend vintage aesthetics with contemporary themes. She discusses her creative process, the importance of atmosphere and design, and the challenges and rewards of running an independent theatre company.
stageworthy.ca
October 21, 2025 at 10:00 AM
This week on Stageworthy, Phil Rickaby talks with actor, singer & producer Michael Esposito II about performing Daniel MacIvor’s Monster in Kelowna, blending music, projections & solo performance.
#434 – Michael Esposito II
This week on Stageworthy, host Phil Rickaby is joined by actor, singer, and producer Michael Esposito II. Michael discusses the challenges and rewards of mounting Daniel MacIvor's solo play, Monster, which he is producing and performing in Kelowna, B.C. He shares the creative process of integrating projections and music into the show to make it feel more like an immersive "monster experience" than a traditional one-person play. Michael also talks about his background in Toronto and New York, the evolving theatre scene in Kelowna, & his other work in the Okanagan Valley, including themed jazz shows at a local speakeasy winery.
stageworthy.ca
October 14, 2025 at 12:00 PM
🎙️ On Stageworthy: Playwright & magic designer Michael Kras talks about creating illusions for Harry Potter and the Cursed Child, his new play Love Me Back, and finding magic in storytelling. 🎧 stageworthy.ca/433-michael-...
433. Michael Kras
This week on Stageworthy, host Phil Rickaby is joined by Michael Kras, playwright, director, and one of Canada’s busiest magic designers. Michael has designed magic and illusions for theatres across t...
stageworthy.ca
October 7, 2025 at 4:03 PM
Playwright Chloë Whitehorn on casting. Listen to the full episode on stageworthy.ca
October 1, 2025 at 11:54 AM
🎙️ On Stageworthy: Playwright Chloë Whitehorn (@chloewhitehorn.bsky.social) talks about writing plays like The Pigeon & Blood River, the Kingston theatre scene, and why Canadian plays rarely get a second production. 🎧 Listen: stageworthy.ca/432-chloe-wh...
432. Chloë Whitehorn
This week on Stageworthy, host Phil Rickaby is joined by Chloë Whitehorn, who is currently based in Kingston, Ontario. Chloë, a former actor, discusses her journey to becoming a prolific writer, focus...
stageworthy.ca
September 30, 2025 at 1:57 PM
🎙️ On Stageworthy: Actor & playwright Liz Buchanan joins @philrickaby.com to talk about her Hamilton Fringe shows Gnomes: A Traumatic Comedy & Liz: A Traumatic Comedy, using humour to explore trauma, and the power of solo performance. 🎧 stageworthy.ca/430-liz-buch...
430. Liz Buchanan
This week on Stageworthy, host Phil Rickaby is joined by Liz Buchanan, a Hamilton-based actor, writer, and director who is also the artistic director of 9M Theatre. Liz shares her journey as a playwri...
stageworthy.ca
September 16, 2025 at 5:51 PM
🎙️ On Stageworthy: Playwright Chelsea Woolley joins @philrickaby.com to talk about her new play Enormity, Girl, and the Earthquake in Her Lungs (Nightwood Theatre), the 8-year journey to bring it to life, and the power of humour & absurdity in storytelling. 🎧 stageworthy.ca/429-chelsea-...
429. Chelsea Woolley
This week on Stageworthy, host Phil Rickaby is joined by playwright Chelsea Woolley. Chelsea discusses her latest play, Enormity, Girl, and the Earthquake in Her Lungs, which is being produced by Nigh...
stageworthy.ca
September 9, 2025 at 4:41 PM
In an excerpt from his most recent solo episode of the podcast, host @philrickaby.com reflects on the impact of the looming cuts to the Canada Arts Council and how it could affect the industry. Listen to the full episode at stageworthy.ca
September 4, 2025 at 6:53 PM
🎙️ On Stageworthy: Actor Virgilia Griffith joins Phil Rickaby to talk about her journey from dancer to Dora Award–winning actor, mentorship, representation, and her current work at the Shaw Festival. 🎧 stageworthy.ca/427-virgilia...
427. Virgilia Griffith
This week on Stageworthy, host Phil Rickaby is joined by Toronto-based actor Virgilia Griffith, who is currently appearing in two shows at the Shaw Festival: Blues for an Alabama Sky and Murder on the...
stageworthy.ca
September 2, 2025 at 11:54 AM
Next week on Stageworthy, check out my conversation with Virgilia, as we talk Shaw Festival's Blues for an Alabama Sky and Murder-on-the-Lake.
Really enjoyed Blues for an Alabama Sky at the Shaw Festival, particularly for Virgilia Griffith's outstanding performance as bruised nightclub singer Angel.

My Critic's Pick review is online now: www.theglobeandmail.com/arts/article...
In Blues for an Alabama Sky, actor Virgilia Griffith reaches new heights
Shaw Festival’s final opener of the season is a tight, sleek examination of life during the Harlem Renaissance
www.theglobeandmail.com
August 29, 2025 at 12:42 PM
I wish our elected officials had more vision when it comes to "nation building." Pipelines don't build nations. Easing inter-provincial trade doesn't build nations. Stories build nations. The arts build nations. The rest is finance.
August 26, 2025 at 7:25 PM
🎙️ On Stageworthy: Former Theatre by the Bay AD Iain Moggach shares his journey to theatre leader in Barrie. A candid chat on mentorship, community, regional theatre, and building space for new voices. stageworthy.ca/426-iain-mog...
426. Iain Moggach
This week on Stageworthy, host Phil Rickaby is joined by Iain Moggach, former Artistic Director of Theatre by the Bay in Barrie, Ontario. In this thoughtful conversation, Iain shares his journey from ...
stageworthy.ca
August 26, 2025 at 1:08 PM
🎭 Canadian theatre artists! I'm booking new guests for Stageworthy, Canada’s theatre podcast. Priority to artists outside Toronto, but TO folks welcome too. Got a project or story to share? Let’s talk!
DM me or get in touch by filling out the form at stageworthy.ca/contact/
Contact Stageworthy
We would love to hear from you. From pitches, to suggestions of people we should have on the show, to kudos.
stageworthy.ca
August 21, 2025 at 10:03 AM
Canadian theatre is at a turning point. Who’s in the audience now — and who isn’t? Is our funding model sustainable, balancing government support with sponsorships? How do ticket sales factor in? What’s the biggest challenge — and the brightest hope — you see?
August 20, 2025 at 7:37 PM
🎙️ On Stageworthy: Actor, writer & comedian @nancykenny.bsky.social discusses her new show I Don’t Feel Pretty/Chu pas cute, debuting at Halifax Fringe 2025. A candid chat on humour, vulnerability, and building trust in solo theatre. 🎧 stageworthy.ca/425-nancy-ke...
425. Nancy Kenny
This week on Stageworthy, host Phil Rickaby is joined by Nancy Kenny, an actor, writer, and producer whose latest show, I Don’t Feel Pretty/Chu pas cute, will have readings at the 2025 Halifax Fringe ...
stageworthy.ca
August 19, 2025 at 10:13 AM
🎭 On Stageworthy: Dora Award–winning playwright Evan Bawtinheimer discusses Patty Picker, his journey from performer to writer, mental health, vulnerability, and why community matters in indie theatre. 🎧 Listen: stageworthy.ca/424-evan-baw...
424. Evan Bawtinheimer
This week on Stageworthy, host Phil Rickaby is joined by Evan Bawtinheimer, a Toronto-based, Dora Award winning playwright. Evan shares the inspiration behind his award winning play, Patty Picker. In ...
stageworthy.ca
August 12, 2025 at 10:07 AM
🎭 New on Stageworthy: @philrickaby.com chats with Michelle Langille - actor, director, and burlesque performer—about her journey from Toronto to Cape Breton, joyful reinvention, and creating “Honey de Mele.”
🎧 Listen now at stageworthy.ca/423-michelle...
423. Michelle Langille
This week on Stageworthy, host Phil Rickaby is joined by Michelle Langille, an actor, director, and burlesque performer whose journey has taken her from Toronto to Cape Breton. In this deeply personal...
stageworthy.ca
August 5, 2025 at 6:49 PM
New on Stageworthy: Phil chats with ted witzel, Artistic Director of Buddies in Bad Times, about the 2025–2026 season, queerness as creative practice, and why disobedience belongs on stage.
🎧 Listen at stageworthy.ca/422-ted-witz...
422. ted witzel
This week on Stageworthy, host Phil Rickaby welcomes ted witzel, Artistic Director of Buddies in Bad Times Theatre, to discuss the company’s 2025–2026 season and the vital role Buddies plays locally a...
stageworthy.ca
July 29, 2025 at 2:11 PM
Reposted by Stageworthy
Really grateful to Phil Rickaby for having me on @stageworthy.ca, where we had a wide-ranging conversation about slime tutorials, my strange journey from theatre school to my job at The Globe and, of course, Taylor Swift.

open.spotify.com/episode/3FPj...
#421 – Aisling Murphy
Stageworthy · Episode
open.spotify.com
July 22, 2025 at 12:47 PM