Q&A: Grand Theatre's Dennis Garnhum isn't expecting controversy but says new season will have London talking

The Grand Theatre has unveiled its the 2019-20 season that includes 11 plays, including two world premieres and a North American first.

Artistic Director Dennis Garnhum sat down with London Morning Host Rebecca Zandbergento talk actors, plotsand whether the High School Project with get people fired up again this year.

Your motto is world curious, London proud. How does the new season reflect that?

We believe we should bring the world to London and London to the world. So we've announced a season that's full of life and full of love. And we're going to start the season with a brand new play called This London Life that we've commissioned. We asked the playwright to write a play specifically about us and tailored to the weirdest thingin our city, which is, that we have all the same namesakes as the other London. So I wanted a play on our stage that has the words "London, Ontario" in it so we can enjoy the oddity of being the "other" London. That's the London proud part.

There's another world-premiere set for next season with roots in London. What's that about?

Yes, the Junoswere just here and the Junos were extraordinary. So we want to carry on the party and the celebration. So, we're creating a new play called Juno's Reward. It's all about a girl named Juno who shows up in a school gym and meets the janitor. She has her music and he has his music. Together they celebrate their differences. It's going to tour to schools. The last time we did that, 33,000 kids got to see a production for free so we'll do the same with Juno's Reward.

Which other productions are you excited about this year?

All of them! I can't pick favourites but if I did, it would be the North American premiere of Emma Donoghue's Room. Of course, Emma Donoghue calls London home.

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This is a project that will start here in London, then move on to Mirvishin Toronto with a big promise of life afterward. It's a stage adaptation of her powerful novel, done in a way that only theatre can do. So it's original in its staging, original in the idea and this adaptation was written by Emma.

Mary Poppins is coming over the Christmas season. Who plays Mary Poppins?

It's the best person possible to play Mary Poppins! Her name isDeborah Hay and she is from London, Ontario. I've known her for my whole life. I directed her here in London 25 years ago when she was in high school. She's now gone onto the Shaw Festival, Stratford Festival. She's now with the Mirvishs. But she is so thrilled! She gets to come home to play Mary Poppins in her hometown.

Last year's High School Project created controversy withProm Queen. This year, it's Titanic. Should we expect twists?

You know what we should expect, is that it's done the way it's intended. It was on Broadway in 1979 and it won for best musical and it was done with 40 actors. It can't be done properly, because it's epic, without a huge cast. So we're going to have 50 extraordinary students on stage, another 25 backstage. That's what I love about the High School Project. Like Prom Queen, we can find ways to do what's best for the students and here, you're getting a history lesson and performing in a big sing. I don't know if there will controversythis year, but that's ok!

Controversy does get you publicity. How important is that?

What's great about controversy is that it gets people talking and that's what we want in theatre.

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I didn't see why it unfolded the way it did with Prom Queen, but I loved that people stood up for their rights and beliefs. And that's what we want of all our theatre, of all our lives.

You say it's hard to have a favourite, but what about the production you're directing?

My favourite that I'll be direction is a premiere of a new musical called Grow.This is from the creators of Prom Queen and it's set in the Amish community. These Amish twins, who are great farmers, end up in Toronto on the wrong side of town. They end up helping large scale pot growing to happen. It's very current and that's why we're doing it. We're calling it a "highly entertaining musical!"