After 110 years, one of Old Town’s most recognizable features will close its doors to the public—for now.
The Shaw Festival announced the Royal George Theatre’s imminent closure in a press release on Friday, alongside details of its 2025 season lineup.
The release states the building has needed a rebuild for decades, but due to a failing foundation, it cannot be mitigated.
“At the conclusion of our 2025 rendition of ‘A Christmas Carol,’ the George will close its doors on this incarnation,” said Tim Jennings, Shaw’s executive director, in the release.
Jennings hopes the Shaw can work alongside the government to rebuild the jewel box theatre with a “future of access and sustainability in mind,” he stated.
“Our intention is not to change the feel of our Royal George Theatre, rather we hope to amplify this treasured space,” he said.
The theatre’s closure announcement follows a tough fiscal year for the Shaw, which reported a loss of $5.7 million in 2023.
During the company’s general meeting in March, board chair Ian Joseph said the Royal George was “well beyond its intended lifespan.”
During the same meeting, Jennings said fixing the theatre was something that had to happen.
The Royal George Theatre, located at 85 Queen St., has occupied a part of NOTL’s heritage district for more than a century and has been under the Shaw’s ownership for more than four decades.
Built in 1915 by Mrs. M. N. Norris, it was first the Kitchener Theatre: a place for vaudeville acts and silent movies to entertain soldiers at Camp Niagara during the First World War.
According to an overview of the Royal George Theatre’s history from 2010, compiled by former Shaw Guild president Faye Goodwin, the theatre changed hands several times throughout the 20th century, but in 1980, the Shaw Festival acquired the theatre for its live productions.
The first production hosted at the theatre by the Shaw was “Puttin’ on the Ritz” — according to the Shaw Festival website, there was no time or money for major renovations before the first show, but throughout the 1980s, the Shaw raised the funds to make several repairs and restorations, as well as improvements to the seating, sound and lighting systems.
Before its closure, patrons can catch four productions at the venue next season.
“Tons of Money,” “Major Barbara,” “Murder-on-the-Lake,” will be shown at the theatre, as well as a final production of “A Chirstmas Carol” over the holidays in 2025 before NOTLers and visitors say goodbye to the Royal George Theatre as they know it.
