Port Stanley Festival Theatre Hosts World Premiere: ‘Ship to Shore’ by Peri Hayes In exciting news, Port Stanley Festival Theatre (PSFT) will be hosting the world premiere of Norm Foster’s Ship to Shore . As the playwright details, this piece was written in 2024. Norm describes the title ‘popping’ into his head one day, upon which he felt inspired to create this story. “Some ideas take a long time to ferment in my brain, but this one happened pretty quickly.” “ Ship to Shore is the story of two Canadians who meet on a ship which is bound for Ireland,” Norm introduces about the storyline. “Erin is going there to attend her father’s funeral, and James is going to bring his daughter back to Canada to spend the summer with him. Even though it can best be categorized as a rom-com, it goes far beyond that.” Ship to Shore previously participated in PSFT’s Simon Joynes Playwrights’ Festival, 2025 – live readings. About this opportunity, Norm shares, “I was present for the reading, and my two grown children were there. It was an enjoyable time, and the audience was very kind.” Celebrating this upcoming milestone in Port Stanley with dear friends, Norm expresses about the Ship to Shore debut, “I am excited about this world premiere happening in Port Stanley. I know Liz Gilroy well, and I know that she will do a great job directing the show. I also have a friend and fellow playwright acting in the show, Mark Crawford.” Liz, too, highlights their notable performers, Mark and Cailin Stadnyk, followed by further enthusiasm: “I can’t wait for our audience to see this set; we’ve never done a cruise ship before.” As the PSFT Artistic Director cheers, “Full of laughs and witty dialogue, this may become a new Norm Foster classic.” To conclude, Norm offers his feelings surrounding the longevity of his professional pursuit: “I’m proud that I’ve been able to continue my writing career for this long. I wrote my first play, Sinners , back in 1983, so I’ve been around for quite a while. I’m always excited about premiering a new play, because it’s an unknown quantity and I really don’t know how it’s going to be received by an audience. I have high hopes for each new play, but I never really know until I hear the reaction from that first audience – it feels like walking on a tightrope. I hope that people enjoy the play!”
Ongoing at PSFT from August 19th to September 5th, visit psft.ca or their Box Office on Bridge Street to secure your ticket(s) for another captivating Norm Foster experience!
Port Stanley Villager July-August 2026 cover
Found at Little Beach in Port is the Toy Lending Library, a brilliant idea so parents don’t have to drag beach toys with them amongst the towels and the chairs! Photo by Geoff Rae
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Port Stanley Villager • July-August 2026 • Page 3
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