Canadian Opera Company inside stairway

Toronto’s Theatre Scene is Hot

New York has Broadway and London has the West End. Toronto’s equivalent is the Entertainment District, the heart and soul of Toronto’s thriving theatre scene that can be found throughout the city.

Outside the Princess of Wales Theatre on King Street West in Toronto's Entertainment District
PRINCESS OF WALES THEATRE

Over the past few decades, Toronto has gained a reputation for high-quality productions and today it boasts one of the liveliest theatre scenes in the world. Tourists flock to the city to laugh, cry and toe-tap along to the sounds and sights of the big stage.

Mirvish Productions is the largest commercial theatre production company in Canada. For more than fifty years, the Mirvish name has been associated with Toronto theatre, ever since retail mogul Ed Mirvish purchased the Royal Alexandra Theatre in 1963. Carrying on the family tradition, David Mirvish founded Mirvish Productions in 1987, which today operates four theatres in Toronto (including the Royal Alexandra and the Princess of Wales) and stages many of the city’s major musical theatre productions.

If you’re in the mood for a laugh, make your way over to The Second City—the world-renowned improv comedy bar that helped launch the careers of Dan Aykroyd, John Candy, Mike Myers and numerous other Canadian comics.

Famous People Players is a black light puppetry theatre company that employs people with physical and intellectual disabilities. The “glow in the dark Dine & Dream Dinner Theatre” mounts productions year-round.

Produced just for children (and the people who care about them), Young People's Theatre presents high-quality theatre from around the world and develops new Canadian plays in a range of styles.

Launched in 1987 in Toronto, Mysteriously Yours… is the world’s largest professional producer of interactive murder mystery entertainment. All shows are detailed, solvable mysteries based on familiar themes with lots of comedy and audience participation.

The Canadian Stage Company–CanStage to its friends–produces and presents a vibrant hybrid of multidisciplinary performance that push the boundaries of form and style, integrating theatre, dance, music and multimedia.

Dinner before the show

How about a bite to eat before the main event? Toronto is a hotspot for dining whether Old World or trendy new restaurants. Whatever kind of cuisine you’re in the mood for, you can find a world of flavours only steps away from the theatre.

Post-show, head to one of Toronto’s numerous bars and nightlife spots for a nightcap.