Norm Foster’s The Ladies Foursome gets First Production at Playhouse

It’s always an exciting event when The Playhouse features a comedy by audience favourite and Canada’s most-produced playwright, Norm Foster. But audiences are in for a special treat when they see The Ladies Foursome playing July 3-27 at the popular Morrisburg theatre. They’ll be the first to enjoy this much-awaited sequel to one of Foster’s most popular plays-The Foursome.

Hitting stages about 2 decades ago, the original Foursome featured a band of four middle-aged college chums re-uniting for a round of golf to catch up with each other. The wit, scheming, secrets and sparring that characterized this now famous golf game entertained audiences at every major theatre in the country. For years Foster has been encouraged to write a female version of this hit show. When he offered The Playhouse the chance to produce the premiere, they jumped at the opportunity.

The Ladies Foursome is a completely different story from the original – new characters, new situation and a whole new set of circumstances. All except one – it all happens during eighteen holes of golf.  Like the original Foursome, audiences don’t need to know anything at all about the game. They just need to be prepared be entertained as the ladies discuss life, love, men, children, careers—everything but golf. They’ll also enjoy the surprises, secrets and confessions that come to the fore as they challenge each other’s views on all of these topics.

In The Ladies Foursome, three friends play a round of golf in honour of a recently deceased friend. They’re joined by another friend of the deceased who they’ve never met who brings a new dynamic to the group. The friendly round of golf soon gets personal, revealing, touching and hilariously funny as Foster focuses his comic lens on the ladies and their relationships. There’s Margot, who owns a construction company; Connie, a successful TV news anchor; Tate, a housewife married to a surgeon and Dory, the unexpected guest, who runs a lodge up north.

The show boasts a star-studded cast of veteran actresses with extensive careers at major theatres across the country. Connie is played by Melanie Janzen, seen in Playhouse productions of There Goes The Bride and Here on the Flight Path. She has also spent several seasons with the Stratford and Shaw Festivals as well as toured North America with such musicals as Showboat.

Sharon Heldt, Margot, has played at the Blyth and Stratford Festivals, Tarragon and Drayton theatres, among others. The role of Dory is played by Jane Spence, whose credits include Mirvish Productions’ Calendar Girls and the Stratford Festival. Leah Oster, (Tate), has performed with the Charlottetown and Stratford Festivals, Regina’s Globe theatre among others. The Ladies Foursome is directed by Jesse Collins who was at the helm for past Playhouse Foster hits Bedtime Stories, The Affections of May and The Foursome. Elsewhere for the stage he has directed Pump Boys and Dinettes, Misery, The Melville Boys and The Foursome for Harbourside Playhouse. For television he has directed Zoboomafoo for PBS (for which he received an Emmy nomination) as well as episodes of Canadian Geographic, Katts & Dog/Rin Tin Tin for CTV/The Family Channel. After its Morrisburg run, The Playhouse’s production of The Ladies Foursome will tour to Theatre Orangeville in the fall. 

The Ladies Foursome runs until July 27. For tickets and more information, please call: 613-543-3713, Toll Free: 1-877-550-3650 or: www.uppercanadaplayhouse.com