As expected, Patricia Hamilton is still doing theatre — something she’s been at for four and a half decades.
This time, she’s in Calgary, performing in Theatre Calgary’s production of Enchanted April, adapted into play-form by Matthew Barber, based on Elizabeth von Arnim’s novel about four post-World War I English women who embark on a trip to northern Italy to escape London’s dreary winter. Patricia plays Mrs. Graves, an old, crotchety Englishwoman who shares an Italian villa with Lotty (Tracey Ferencz) and her friends. The production has been running since February 12 and will continue until March 2.
However, that’s not all she’s been up to. Fans will get to see her again soon in Anne of Green Gables: A New Beginning, reprising her role of Rachel Lynde. (In an interview with the Calgary Herald, she notes — in good humour — that this time, she’s “in a wheelchair, looking like I’m 110″.) Plus, the prequel is a small family affair. Her son, Ben Carlson, portrays Anne’s biological father, Walter. This will air on CTV sometime this year. It is still unknown whether or not it will air in the US.
Calgary Herald
Theatre Calgary: Enchanted April
The Yorkton Short Film and Video Festival is giving a special thirtieth anniversary screening of the movie Who Has Seen the Wind.
Based on the book by the late W.O. Mitchell (RTA fans may remember him as Alexander Abraham in the first season episode “Quarantine at Alexander Abraham’s”), it tells the story of a young boy growing up on the Canadian prairie. In 1978, it won the Golden Reel Award at the Canadian Film Awards (the precursor to the Genies). To many, it is considered a Canadian classic. The film features several RTA/Anne alums–Patricia Hamilton; Cedric Smith; Gordon Pinsent (who guested in season five’s “Someone To Believe In”) and his wife, the late Charmion King; and Les Carlson (Mr. Lawson). It was directed by Allan King, who has also directed several of RTA’s episodes as well as the miniseries By Way of the Stars.
The screening is taking place now as I am writing this entry.
Yorkton Short Film & Video Festival
Playback Daily
IMDb entry
Patricia Hamilton will be back at the Shaw Festival this year for her eleventh season.
This time, she will tackle the role of Anna in A Month in the Country: After Turgenev, a 1992 play by Brian Friel adapted from Russian playwright Ivan Turgenev’s play which was originally written in the mid-to-late 1800s, in which a woman named Marlene finds herself in love with her husband and two other men (one of whom is her son’s tutor) simultaneously.
The play runs at the Court House Theatre from April 29 to October 6.
Shaw Festival
