Shakespeare in the Ruff is dedicated to decolonizing the Shakespearean canon by challenging who tells these stories, and who they are told for. We create radical, accessible adaptations of Shakespeare’s plays in Toronto’s vibrant east end.

Join us for our 15th anniversary mainstage production:

PASTORAL

A sequel to As You Like It

By Ho Ka Kei (Jeff Ho)

Directed by Warona Setshwaelo

Reserve your spot here.

In Withrow Park, beneath the willow trees

Previews: August 15 and 16

Opening: August 18

Run: August 18 – 30, Tuesday through Sunday

All shows at 7:30pm

Run time: 85 min

NEWS

Announcements

VENUE ACCESS GUIDE – MARATHON MACBETH

Read Article

Announcements

Ruff Reads June: The Displaced

Read Article

Announcements

Ruff Reads May: Interior Chinatown

Read Article

Join us for Shakespeare in the Ruff’s 15th anniversary season of love! Click here to find out more.

SUPPORT

“Expertly adapted by Nathaniel Hanula-James and Christine Horne, and deftly directed by Patricia Allison, Tiff’ny of Athens is a testament to Shakespeare in the Ruff’s legacy and body of work.”
Janine Marley

“With Richard Three, Shakespeare in the Ruff affirms their tradition of re-imagining Shakespeare in powerful ways.”
Robyn Grant-MoranIntermission, 2023

““It’s Shakespeare in the Ruff, our city’s most constantly engaging outdoor theatre company.””
Richard OuzounianToronto Star, August, 2015

“"As the well-paced tension builds to a bloody climax, director Eva Barrie makes sure audiences get lots of what they’ve come to expect from the reliably excellent Ruffians: strong, engaging performances that make complex language and stories easy to follow..."”
Jordan BimmNNNN, NOW Magazine, August, 2018

“"'The Winter’s Tale' bolsters Shakespeare in the Ruff’s reputation for taking the world’s most famous plays and making them surprising again"”
Carly MagaThe Toronto Star, 2019

““Shakespeare in the Ruff can be relied on for a stimulating, unusual take on the Bard, and the company’s fifth production, Romeo & Juliet, continues the tradition.””
Jon KaplanNOW Magazine, August, 2016

“"No recent Shakespeare adaptation we've seen has been quite so bold as the fiercely feminist [Portia's Julius Caesar] from Shakespeare in the Ruff"”
Carly Maga & Karen FrickerToronto Star

“I’m all for interrogations of the “Shakespeare in the park” model of outdoor theatre, and Ayache’s innovation on the Bard’s original play makes a compelling case for audiences to reintroduce themselves to the intricacies of Shakespeare’s writing without languishing in its familiarity.”
Aisling MurphyIntermission Magazine, 2024

Donate Today!

Keep Withrow Park Magical. By supporting Shakespeare in the Ruff, you support our mentorship programs, our artists and family events beneath the stars. Discover all the benefits of joining our ranks.

Donate Here

Listen to Ruff Radio

Did you know that we have a podcast? You can find us on your headphones anywhere you listen

Listen Here

Join our Mailing List

Stay in the loop with all Ruff-related rumours and rumblings. Everything you need to know delivered to your inbox!

Shakespeare in the Ruff is on the traditional lands of the Mississaugas of the Credit First Nation, the Haudenosaunee, the Anishnaabe and the Wendat. We acknowledge them and any other Nations (acknowledged and unacknowledged, recorded and unrecorded) as the past, present and future caretakers of this land, traditional territory named Tkaronto, “Where The Trees Meet The Water”, “The Gathering Place”.