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i 3 people dressed in Renaissance inspired fashions sitting on a velvet couch

Botticelli in the Fire

March 4 - 14, 2026 / The Big Secret Theatre, Werklund Centre

A LOVE STORY, A REBELLION, A MIRROR TO OUR TIMES

Big Secret Theatre, Werklund Centre | March 4–14, 2026 
March 4 preview performance & March 5 opening night performance

Written by Jordan Tannahill, Directed by Clare Preuss 
Produced by Downstage with the generous support of Hit & Myth Productions

From the mind of Jordan Tannahill, one of Canada’s most celebrated playwrights, comes a bold reimagining of Renaissance Florence. The past collides with the present in this extravagant and dangerous spectacle. In a world where artists drive sports cars, text their lovers, and play squash in between revolutions, one man’s passion for beauty could ignite a political firestorm. As society teeters on the edge, can art survive the flames? 

Please Note: The play contains scenes with nudity, sex and violence – recommended for 16+

“The stuff of a TV thriller”

Review – The Telegrap

CAST

MADRE MARIA – Kris Alvarez
LORENZO – Joel Cochrane
SAVONAROLA – Christopher Hunt
POGGIO – Zachary Parsons-Lozinski 
LEONARDO – Ethan Vasquez Taylor 
SANDRO – Eric Wigston
CLARICE – Sydney Williams

CREATIVE TEAM

PLAYWRIGHT – Jordan Tannahill
DIRECTOR – Clare Preuss
ASSISTANT DIRECTOR – Keith Boniol

ORIGINAL COMPOSITION – Maddie Bautista
SOUND DESIGN & MUSIC DIRECTION – Alixandra Cowman
SET DESIGN – Julia Kim
LIGHTING DESIGN – Adam Kostiuk
COSTUME DESIGN – Rebecca Toon

DOWNSTAGE PRODUCER – Bianca Miranda
STAGE MANAGER – Naomi Esau
ASSISTANT STAGE MANAGER – Staci Hanley
PRODUCTION MANAGER – Marcia Liber
PUBLICIST – Aldona B Creative