Playwright adds visual to Alistair MacLeod’s classic short story for Theatre New Brunswick’s holiday show comeback
Theatre New Brunswick is back with its first holiday show in three years, and playwright Ryan Griffith is the genius behind the play To Everything There Is a Season.
Originally from Lower Woodstock, Griffith is currently the artistic director of Next Folding Theatre Company in Fredericton. In 2007, he graduated from the National Theatre School of Canada; since then, he has made a name for himself. He won the Jenny Munday Atlantic Canadian Play Award for his play WHARF and has been published by Playwrights Canada Press. Griffith has also served as a board member for Playwrights Atlantic Resource Centre and Playwrights Guild of Canada.
The last Theatre New Brunswick holiday show was All I Want for Christmas in 2023 by Rebecca Northam. Griffith says he is excited to be a part of the production.
“Everything’s come together so nicely.I’m really excited for the actors.There’s a lot of humour in the play and a ton of fun moments.I sat in for a table read of the script the other day and it was just magical to listen to everyone bring it to life and off of the page,” said Griffith.
The show is adapted from Alistair MacLeod’s short story To Everything There Is a Season. Theatre New Brunswick’s Artistic Director, Natasha MacLellan, asked Griffith if he’d be interested in adapting it into a Christmas show for their 2026-2027 season.
“I’ve adapted a number of stories for the stage at this point, and I adapted another one of MacLeod’s stories, The Boat, for Theatre New Brunswick back in 2017.I’m a real fan of MacLeod’s work, and I love the way his stories twist the knife.So, working on this show was an easy yes,” said Griffith.
The play, set in Cape Breton, follows four siblings who reminisce about a Christmas that changed their lives forever. The show blends traditional and original Celtic music. Stuart Leger wrote and composed original music for him and Mairi Rankin to perform.
The scriptwriting began in the new year, and by March, Griffith began sharing his first draft with friends and colleagues for feedback and spent the next few months rewriting. The theatre began rehearsals the last week of October.
Griffith says the whole process has been very exciting. Three words he’d use to describe To Everything There Is a Season are “Snow and Sea.”
“There’s a moment that involves a very well-known, classical Christmas hymn that I am really excited about.I’m excited to see how the production team chooses to stage that scene and I can’t wait to see the audience’s reactions,” said Griffith.
Griffith believes the audience will love the original music and humour that’s throughout the play.
“The play also takes place on a farm in Cape Breton, and I think people from the Carleton County will be able to relate.It’s very much a Maritime play,” said Griffith
On Nov. 28, at 7:30 p.m., Carleton North High School’s Weldon Matthews Theatre in Florenceville-Bristol will host the show, along with many other shows around the province.
