For Stratford Theatre Accommodation Reservations: Click on1-Click-Email Booking Link

The Shakespeare Inn is a Bavarian Style International-Hosted Inn Purpose-Built to serve Theatre guests for the Stratford Shakespeare Festival Theatre-with dozens of Posters of Theatre’s past odorning the Lobby’s & Hallways for reminiscing of plays you have experienced as a school-child and/or an adult in the years & decades past. We feature Executive Suites, Extended Stays and Newly Upgraded Modern guest rooms. We offer a "Royal Shakespearean Welcome” from the Mermaid in the Courtyard to the Boutique Shakespeare Inn atmosphere right in the Heart of Ontario's Great Shakespeare Festival Theatre Country. Shakespeare is just 5 minutes from Stratford-and right on HWY 7&8-Huron Rd-and The Shakespeare Inn is right on your way to-and just minutes from the Stratford Shakespeare Festival Theatre. Come enjoy the Gracious International Hospitality of our Boutique Inn.

The Shakespeare INN**** is the centrally located accommodation, for Southwest Ontario Festivals, and is located in the Hamlet of Shakespeare- and right on HWY 7&8- Huron Rd-and within a

short drive of everything happening in the Southwest of Ontario. Stay in our clean and bright rooms and suites,

shop and play in Shakespeare, and enjoy all that Southwest Ontario has to offer.

Stratford Shakespeare Theatre

The Stratford Festival Theatre in our backyard-a short 5 minutes away, or to Drayton’s 6 Festival Theatre’s each is just a short drive away.

New Hamburg Moparfest is just minutes away, & Wellesley Apple Butter & Cheese Festival Sept - 10 minutes. We are just 15 minutes to Woodstock Outdoor Farm Shows and business centers. Whether is's Maple Sugar Festivals, World Class Horseshoe Tournaments, or World Crokinole and Country Dance Competitions, and whether you are looking for unique and Upscale Hotels, or Quiet Boutique Country Inns, we are your premier accommodation choice.

Just 20 minutes to St Jacobs Farmers Markets - or Kitchener-Waterloo Oktoberfest - or Bright-Walter's Family Theatre Music Venue - or St Mary's baseball and a short 45 minutes to Blyth Festival Theatre.

Depending on the season, you may be greeted with flowers, showers or great snowmobiling-with trails right at the Inn. In every season, you will find our lobby a welcome respite from the storms and a friendly haven from the frazzle and dazzle of modern life. From sunup to 11 pm you will be greeted with a smile fron friendly hosts. The shine of our lobby reflects the experience you will find in our rooms and suites. Your stay in the Shakespeare INN will be your first and most lasting impression as you take in all our region has to offer.

Please feel free to bring you pets & other furry friends along-we have a facility in the Greater Stratford Area community, Tails Wag Inn, to happily accommodate them on your stay.

MUST READ: Abbeys team up for dreamy production of Shakespeare's A Midsummer Night's Dream

For Graham Abbey, directing ‘Dream’ at the Stratford Festival comes with added meaning this year: it’s his first time directing Shakespeare at Stratford, and his daughter Vivienne is in the cast

Matt Harris

1 / 2 Vivienne and Graham Abbey are teaming up for the 2026 Stratford Festival production of A Midsummer Night's Dream at the Tom Patterson Theatre.Matt Harris/StratfordToday

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As with most things, this collaboration began with a conversation.

A would-be actress hoping she can convince the director for a chance, a part in a William Shakespeare play on the line. Vivienne Abbey had spent her life watching dad Graham go to work for the world-renowned Stratford Festival, and she had wondered what it would be like to have that chance.

She got her chance, but it wasn’t Graham that made the call to cast Vivienne in this year’s production of A Midsummer Night’s Dream: the decision came from casting director Ari Weinberg to put Vivienne in the role of Rose Petal. It was an opportunity that neither father nor daughter were sure would ever come.

“We’ve been talking about (me acting) for a long time and I’ve seen my dad doing productions for years,” Vivienne said. “I just kept on asking him, ‘can I please be in this one?’, and he always told me that it would come eventually. And this year, it did.”

Graham and his wife, Michelle Giroux, were wary of bringing their daughter into the acting life but they made sure she was grounded before signing off – and being the director for this production gave him some measure of helping make the experience for Vivienne a bit more normal.

“I was determined to make the changeling child, who’s normally a boy, a girl simply because I think there tends to be lots of opportunities for young men in Shakespeare but not a lot for young women,” he said. “Viv had done the audition and it was Ari that saw her. I had some chats with him about casting and he mentioned her, so Michelle and I chatted about it. It’s a big commitment for her, having to be at every show and rehearsals. But she loves it and it’s opened up a new world for her.”

Landing her first role was one thing, but earning a spot in one of Shakespeare’s best-known works is something that could be intimidating to a young actress. Having gone through growing pains as a young actor himself, Graham said he was Viv’s age when he did his first season at Stratford. Being just 11 years old, Vivienne said this is a life-changing opportunity she’s wrapping her arms around.

“I think this is something I could pursue as I get older, and I can learn from this – it can be a new skill that can grow with me,” she said. “I get to learn from all these experienced actors, so I’m a little bit weary with all the new information coming into my head right now but I can turn that into new skills as I get older. And having both mom and dad at home to answer my questions is great because they understand Shakespeare and can help me understand it better.”

Graham admits that he felt a little nervous when it became real that he’d be directing his daughter, but not because she couldn’t handle it in his eyes. Having gone down that road himself, he knew what kind of sacrifices would be waiting for his daughter in making the choice to chase this particular dream.

“I was a kid and did theatre, but then I went away from it for a very long time – I went and studied politics and didn’t have anything to do with theatre,” he said. “I never studied it in school and I came back to Shakespeare because it was what I had been immersed in as a kid so there was no fear on my part. Viv’s very artistic in many ways, so there’s no doubt I thought she’d enjoy and succeed at this. But she’s at that age where it’s a big commitment and you give up a lot to do it; you don’t go to camp, you don’t play sports because this is what you have to do. But she’s leaned in and she really, really loves it.”

The skills that Vivienne talked about were ones Graham echoed, saying that being part of the company imparts the importance of managing your time, attention to detail and being open to learning from those around you. In some ways, it’s giving her a chance to be on a team … just minus the jersey on her back.

“I think theatre is a team sport and I played team sports my whole life, so there’s real power in that for life learning,” he said. “There are obviously bigger parts in the play, but her part is key as part of the whole team. Among those skills is getting the confidence of going in front of people – I was much more nervous than Viv has been. She did the first preview and I thought, ‘gosh, do I tell her there’s going to be 700 people out there watching?’. But she was pretty cool with it.”

Graham admitted that seeing Vivienne on stage gave him a case of the ‘Irish feels’ that came with a few tears, and that experience came with a different set of emotions for her.

“That first preview was a really cool show and all the actors were great, and it felt good to be able to do all the things my dad helped me with,” she said.

Coming to A Midsummer Night’s Dream with Vivienne included in the cast gave Graham a chance at reflection on what the play means in terms of families as well as parents and children. That it was his first time directing a Shakespearean play at Stratford over the course of his 29-year run in his home town was something else that contributed to making it just a wee bit more special.

“There was a lot of emotion tied up in this production for me, and then the echo of seeing my daughter at the same age I was when I started here … that’s a lot, but I’m really proud of her,” Graham said. “I joke that actors have notes and questions, and she would have a lot of questions but they were good ones. She’d ask about the meaning of lines and why she’s moving here and there. I would roll my eyes because I’d be like, ‘oh, my daughter has another question,’ but she’s shown a real curiosity about it all.”

With the upcoming season giving Vivienne an introduction to an actor’s life, the question of teaming up with dad again for another season came up. The confidence is there when Viv answers the question.

“Maybe way down the road we could pick another show and do it together – that would be a lot of fun,” she said.

Dad agrees.

“It’s been extraordinary for me with a lot of things all rolled into one,” he said. “But the opportunity to do this play with my daughter is pretty special, so I often think that if this is my retiring move, I’ve done something pretty special that I’ll remember for a long time. And maybe one day Viv will get the chance to direct me.”

Oscar Wilde’s ‘The Importance of Being Earnest’ takes the stage at Avon Theatre-Opens June 18

The Importance of Being Earnest is witty, elegant and consistently hilarious

Strong performances and an evident affection for Oscar Wilde fuel a production that never loses sight of the play's satirical edge

The Importance of Being Earnest continues in repertory at the Avon Theatre until Oct. 23.

The curtain opens StratFest 2026 season with The Hobbit

The Tempest set to begin its run at the Stratford Festival’s Festival Theatre

A theatrical event of rare scale and emotional resonance has arrived. The Tempest, directed by artistic director Antoni Cimolino in his final Shakespeare production before concluding his tenure at the end of the 2026 season- The Tempest officially opens on May 25 and runs until October 24 at the Festival Theatre.

Stratford Festival opens its 2026 season May 26 with 'Guys and Dolls'

Oscar Wilde’s ‘The Importance of Being Earnest’ takes the stage at Avon Theatre-Opens June 18

Jealousy, ambition and manipulation collide in Othello Othello officially opens on June 19, 2026 and runs until September 27, 2026 at the Tom Patterson Theatre.

Waiting for Godot takes to the Festival Stage this month

The production runs from May 30 to July 31

Stratford Festival brings back 'Something Rotten!' after strong audience demand
Something Rotten! officially opens May 29 and runs until Oct. 31 at the Festival Theatre

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Canada’s Stratford Festival welcomes visitors from all over the world every year to enjoy world-class theatre and musical experiences. Combining traditional Shakespeare, contemporary dramas, classic stories, a new telling of a beloved children’s tale, and two iconic musicals that will have you dancing in your seat, this is truly a season for everyone.

Performances span April through December and we invite you to check their site for ticket details. While you eagerly await your next visit, make sure you check out their subscription platform, STRATFEST@HOME. This high-definition streaming platform features films of Stratford Festival’s own productions, featuring Shakespeare plays along with other entertaining content. There are a lot of new and exciting things to come, including the new Tom Patterson Theatre—a stunning venue that supports more performances than ever before. Say hello as you surround this engaging and intimate, yet epic, new stage.

But that’s not all the Festival offers. Complementing the shows is The Meighen Forum, which offers workshops, speakers, panels, special performances and much more! You’re invited behind the scenes to take a tour, check out their huge stash of costumes and props, or the storied Festival Theatre itself!

There is so much to immerse yourself in, so make sure to check the Stratford Festival website stratfordfestival.ca or download the StratFest OnSite App to your phone or tablet to see when you can visit. See you soon!

Stratford’s enduring magic

This theatre town is a bit like New York City that way — minus about eight million people, but the glow is just as bright.