Bard in the Barracks is set to stage two productions for its 20th anniversary 2026 season, including a romantic comedy, Love's Labour's Lost, and one of Shakespeare’s late tragicomic romances, The Winter's Tale.
In Bard in the Barracks’ production of Love’s Labour’s Lost, transported to an early 1980s rock and roll setting, the four men in once-revered Prog Rock band Navarre have decided to cloister themselves at a historic church, swearing off food, sleep, and (especially) women while they work on the brilliant new album that they hope will resurrect their careers. No sooner do the men make their vows than the four members of an all-girl New Wave band arrive to negotiate a contract on behalf of their record company. Co-directed by Len Falkenstein and Jake Martin, Love’s Labour’s Lost is a battle of the sexes that features plenty of wordplay, wit, and music in a production staged on the grounds of historic and beautiful Christ Church Cathedral in downtown Fredericton.
Meanwhile, Odell Park will be the setting for The Winter’s Tale, a moving story of jealousy, betrayal, and reconciliation. When Leontes, the king of Sicilia, impulsively accuses Queen Hermione of adultery with the Bohemian king, Polixenes, he shocks those closest to him, casting aside his loyal friends and family, and leaving a newborn’s life hanging in the balance. Sixteen years later, however, hope appears for the mending of old wounds in the blooming love between a Bohemian prince and a shepherdess whose destiny is greater than either could imagine. Directed by John Ball, The Winter's Tale features lively characters, songs and dances, Shakespeare's most notorious stage direction ("Exit pursued by a bear"), and one of his most magical and surprising endings, all unfolding on a stage under a large tree.
With two distinct productions in two beautiful outdoor venues, Bard in the Barracks 2026 promises a season of unforgettable theatre.
For full show, schedule, and ticket information, click here!