Bard on the Beach completes 2025 Season lineup with The Dark Lady

Bard on the Beach Completes 2025 Season Lineup with
The Dark Lady

A Bold New Play Illuminates the Life of
Shakespeare’s Mysterious Muse, Emilia Bassano

Bard on the Beach Shakespeare Festival completes its dynamic 2025 season programming with the addition of their thought-provoking and poetic production of The Dark Lady. Directed by Moya O’Connell, this powerful and imaginative new work offers a unique re-examination of Shakespeare through the lens of one of the most mysterious figures in literary history: the “Dark Lady” of his sonnets. The Dark Lady is a powerful new play written by Canadian actor and playwright Jessica B. Hill, running from July 3 to September 19 in the Douglas Campbell Theatre.

Set in Elizabethan England and infused with modern resonance, The Dark Lady explores the life and legacy of Emilia Bassano – a 17th-century poet widely speculated to have inspired Shakespeare’s most famous verses. A published poet and outspoken thinker, Bassano was one of the first Englishwomen to assert her literary voice in print, yet history has largely forgotten her. The Dark Lady invites audiences into a dramatic imagining of the relationship between William Shakespeare and Bassano. This intimate production draws audiences directly into the heart of a creative and romantic rivalry.

“This is theatre at its most essential – two brilliant performers, a sparse space, and a script that sings,” says Bard Artistic Director Christopher Gaze. “The Dark Lady invites us to consider how stories are shaped and who gets to shape them. We’re proud to present a production that challenges expectations and brings fresh insight into the world of Shakespeare.”

In this lyrical and passionate work, Hill reclaims Bassano’s voice, presenting her not just as a muse, but as an artist and collaborator in her own right. Audiences will be drawn into the fire and tension between these two creative forces as they clash, connect, and ultimately inspire one another’s work. With themes of identity, authorship, power, and erasure, The Dark Lady is both a timely feminist reimagining and a riveting love story between equals.

The cast includes Arghavan Jenati as Emilia and Nathan Kay as William Shakespeare with understudies Synthia Yusuf and Sebastian Kroon. With minimal props and a stage in ¾ round, Set Designer Ryan Cormack forms a world where the story unfolds around the actors and the audience. Costume Designer Alaia Hamer has created elegant costumes that span this 30-year relationship. Composer and Sound Designer Anju Singh has composed a rich and textured Sonic landscape that plays with the concept of sound, time, and memory. Additional members of The Dark Lady’s production team include Jeff Harrison (Lighting Designer) and Lisa Goebel(Choreographer & Intimacy Director) with Rebecca Mulvihill (Stage Manager) and Jenny Kim(Assistant Stage Manager).

The Dark Lady joins The Complete Works of William Shakespeare (abridged) [revised] [again] in the Douglas Campbell Theatre. Together, the shows offer two radically different but deeply engaging perspectives on Shakespeare and his world.

Ticket prices for all regular play performances start at $35 CAD and are available now. Early booking is recommended for best seat selection, as many performances sell out in advance. The full performance schedule and event details are on the Bard website at bardonthebeach.org. To book tickets, order online through the Bard website or call the Bard Box Office at 604-739-0559 or (toll free) 1-877-739-0559.

Arghavan Jenati as Emilia Bassano, The Dark Lady (2025). Directed by Moya O’Connell. Photo & Image Design by Emily Cooper.