THE PLAGUE
after La Peste by Albert Camus
Adapted by Neil Bartlett
Canadian Premiere
SYNOPSIS
The Plague is Albert Camus's story of living through a time of crisis and fighting back against despair. First published in 1947, the novel was an immediate best-seller, striking a powerful chord with readers who were struggling to understand the fascist "plague" that had just overwhelmed Europe. Seventy years later, author and director Neil Bartlett has adapted Camus’s novel for the stage for our own dangerous times. Using just five actors, his frank and gripping new stage version uses Camus's original words to put chaos under the microscope and to find hope in the power of our common humanity.
A resonant and relevant tale of survival and resilience, morality and compassion in an age of uncertainty.
“Ingenious update of Camus’s chilling fable. A modern myth about the importance, in times of crisis, for what the historian Tony Judt called ‘a necessary optimism’
- Michael Billington, The Guardian
The Writers
Albert Camus
Author
Albert Camus was a French novelist, playwright and essayist. He was born in Algeria in 1913. He spent the early years of his life in North Africa. He was deeply affected by the plight of the French during the Nazi occupation of World War II. During World War II he was one of the leading writers of the French Resistance and editor of Combat, then an important underground newspaper. His fiction includes the novels The Stranger (L’Etranger, 1946), The Plague (La Peste, (1948), The Fall (La Chute, 1957), as well as the plays Caligula (1938), The Misunderstanding (Le Malentendu, 1944), and The Possessed (Les Possédés, 1959). His philosophical essays, The Myth of Sisyphus (Le Mythe de Sisyphe, 1942) and The Rebel (L’Homme Revolte, 1954), together with his other writings, have secured his preeminent position in modern French letters. In 1957, Camus was awarded the Nobel Prize for Literature. He died suddenly on January 4, 1960 in an automobile accident in France. His legacy is his work that frequently showed his passion for justice and humanism and writing that questioned the nature of existence, action, and engagement.
Neil Bartlett
Playwright and Adapter
Neil Bartlett is an award-winning British theatre director and author. He has been making rule-breaking theatre and performance since 1983. His first book was a groundbreaking study of Oscar Wilde, Who Was That Man (1988), which is now recognised as a breakthrough work in the development of contemporary gay studies. He served as Artistic Director of the Lyric Hammersmith in London from 1994 to 2005. His stage adaptations include Oscar Wilde’s The Picture of Dorian Gray, Charles Dickens’s A Christmas Carol and Great Expectations, Molière’s Don Juan, Alexandre Dumas’s Camille, and Virginia Woolf’s Orlando. He has worked as a director at The National, the Abbey in Dublin, the Bristol Old Vic, the Manchester Royal Exchange, and the Edinburgh International. Bartlett has also published four novels, his latest is Address Book. His adaptation of Albert Camus’s The Plague was first staged at The Arcola Theatre in 2017.
The Ensemble
Hume Baugh as Cottard
Hume Baugh is an actor, director, writer, and teacher. He has experience in theatres large and small, including the Stratford Festival, Shaw Festival, Canadian Stage, Tarragon, Factory, Passe Muraille, Young People's Theatre, Theatre Rusticle, Threshold Theatre, Platform 9, One Little Goat, Shakespeare in the Rough, Shakespeare in the Ruff, Festival of Classics, Ecce Homo, Driftwood Theatre, and Optic Heart Theatre. He is the author of The Girl in the Picture Tries to Hang Up the Phone, and Crush, which was nominated for Best New Play in the Independent Theatre Division at the Dora Awards in 2012. Film: Painkiller, The Apprentice. Upcoming: Lesson 11 with Theatre Rusticle.
Gary Brennan as Grand
Gary's performed on stages throughout Ontario including Canadian Stage, and The Stratford Festival where he garnered a Guthrie Award. Selected TV/film credits include: Aaron Sorkin’s Molly’s Game, Bruce Beresford’s Flint, Designated Survivor, Murdoch Mysteries, The Expanse, The Boys… Gary co-created, co-wrote and co-produced the six-episode, fantasy-drama, digital series, Drive (streaming on UVO-TV and AB Films TV) with his producing partner and friend, Juan Carlos Velis. Gary was weaned on the bonnie shores of Cape Breton, Nova Scotia, and lives in Toronto with his wife, Sharon McFarlane (actress), who co-produced their two children, Jamie and Bethany.
Natalia Bushnik as Tarrou
Natalia Bushnik (she/her) is a multidisciplinary performer and playwright. She is co-founder of spindle collective, an award-winning, womxn-led folk-horror theatre company that is host of Dead of Winter: The Toronto Horror-Theatre Festival. She has been nominated for Dora Mavor Moore Awards for both her playwriting and performance. Select theatre: MARY in síofra, MIHA in SAMCA (spindle collective), ACTOR ONE in Night at the Grand Guignol (Eldritch Theatre), JAN in I’ll Be Back Before Midnight (Bruce County Playhouse). Select TV/film: Reacher (Prime), peopleWatching (OutTV), Revenge of the Black Best Friend (CBC), Börje: Journey of a Legend (Crave). Her biggest fear is strong winds and considers Twister (1996) the most horrifying film of our time. Socials: @spindlecollective @natbushnik
Sean Jacklin as Rambert
Sean is one of those theatre practitioners who typically includes a number of hyphens in his artist description to indicate all things he can do. That is to say, he is quite like everyone else. Sean is the co-artistic director of The Lakeside Players with whom he has enjoyed travelling the country and performing-producing-directing-production managing (there are some of those hyphens). Recent acting credits: Dr Sweet in Bug (Elkabong with King Black Box), Dr Aster in Life Sucks (Outliers), and Marc in Art (Elkabong). This performance is for my dad, who was the first anti-fascist in my life.
Asha Vijayasingham as Dr Rieux
Asha is a Toronto-based actor, voice performer and improviser. She is thrilled to be working with Outliers Theatre Collective. Special thanks to her parents, Lewis Baumander, Diana Drew, Ralph MacLeod, and the team at AMI, particularly Shari Quallenberg and Noelle Jenkinson. Select Theatre credits: Macbeth, Julius Caesar, Rice Boy (Stratford Festival); Foxfinder, Other People’s Children (Imago); Letters to my Grandma (Watermark); North American Premiere of Bend It Like Beckham: The Musical (Starvox); Funny Boy – live to air (CBC Radio/Soulpepper). Recent TV/Film credits: SkyMed, Murdoch Mysteries, Star Trek: Strange New Worlds and Potluck Ladies. Asha is also a coach at the LB Acting Studio and leads Improv Socials at SoCap Comedy.
Creative Team
Tom McHale
Co-Director, Co-Producer
Tom is the Co-Founder, Co-Artistic Director, and Co-Producer of Outliers Theatre Collective. He is thrilled to co-direct and co-produce The Plague with Alessandro Simari. Tom directed last year’s Outliers Theatre Collective production of Life Sucks. Directing credits: Two seasons and eight plays at The Newmarket National 10 Minute Play Festival; favourite highlights at the NNPF include Break In, On Beauty and Iphigenia. Elsewhere: Charlie Blake’s Boat (Social Capital Theatre Short Short Play Festival/Eastern Front STAGES Festival), U.S. Drag (Zaw Theatre/Toronto Fringe), The Good German (Shadowpath Theatre), Look Back In Anger (Shiftless When Idle Theatre), Co-Director of As You Puppet (Hank’s Toy Box Theatre/Toronto Fringe [Best of Fringe and Now Toronto Critic’s Pick]/Young People’s Theatre/Springworks Festival in Stratford). Assistant Director Credits: Blue/Orange (Canadian Stage), Fool for Love and The Zoo Story (Soulpepper). Tom is a Graduate of The University of Windsor with an Honours B.A. in Drama.
Alessandro Simari
Co-Director, Co-Producer
Dr Alessandro Simari the Co-Founder, Co-Artistic Director, and Co-Producer of Outliers Theatre Collective. He was the assistant director of last year’s Outliers Theatre Collective production of Life Sucks. He is honoured to direct The Plague with Tom for Outliers Theatre Collective. Alessandro is an award-winning researcher and university lecturer who has taught Theatre Studies and English Literature in the United Kingdom and Canada. His research on Shakespeare performance histories and the political economy of theatre has been published in leading academic journals and has been presented at international conferences. He is a member of the Performance & Political Economy Research Collective (pperesearch.com). Alessandro has extensive experience writing and directing devised performances for children’s community theatre and amateur theatre. He is currently writing his first full-length play. Assistant Director credits: Midnight Coachman (short film, 2024). È questo il fiore del partigiano / Morto per la libertà.
Jenna Hsu
Stage Manager
Jenna Hsu (she/her) is a stage manager and performer born and raised in Regina, Saskatchewan, now residing in Toronto. She's excited to be debuting at Outliers Theatre Collective with The Plague. Favourite past stage managing credits include: You're A Good Man, Charlie Brown (T.Y.T Theatre), Oleanna (Icarus Theatre), Mosque Heist (Globe Theatre), and Extraordinary (Smile Theatre). She's thrilled to welcome you to the world of The Plague - enjoy! Love to Mom, Dad, Teresa, and Joyce. Online: @itsjennahsu
Elijah Bell
Lighting Designer
Elijah Bell (he/him) is a designer, writer, and producer originally from Regina, Saskatchewan. He is brought back to theatre again and again in pursuit of those happenings and moments where the entire audience lifts out of their chairs a little. When not in basements and storefront theatres Elijah enjoys spending time with his partner Katie and their two cats, or listening to the dulcet tones of Winnipeg singer songwriter John
K. Samson. "We know this world is good enough because it has to be." He hopes you enjoy the show
Additional Credits
Poster Design
Alessandro Simari
Visual Design Support
Sarah Sandoval (@seasloom/sloom.home.blog)
Company Photographer
Madison Pang (@madisonp.art)
Outliers Theatre Collective Logo Design
Hanna Leary (hannaleary.com)
This is a Canadian Actors Equity Association production under the Artists’ Collective Policy.
THE PLAGUE was originally commissioned and produced by the Arcola Theatre, London and was first performed on April 5, 2017. Presented by special arrangement with special arrangement with The Agency (London) Ltd. - email : info@theagency.co.uk and Gallimard. THE PLAGUE based on La peste by Albert Camus © Gallimard
Content Notice
Please take care while attending. Sustained depictions of epidemic illness, death, quarrantine, and collective grief, including discussion of suicide, mass fatalities, medical triage, social breakdown, and the deaths of animals. Staging incorporates the sound of gunshots. The play explores themes of authoritarianism, isolation, separation, fear, xenophobia, and state violence.
ABOUT OUTLIERS
Outliers Theatre Collective is an independent Toronto Theatre Collective with a mandate to present new, neglected, undiscovered and forgotten theatre works that have “flown under the radar” of the theatre community – stuff that lies outside the norm and doesn’t easily fit categorization.
Praise for inaugural production Life Sucks. (2025)
“With this layered and darkly funny debut, Outliers Theatre Collective positions itself as a company to watch that is committed to intelligent, emotionally honest theatre.”
- Arpital Ghosal, Sesaya Arts Magazine
“Outliers Theatre Collective is ably demonstrating that it’s here to play.”
- Ryan Borochovitz, NEXT Magazine
“This is the inaugural production for Outliers Theatre Collective, and they’re certainly making their mark in the Toronto theatre scene.”
- A View from the Box
BECOME AN OUTLIER
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