HENRY G20
Henry G20 is a bold retelling of the conflict between police and protesters during the G20 Summit in Toronto in June 2010.
Photo by Jonas Naimark
Writers Christine Brubaker and Constantine Anastasakis have freely adapted Shakespeare’s Henry V, replacing the battle between the French and English with the battle between Toronto’s citizenry and police. Chaos and clashes at the G20 Summit in Toronto drove challenges to civil liberties and the democratic process and led to the largest mass arrest in Canadian history.
At the heart of the play is Henry, a young female grassroots organizer. As she leads crowds of protesters – the activists, the idealists, the unionists, the partiers, the families and civilians – into the fray of a downtown Toronto march, she and her compatriots encounter an unexpected battleground, never seen before on the streets of Toronto.
The Idea
Director and Playwright Christine Brubaker conceived of this adaptation of Shakespeare’s Henry V in 2014 at the Stratford Festival during her time in The Langham Directors' Workshop. Brubaker was inspired to use the framing of Shakespeare’s epic battle to challenge the prevailing narrative around the G20 protests: of burning police cars and anarchic thugs.
She saw an opportunity to create a thrilling play that would move audiences and remind them of the other side of the story, marked by hundreds of complaints of police violence, grievous violations of fundamental Charter rights, and the arrest and detention of over 1100 people.
Timeline
2014
The Idea
Christine Brubaker originates the idea for Henry G20 at the Stratford Festival in The Langham Directors' Workshop.
2018
The First Public Reading
Henry G20 has its first public reading at The Bentway and post-show Panel Discussion and Talk Back with activist and scholar, Dr. Lesley Wood; Rob De Luca, lawyer with the Canadian Civil Liberties Association; Sharmeen Khan, journalist and activist; and Alok Mukherjee, author of Excessive Force: Toronto's Fight to Reform City Policing. Moderated by activist and artist Nikki Shaffeeullah.
2020
Sneak Peak Podcast
Luminato Festival Toronto presents a work-in-progress excerpt from Henry G20.
Safe In Public Space Discussion
As part of The Bentway's Safe in Public Space initiative, Christine Brubaker discusses issues of the accountability of the police and its governing institutions with former TPSB Chair and co-author of Excessive Force: Toronto's Fight to Reform City Policing, Alok Mukherjee.
2021
The Henry G20 App
October 14 - November 11, 2021
Henry G20 premiered as a mobile app with augmented reality hubs throughout downtown Toronto in the 2021 Luminato Festival Toronto. Thank you to our 2021 Site Partners: The Bentway Conservancy, CSI Spadina, and Buddies in Bad Times Theatre.
2022
The Linden School
Henry G20 was taught as part of the “ADA Protest and Performance Unit” to high school students in grades 9-12.
“Henry G20 has stayed with me as a play and also as a commentary on the times we are living through and a representation of how often history can repeat itself.” - Julia, Student, The Linden School
The Mid-America Theatre Conference
MATC: Practice/Production Symposium
"Henry G20: Revolutionizing Theatre with an App"
World Stage Design
August 6 - 16
Henry G20 is part of the World Stage Design Scenofest
August 10 and 14
Henry G20 Talkback: “Audio Drama and Augmented Reality - Blending New and Old Theatrical Forms”