Late Company is a play by Jordan Tannahill that takes place one year after the death of a teenage boy, who was bullied for being gay, and eventually took his own life. Debora and Michael Shaun-Hastings (Lydia Kiselyk, Andrew Batten) sit down to dinner with their son’s bully (Dylan Mills-Capote) and his parents Andrea Lyons, Andrew Horbatuik). Closure is on the menu, but accusations are the main course, as everyone takes a turn in the hot seat for their real or imagined part in what happened. Tannahill wrote the play based on the unfortunate circumstances regarding the suicide of 15-year-old Ottawa student Jamie Hubley back in 2011,that ignited a national conversation about bullying and homophobia in schools. 

Toronto theatre-goers now get another chance to see this wonderful production, that premiered at the SummerWorks Performance Festival here in 2013,. It has since been produced on stages in Vancouver, Winnipeg, Los Angeles, Chicago, and London’s West End.

Jordan Tannahill has been described in the press as “the future of Canadian theatre” (NOW Magazine), “the hottest name in Canadian theatre” (Montreal Gazette), and “widely celebrated as one of Canada’s most accomplished young playwrights, filmmakers and all-round multidisciplinary artists” (Toronto Star.) All before he turned 30 (his age when Late Company is on stage at Village Players)

His plays have been translated into multiple languages and honoured with various prizes including the 2014 Governor Generals Award for Drama for Age of Minority: Three Solo Plays, the 2014 John Hirsch Prize for directing, and multiple Dora Awards. He wrote Late Company when he was 23. In 2017, it transferred to London’s West End to great acclaim.

From 2012 – 2016, in collaboration with William Ellis, Jordan ran the alternative art space Videofag out of their home in Toronto’s Kensington Market neighbourhood. His books include the novel Liminal, published by House of Anansi in 2018, and Theatre of the Unimpressed: In Search of Vital Drama, published by Coach House Press in 2015. As a filmmaker, Jordan’s work has been presented in festivals and galleries the world over including the Art Gallery of Ontario, TIFF, the Tribeca Film Festival, and the Venice Biennale.

Jordan Tannahill has been awarded the Governor General’s Award for English-language drama – for the second time – at the age of 30. This time it was for his plays Botticelli in the Fire& Sunday in Sodom.

Late Company runs at Bloor West Village Playhouse (2190 Bloor West, at Runnymede Station) for 14 shows from March 1 to 23, 2019.  Tickets 

Read the story this play was based on by purchasing a copy of Jordan’s book here. Learn more about past productions and read a short excerpt here. More background info on this and other Tannahill productions can be found here.

About the Author

Bryen Dunn is a freelance journalist with a focus on travel, lifestyle, entertainment and hospitality. He has an extensive portfolio of celebrity interviews with musicians, actors and other public personalities. He enjoys discovering delicious eats, tasting spirited treats, and being mesmerized by musical beats.