Our afternoon started with a quick lunch at the cafe overlooking the water at the Tom Patterson Theatre (www.stratfordfestival.ca/Visit/OnsiteAmenities) in Stratford, Ontario. This is a new theatre replacing the older, much smaller venue. The food was delicious (the sandwich of the day) and we just had time to finish before curtain call. A half hour before the show wasn’t early enough and next time we’ll get there sooner. It is open two hours before the show and until the end of intermission. You can order meals when you order your tickets but we just placed an order when we arrived. Take way picnics are also available for ordering ahead of time.
Parking is available at the theatre for $15 ahead of time or $20 on the day. Luckily my sister lives within a couple of blocks of the theatre so we walked over.
On this particular day we were there to see All’s Well That Ends Well. Pardon the pun, but the only thing that didn’t sit well with me was that the play was set in WWI. There is a war in the play but one of the main characters is the King of France so historically it seemed out of step to me. However, the acting, as usual, was top notch and the set design and costumes could not be faulted. On these hot days of summer, it was a nice way to spend the afternoon being entertained in air-conditioned comfort.
After the play we went for a walk in the gardens in front of the Festival Theatre which is just along the river.