Audience members were taken on a trip to the maritime province of Prince Edward Island for Playful Fox Productions’ (PFP) performance of “Anne of Green Gables – The Musical” at the Sanderson Centre for Performing Arts on Saturday, July 19, 2025.
Based on Lucy Maud (L.M.) Montgomery’s classic Canadian novel, Anne of Green Gables, Norman Campbell and Donald Harron’s musical follows the story of a spirited, red-haired orphan girl named Anne Shirley.
Having decided to adopt a young boy to help on their family farm, siblings Marilla (played by Meredith Wood) and Matthew Cuthbert’s (Aaron Gorlick) lives are changed for the better after a communication mix up landed them with the high-spirited young Anne (Colleen McGuckin).
Anne’s lively attitude comes as a bit of a shock to the town, but the girl slowly but soon settles in and not only wins over her caregivers and her classmates, but the residents of Avonlea too.
Throughout the run of the show, McGuckin’s portrayal of the young orphan girl showed off Anne’s flare for dramatics, her energetic attitude and imaginative mind. While settling into a new life certainly wasn’t easy for Anne, McGuckin’s delivery reflected her character’s transformation into a girl with a kind demeanor and a big heart.
With spot-on facial reactions, witty comedic timing, thoughtful pauses and the vocal talent to match, McGuckin and her castmates quickly charmed the audience, leaving them laughing, clapping and even tearing up as the story unfolded.
Gorlick quickly won over the audience as he brought his character’s easy attitude and big heart to life. From his fatherly advice about remaining humble to doting on Anne with freshly picked sunflowers, Gorlick’s portrayal of Matthew gave the audience a deeper understanding of how much his character wanted the best for Anne.
As far as Wood’s delivery of Marilla, she effortlessly captured her character’s personal growth throughout the show. She may have started out as strict and rule-driven, Marilla soon learned how to best communicate with the young Anne, and her growing love and patience for the chatty young girl quickly blossomed by the end.
Kayla Manning, who played Diana Barry, Anne’s best friend and “kindred spirit,” was a great addition to the show. Between the actor’s expressive facial reactions and her charm, Manning’s delivery of Barry showed what having a good friend by your side can do for someone.
Other supporting characters like Braedyn Edwards’ Gilbert Blythe and Chloe Wilson’s Josie Pye, each helped to move the story along in their own ways.
From trying to sabotage Anne in a three-legged race to accepting help during an ill-timed bout of stage fright, Wilson easily captured both her character’s initial jealousy and her shift of perspective on Anne.
As for Edward’s rendition of Blythe, the actor’s portrayal emphasized his character’s soft-spot for the red-haired orphan. Edward’s delivery of a confident young boy navigating his growing feelings for Anne, felt natural and effortless.
With colourful props, detailed wardrobe pieces, upbeat musical numbers, and the clever use of the set, stage and even the aisles, the entire performance of Anne of Green Gables delivered a tried and true retelling of the beloved Canadian classic.
Geralyn Côté, who traveled from Windsor to see her granddaughter Sophie Côté in her role as Prissy Andrews, said during intermission that she was enjoying the performance.
“I think it’s really good! I didn’t really know what to expect because I don’t typically think of Anne of Green Gables as a musical, but I’m impressed,” she said.
When asked what parts of the show stood out to her, Côté was happy to share her thoughts.
“It’s funny, the costumes are great, and I really like the different backdrops, I think that really helps to simplify the set and communicate where they are,” she said. “I also thought what they did with the umbrellas and the bench to make the little horse and buggy at the beginning was just so neat, I thought that was just so smart and really well done.”
Kimberly De Jong’s reporting is funded by the Canadian government through its Local Journalism Initiative.The funding allows her to report rural and agricultural stories from Blandford-Blenheim and Brant County. Reach her at kimberly.dejong@brantbeacon.ca.
