Regina’s revamped Globe Theatre is just one reason to visit the Prairie city | Canada Voices

One of the bonuses of being a theatre writer is getting to explore Canada under the guise of doing my job. I’ve gone skiing in Whitehorse while covering Nakai Theatre’s Pivot Festival and whale-watching in St. John’s while reviewing Come From Away. I’ve gotten tattoos in Montreal between shows at Festival TransAmériques, and I’ve road-tripped to every tiny town in Ontario with a theatre festival (at least, it feels that way).

I’ll admit, however, that since moving to this country from Baltimore nine years ago, the Prairies have been a blind spot for me.

But that may change moving forward: Regina is home to Canada’s only purpose-built theatre-in-the-round. And after a $48-million renovation, the Globe Theatre is ready to show off its new space.

Everything at the Globe, originally founded in 1966, crackles with possibility. When you walk inside, you’re struck first by the smells. Fresh paint. The metal tinge of new lighting equipment. A faint whisper of fake smoke.

But, of course, the centrepiece is the 406-seat auditorium, with seats on all four sides of the playing space. Changes to the theatre include larger seats (which have been rejigged to allow for better sightlines) and cupholders for audience members who hope to enjoy a glass of wine or local whisky as they watch a play or musical.

“There are zero limitations to this space,” artistic director Jennifer Brewin said during the recent opening gala. “One of the things that drew me here was that an in-the-round configuration asks us to tell stories differently. There’s this challenge that asks us to reinvent stories, reinvent plays and how they’re told. … We’re always looking at how we can use this space to show a story off, and asking how this story can live in the round.

“It’s not everyone’s cup of tea,” she acknowledges. “But working in this way liberates the creative mind.”

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Behind the scenes, the company has added a trap door that allows scenery (and actors) to appear onstage as if by magic. There’s also a catwalk for stowing lights and elaborate props, a costume shop with plenty of storage space for scraps and archival pieces, and a prop warehouse that feels like a museum exhibit – a gallery of theatrical objects past.

The renovation has reached “substantial completion,” said executive director Oz Weaver, meaning a few small projects remain but the Globe can operate with minimal disruption for the 2025-26 season – a relief, given recent programming has taken place at either rented venues or inside the unfinished theatre.

“We’re asking, ‘How do we create a scene here?’” Brewin said. “That’s the responsibility we have as an anchor institution. We’re a city of 217,000 people and about a quarter of the population comes to see the shows. There’s an appetite for engagement and connection and the arts in this city. It’s really frickin’ cool.”

The Globe’s 2025/26 season opened Oct. 1 with The Master Plan, Michael Healey’s dramedy about municipal politics and the risks that accompany private-public collaborations. The piece won both a Dora Award and a Toronto Theatre Critics Award for best new play in 2024.

Based on Globe and Mail reporter Josh O’Kane’s book Sideways: The City Google Couldn’t Buy, the play drips with references to Toronto-specific bylaws, scandals and inside jokes. But according to Brewin, the play couldn’t be more timely for her audience, who know a thing or two about never-ending construction and city hall antics.

Right now, the city is a bit of a construction zone, owing to a number of street-level infrastructure projects – including, alas, some directly surrounding the Globe Theatre, which is located right downtown at the corner of Scarth Street and 11th Avenue.

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Once you get over having to traverse one-ways streets and blocked-off roads, however, Regina’s core is surprisingly walkable.

It’s as flat as you’d think. On a clear day you can see wildly far in either direction. That said, in a lot of ways, the city feels like Toronto or Ottawa in miniature: Like those bigger cities, Regina is broken down into a number of eclectic neighbourhoods, each with its own distinct architecture, dining and shopping.

Cathedral Village, named for the imposing Holy Rosary Cathedral on 13th Avenue, is home to a number of well-curated boutiques. As a short person who struggles to find stylish clothes that fit well, even in larger metropolises, I was delighted to find two dresses I loved at Seed Sustainable Style and Norwood Clothing Co. I was also tickled by Blak Apparel, a boutique that only sells black clothing in a number of styles, sizes and price points.

The Warehouse District, meanwhile, boasts former industrial buildings filled with vendors selling everything from sourdough doughnuts to kitschy antiques.

The Ontario echoes persist: Wascana Lake offers an easy walking loop that feels like strolling along Ottawa’s Rideau Canal or Toronto’s Woodbine Beach. Rebellion Brewing sells hearty sour beers almost as good as Bellwoods Brewery’s Jelly King (in Toronto) or Dominion City’s Picnic Blanket saison (in Ottawa). But Rebellion’s salty Go Go Gose may actually be even better.

Closer to the theatre, I stopped shopping and started eating – juicy beef Wellington at Avenue, flavourful lentil bolognese at Rosemary & Rye. (I could also talk about Rosemary & Rye‘s Earl Grey cheesecake for hours.)

But what became clear at each restaurant I visited was how close-knit Regina really is; small-town gossip flowed plentifully between tumblers of beer and glasses of strong iced coffee.

It’s notable that most of the people I met had either never left the province or had returned home after a short stint elsewhere. It’s a cozy place where everyone seems to know everyone.

I don’t know what I expected from Regina – something more rural, perhaps, and more conservative. But I was pleasantly surprised by how elevated the city’s shopping, dining and drinking turned out to be – and I hope to be back soon to review a show at the Globe.

If you go

Globe Theatre: Upcoming highlights include The Master Plan (Oct. 1-19) and director Jillian Keiley’s production of Disney’s Frozen (Jan. 28 – Feb. 22). A number of discount programs, including pay-what-you-will nights, are available through the box office.

Hotel Saskatchewan: A vintage hotel with spacious rooms and excellent food, as well as a daily “ritual” that explores the history of alcohol prohibition in Canada. Rooms start at $237 a night.

Rosemary and Rye: An unfussy bistro featuring eats that celebrate the best of the province’s exports. Try the bison meatballs with lentil bolognese, as well as the Earl Grey cheesecake with Saskatoon berry compote.

Avenue: An elevated restaurant with fabulous mains, but better cocktails and desserts. A perfect spot for a postshow drink and sweet treat.

The writer was a guest of Tourism Saskatchewan. It did not review or approve the story before publication.