An Ideal Husband Digital Program

as Lady Markby

Caroline is excited to be back on stage at Firehall. It’s been ten years since she appeared in The Cocktail Hour, and many more since Come Back to the Five and Dime, Jimmy Dean, The Dining Room and Opening Night. No stranger to theatre, Caroline played the part of Lady Jane for over 25 years at the King Henry VIII’s Feaste dinner theatre show in NOTL and Niagara Falls.She played the title role in Shirley Valentine at Port Mansion and was part of Show Boat Festival Theatre in Port Colborne for many years. Some favourite appearances there included What the Butler Saw, Crimes of the Heart and Nunsense. Off stage, Caroline plays daily to an audience of 7 year olds at Orchard Park Public school where she teaches Grade 2. She would like to thank her husband and daughter for their support while she tackled this latest adventure.

as Lady Chiltern

Jess Gorman is pleased to be returning to Firehall Theatre after a successful run in Blithe Spirit in 2019. Presently, Jess is the co-host of “The Introvert’s Guide To…” podcast (find the show wherever you get your podcasts), and is knee-deep in developing her second one-woman show, This is Step One (coming 2024), following a successful run in the London and Ottawa Fringe Festivals. She would like to thank her incredible husband, Steve, for pushing her to participate in this production after being home for a year on maternity leave with their first child, Sawyer.

as Mabel Chiltern

Daisy Hollohan is very excited to be making her Firehall debut. Her previous credits include Gretl in The Sound of Music, Kitty in The Drowsy Chaperone, as well as roles in Heathers and All Shook Up. Currently, she is studying dramatic arts at Brock University. She would like to thank the cast, crew, and audience for their support and is grateful for the opportunity to further her theatre education. 

as Mrs. Cheveley

Victoria has been a familiar face on the Niagara stage over the past 20 years, after 20 years in the Toronto market. She was happy to direct two short plays for last year's Conversations Without Curtains at Firehall but returned to the stage over the summer for Winesday! The Musical + Wine Tasting at Hernder Estates (Five Cork Productions). Firehall patrons will remember her from Falsettos, Ruthless!, The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee, and more. For Garden City Productions: The Addams Family, Sweeney Todd, The King & I. For Hamilton Theatre Inc: Tommy, Cry-Baby, The Toxic Avenger. For Port Colborne Operatic Society: The Wizard of Oz. Other favourites include two seasons of Shakespeare in the Vineyard, The Altos (Like The Sopranos, Only Lower), An Out Of This World Christmas, and many performances of The Rocky Horror Show. Prior to the pandemic, Victoria filmed a principal role in the indie feature film "Wildfire" (currently in post-production).

as Lady Marchmont 

This is Jacqueline’s first theatrical production and she is thrilled to be performing alongside her daughter, Jess Gorman. When not rehearsing, she can be found developing her small crafting business (Majesty Jems) or spending time with her grandchildren Faye, Benny and Sawyer. Although this is Jacqueline’s first theatrical performance, she can proudly say she was a movie extra in the 1982 film, “If You Can See What I Hear”. She would like to thank God, her mom and dad’s constant love and support growing up, devoted husband Cliff, loving daughter Sarah, son-in-law’s, Paul & Steve and her friends.

as Lord Caversham

Peter has long admired Paul Wintemute and his acting abilities, having worked with him in She Loves Me and Tons of Money at Firehall and in Spamalot and Damn Yankees at GCP. He is thrilled to again share the stage with Victoria following Shadow Box and Spelling Bee, with Caroline and Brenda who have each previously played his mother on stage, and with Xander with whom he first performed in 2006’s Opening Night. The actors new to Firehall have impressed him and give him cause to step up his game. He has enjoyed playing Lord Caversham, but if Oscar Wilde based Lord Caversham on his own father, Peter offers his sincere condolences.

as Countess Basildon

Brenda is enjoying being back on the Firehall stage. She was last seen in Works of Art as Dillon. Other Firehall credits include Lady Cravenshire in Calendar Girls, Helen in Autumn Leaves, Claree in Steel Magnolias, and Lisette in Les Belles Soeurs. Other favourite roles in Niagara include Betsy in Bedtime Stories for TCT, Juror #4 in Twelve Angry Jurors for St. Thomas Players, Doris in The Cemetery Club for Lakeside Players, and Caroline in Communion for Stray Theatre. Brenda also enjoys doing cemetery tours and readings for The St. Catharines Museum and reporting for YourTV. Big thanks to Firehall for being willing to take some theatrical risks and to partner Frank for his love and support of theatre!

as Lord Goring

Michael is very pleased, and equally humbled, to be performing at Firehall Theatre for the first time. This production marks his return to the stage after an eleven-year absence. He holds a diploma in acting from Sheridan College and an HBA in Theatre and Drama Studies from University of Toronto. Favourite performances include Lord Arthur Savile in Lord Arthur Savile’s Crime (Village Players, Toronto), Prosecutor in Murderous Women (Theatre Erindale, Mississauga), and Cameraman in The Kitchen Witches (Lighthouse Festival Theatre, Port Dover). He dedicates his performance to his ideal wife, Beth, who is seeing him act for the first time.

as Mason, Phipps, and Vicomte de Nanjac

Xander performed for a several years with a repertory company through much of Canada and then abroad in Europe before settling down in the region. Since then, he has been regularly involved in the Niagara community theatre scene, appearing in recent years as multiple characters in The Dining Room, as Jake in Neil Simon’s Jake’s Women, and in shows such as Office Hours, She Loves Me, 12 Angry Jurors, Opening Night, and Sinners.

as Sir Robert Chiltern

Vay is a resident of Niagara-On-The-Lake, where he frequents the antique shops and enjoys tasting ice wine at boutique wineries. He hopes to bring a bit of his personal taste for luxury to the role of Sir Robert Chiltern. Vay dedicates his performance to his kid—Ari— who helped him learn his many lines.