Festival goes on after bomb threat

STRATFORD, Ont. — The company and actors at the Stratford Festival remain resilient after a bomb threat caused the cancellation of the official opening night of the 2018 season, one cast member said Tuesday.

Lucy Peacock, who plays the goddess Juno in The Tempest, said there was still shock and anger over what happened.

But she also pointed to the “old cliché” that “the show must go on,” and said the rest of the performances there this week will be “extraordinary.”

Police in Stratford, Ont., said they received a call on Monday evening, before the opening of The Tempest, that explosives had been placed at the festival.

Festival officials were alerted and both the Avon and Festival theatres were evacuated as a precaution.

Police officers swept the scene for suspicious items or packages, saying later that areas around the theatres “have been opened up and police are clear from the area.”

Police added on Twitter that all buildings at the festival have been turned back over to staff.

The police tweet did not indicate if anything suspicious had been found.

However, Peacock said staff had received a notice from the festival on Tuesday “saying that there was no bomb and everything is all clear and everyone should show up.”

Ann Swerdfager, the festival’s publicity director, said all Monday’s ticket purchases would be honoured and ticket holders for Monday’s performance will be contacted by festival staff.

Tuesday’s performances were going ahead as scheduled with increased security, Swerdfager said.