Theatre Smith-Gilmour to Stage English-Language World Premiere of Pu Songling: Strange Tales at Crow’s Theatre

Pu Songling Strange Tales Brings Chinese Folklore to the Toronto Stage

TORONTO – Theatre Smith-Gilmour has announced the English-language world premiere of Pu Songling: Strange Tales, a new theatrical adaptation celebrating the work of visionary Chinese writer Pu Songling. The production runs January 13 to February 1, 2026, at Crow’s Theatre in Toronto’s east end.

Produced by a Dora Award–winning team, the adaptation leans into the strange, tragic, and darkly comedic qualities of Pu Songling’s supernatural stories—exploring the darker corners of human nature while foregrounding themes of shared humanity.

Reimagining classic Chinese folklore

Adapted by Michele Smith, John Ng, Diana Tso, Steven Hao, Dean Gilmour, and Madelaine Hodges—with additional acknowledgements to Michael Man, Lindsay Wu, Rosie Simon, and Jeff Yung—the production weaves together vivid vignettes drawn from Chinese folklore. Audiences can expect encounters with demons, reincarnated souls, shape-shifting foxes, resurrected corpses, and moral dilemmas, presented in a fast-paced tapestry that blends the uncanny with moments of compassion and courage.

“Pu Songling takes us somewhere else that you could say is horrifying, but it’s also exciting,” said John Ng, who appears in the production.

A Dora-winning creative team

Directed by Dora Award winner Michele Smith Gilmour, the cast includes Dean Gilmour, John Ng 伍健琪 (Kim’s Convenience, Rising Suns, The Swan), Dora Award–winning actor Diana Tso 曹楓 (The Cherry Orchard, Les Misérables, The Komagata Maru Incident), Steven Hao 郝邦宇 (Anne of Green Gables, A Midsummer Night’s Dream), and Madelaine Hodges 賀美倫 (Iris (says goodbye), Working Phoenix).

The creative team features Noah Feaver (Lighting Designer), Ting-Huan Christine Urquhart (Set & Costume Designer), and Andrew Dollar (Stage Manager).

“At the heart of our work is shared humanity; it’s great to see an audience from all walks of life, and everyone is equally compelled by these stories,” said Dean Gilmour, co-founder of Theatre Smith-Gilmour.

Michele Smith added, “The stories invite the audience to dream and to imagine, and that’s what audiences love to do.”

Performance details

• Dates: January 13 to February 1, 2026 (times vary by date)

• Venue: Crow’s Theatre, 345 Carlaw Avenue, Toronto, ON

• Tickets: $64–$84 (excluding fees), depending on performance and admission type

• On sale: crowstheatre.com

About Theatre Smith-Gilmour

Founded in 1980 by Dean Gilmour and Michele Smith after meeting at the School of Jacques Lecoq in Paris, Theatre Smith-Gilmour has toured across Canada and to 14 countries. For 45 years, the company’s movement-driven approach—often described as “theatre that moves”—has challenged audiences with emotionally resonant stories about what it means to be human.

Source: Media release from B-Rebel PR on behalf of Theatre Smith-Gilmour.

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