“Nothing is as it seems. Nothing ever should be.” – Daniel Lillford

The Mystery of Maddy Heisler, a hauntingly beautiful WWII Mystery set on the shores of Nova Scotia is directed by newly appointed Artistic & Executive Director, Roy Surette, in his Centaur debut. This evocative play tells the story of a young man who falls in love with an older woman during WW2. He’s 17 and she’s 30. In the midst of their rapturous love affair, the woman, Maddy Heisler, disappears never to see the youthful Jacob again. Years later, as the now aging mystery-writer Jacob, is struggling with his own creative block, a mysterious young woman arrives to the area. She carries with her a small notebook, the contents of which open an unexpected door to the past. Secrets and lies, lovers and spies, Jacob will never be the same again. The Mystery of Maddy Heisler was recently nominated for five East Coast Robert Merrit Awards including Best Play.

Playwright, director and actor of 26 years, Daniel Lillford is a resident of Nova Scotia, but has recently been seen on Montreal stages in such productions as Enemy of The People at the Segal Centre, in Centaur’s productions of Romeo & Juliet and The Weir. He has had over 21 productions of his plays produced in Australia, Canada, the United States and Scotland as well as his short film Sheep. He has won awards for his plays When The Day Is Done, for the screenplay of Sheep, and has received several prestigious nominations for his plays The Dunny, The Kingdom Come, Slow Trains an’ Dirty Towns and Right of Birth. His newest play, Snow Dance will receive a world premiere later this year at Ship's Company Theatre in Nova Scotia.

Director, Roy Surette was appointed as Centaur Theatre Company’s new Artistic and Executive Director in June 2007 succeeding Gordon McCall. Roy comes to Montreal following a ten year tenure at the beloved Belfry Theatre in Victoria BC. A West Coast native Roy graduated from the renowned Studio 58 in 1979 and has held Artistic Director and Associate Director positions with Touchstone Theatre in Vancouver, Western Canada Theatre in Kamloops, Carousel Theatre in Vancouver and Burnaby Summer Theatre. Roy has won several awards for directing and has worked with many of Canada’s major theatre companies including The Vancouver Playhouse, The Arts Club Theatre, Alberta Theatre Projects, Theatre Calgary, Manitoba Theatre Company, Prairie Theatre Exchange, Manitoba Theatre Centre for Young People, The National Arts Centre, The Shaw Festival and Canadian Stage Company. He has also worked internationally directing the acclaimed Axis Theatre production, The Number 14 across Canada and in Hong Kong, Belfast and New York City. His staging of Moms The Word Two: Unhinged recently took Roy to Glasgow and Melbourne. The Mystery of Maddy Heisler is the first production Roy directs for Centaur.

The cast is comprised of Kent Allen, whose Centaur credits include Condoville, Romeo & Juliet, The Caretaker and Life After George, in the role of Jacob Meisner. Veteran stage, film and radio actor, director, Michael Chiasson reprises the role of Earle Murphy, which he played in the original Ship’s Company Theatre production in 2006. A founding member of SideMart Theatrical Grocery, Patrick Costello plays Young Earle Murphy; Phyllis Gooden in her Centaur debut as Myrtle Kelly, Gregory Prest, last seen on the Centaur stage in Glorious! as Young Jacob Meisner and Patricia Summersett who was recently seen in Hedda Gabler, Vampire Lesbians of Sodom and As You Like It, playing the title role and the role of Ingrid Traeger. The Creative team consists of set and costume design by Anne-Séguin Poirier, lighting design by Spike Lyne and sound design by Mike Doherty. The Mystery of Maddy Heisler is stage managed by Luciana Burcheri and assistant stage manager Vincent Absi.

Kent Allen
Patrick Costello
Michael Chiasson
Phyllis Gooden
Gregory Prest
Patricia Summersett

Set & Costume Design: Anne-Séguin Poirier
Lighting Design: Spike Lyne
Stage Manager: Luciana Burcheri
Assistant Stage Manager: Vincent Absi