Sir John Eh! coming to Bancroft

June 23, 2016

Renee and Brian Porter in costume as the Macdonalds.

By Sarah Sobanski

History buffs will have the rare opportunity to interact with the first prime minister of Canada tomorrow at the Village Playhouse.

Brian and Renee Porter of Brockville will be performing as Sir John A. Macdonald and his wife at 7 p.m. this Saturday, June 25. Actors will draw from former speeches made by Macdonald, his political stances, history and the history of his time period.

Audience members will have an opportunity to interact with the actors and ask questions of them as their characters, as well as their thoughts on the Macdonalds while they are out of character. They will also be able to discuss local history and ask for opinions on Bancroft’s history.

“We’ll probably talk about Billa Flint, establishing Bancroft and the railway coming here. The original families and settlers and mining and lumbering,” said Orland French, former president of the Hastings County Historical Society (HCHS). “You can ask, well, what do you think of this? I know Sir John A. was known for [his drinking], and Bancroft was dry for a while, so you can talk about that.”

The performance comes to Bancroft as the HCHS looks to extend events to the north from its home in Belleville. French noted there are a large number of history-minded residents in Bancroft.

“I just hope that people in Bancroft take advantage of this opportunity. It’s an opportunity to get our heritage out in an entertaining fashion,” said French.

There will also be historical posters and photos from the area available for viewing after the performance. Tickets are $10 but the display, available in the afternoon, is free to anyone wishing to come to the theatre.

Half of every ticket will go to the Hastings Heritage Museum. They are available at Harvest Moon and Posies Flowers.

“[People who attend] will learn a lot about the history of the area, and a little bit about Sir John. A. as well, and be entertained by it,” said French.