Ensemble Bios

Patrick McManus

Mr Patrick McManus returns to the Shaw Festival in Present Laughter and Hedda Gabler. Last season, Patrick appeared as Mazzini Dunn in Bernard Shaw’s Heartbreak House, and Gooper in Tennessee Williams’ Cat on a Hot Tin Roof. He made his debut at the Shaw Festival during the 2007 season as Dunois in Saint Joan and in The Kiltartan Comedies. He has also appeared in John Bull’s Other Island, The Doctor’s Dilemma (both by Festival namesake Bernard Shaw), A Moon for the Misbegotten, and in the Noël Coward triplet Ways of the Heart.

In 2008, Patrick appeared at the Stratford Shakespeare Festival in their productions of The Taming of the Shrew, Hamlet and All’s Well That Ends Well.

Over the past fifteen years as an actor, Patrick has performed across much of the country on projects ranging from the development and premiere of new Canadian plays, to musicals and the classical repertoire. His work has taken him to an 80-acre farm in Spallumcheen Township, BC; Cold Lake, AB; Cobalt, ON; and many of Canada’s established regional theatres. He enjoys collaborating with independent companies in his hometown of Toronto, where he was also seen in the world premiere stage adaptation of The Lord of the Rings.

Among his favourite credits: Michael Healey’s Courageous (Citadel Theatre and Governor General’s Award nominee); After the Orchard (Governor General’s Award nominee); The Vaudevilles of Chekhov (Capital Critics Award; Best Production); Love’s Labour’s Lost; The Winter’s Tale; and Twelfth Night (National Arts Centre); Tom in The Glass Menagerie (Globe Theatre); Valentine in The Two Gentlemen of Verona (Bard on the Beach); The Outdoor Donnellys (Blyth Festival); Joan (red red rose; Dora nomination); As You Like It (Festival of Classics). He has worked with theatre companies across Canada including the Great Canadian Theatre Company, Canadian Stage Company, Necessary Angel Theatre Company and the Caravan Farm Theatre.

Patrick works in film and television as time and opportunity permit. He particularly enjoys recording poetry, prose and radio drama for CBC, where he has been heard on programs such as Ideas, Sunday Showcase, Gallery, and the series Afghanada.