Finalist for the Governor General’s Literary Award for Drama
Ayinom, a former soldier from Eritrea, has arrived in Canada without papers, and seeks refugee status. Seen through the eyes of the couple that take him in and the lawyer who represents him, the play lays bare some of the shortfalls of the refugee system as it exists in Canada today. Refuge combines verbatim text from CBC radio interviews with the fictional world of the characters to create a work with uncommon resonance and verisimilitude.
News & Reviews
“An unflinching look at Canada’s relationship to those seeking help.” —The Coast
“Refuge is an important, powerful and eye-opening play.” —Halifax Chronicle Herald
About the Author
Mary Vingoe is a director, artistic director, festival director, playwright, teacher, and actor who has worked at theatres across the country. Vingoe is celebrated for co-founding four major theatre companies in Canada: Toronto’s Nightwood Theatre, Ship’s Company Theatre in Parrsboro, NS, The Eastern Front Theatre in Halifax and the Magnetic North Theatre Festival at Canada’s National Arts Centre. Vingoe’s plays include Living Curiosities, Refuge, which was short-listed for the 2016 Governor General’s Award for Drama, and Some Blow Flutes, which was nominated for best new play at the 2019 Nova Scotia Merritt Awards.
