THE CAST of THE WELKIN:
Mayko Nguyen
Elizabeth (Lizzy) Luke
SOULPEPPER 2025: The Welkin. OTHER THEATRE: Beautiful Man (Nightwood Theatre); Salt-Water Moon (Why Not Theatre). – Dora Award Nomination; Passion Play (Convergence Theatre, Outside The March, Sheep No Wool); TomorrowLove (Outside the March); The Unending (Convergence Theatre); Carried Away on the Crest of a Wave (Tarragon). Film & Television: Hudson & Rex (Canadian Screen Award Nominations), Titans, Killjoys, ReGenesis, Rookie Blue, among others.
Bahia Watson
Sally Poppy
bahia was born in Manitoba. SOULPEPPER 2025: The Welkin, The Comeuppance, Summer and Smoke. FOR SOULPEPPER: A Raisin in the Sun.; The Virgin Trial, The Last Wife (Stratford/Soulpepper). OTHER THEATRE: Uncle Vanya, The Seagull, Someone Else (Crow’s); shaniqua in abstraction (Crow’s/paul watson), MASHUP PON DI ROAD (Why Not/paul watson), pomme is french for apple (paul watson), MASHUP ting (Public Theatre/Joe’s Pub), Bakkhai, Diary of Anne Frank (Stratford); Film and Television: The Handmaid’s Tale, Star Trek: Discovery, The Expanse, Various Animation.
Olunike Adeliyi
Judith Brewer
Olunike Adeliyi is a Canadian actress, writer, and producer of Nigerian and Jamaican descent. She is an alumni of the American Academy of Dramatic Arts in NYC. A Canadian Screen Award winner, Olunike continues to shine in projects bringing depth, power, and versatility to every performance across genres. SOULPEPPER 2025: The Welkin. FOR SOULPEPPER: da Kink in my Hair. OTHER THEATRE: Macbeth (Sterling), The Atomic Tradition (Sterling), HER 2 (Nightwood). Film & Television: Workin’ Moms, The Expanse, American Gods, Revenge of the Black Best Friend, The Porter, Mike, She Never Died, The Parting Glass, Chaos Walking, Backspot, The Fire Inside, Village Keeper, Morningside, It Comes in Waves, Absolute Dominion, Youngblood, Inheritance, and Edgar Wright’s The Running Man.
Ghazal Azarbad
Peg Carter
Ghazal Azarbad (غزال آذرباد) was born in Mashhad, Iran and raised in Vancouver, BC. SOULPEPPER 2025: The Welkin, The Comeuppance. SOULPEPPER: English (2023), The Seagull (2020), Wedding at Aulis (2019), La Bête and Innocence Lost (2018). OTHER THEATRE: East Van Panto: Little Mermaid and Alice in Wonderland (Theatre Replacement); Romeo and Juliet (Bard); Bunny (Search Party); Being Here: The Refugee Story (Belfry); Shakespeare in Love (Bard); and The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time (Arts Club). FILM & TELEVISION: Float (Lionsgate), Charmed (CW), Kim’s Convenience, The Slowest Show (CBC) OTHER: Writer and creator of Tārof (تعارف): a Persian Comedy, Dear Konstantin (Audiobook on Spotify), and REAL (script). Two-time Jessie Awards nominee, recipient of the Hnatyshyn Foundation Award for Acting.
Nadine Bhabha
Kitty Givens
Nadine is an award-winning writer/actor/producer from Toronto. SELECTED THEATRE: Hayavadana (Soulpepper), The Penelopiad (The Grand Theatre), Girls Like That (Tarragon). SELECTED TV: Letterkenny (Hulu/Crave), The Holiday Shift (CBS), One More Time (CBC) , and This Hour Has 22 Minutes (CBC). TV writing credits include: This Hour Has 22 Minutes, Children Ruin Everything and Crave’s upcoming comedy Slo Pitch. She has three Canadian Screen Award nominations for Best Supporting Actor (How to Fail As a Popstar, The Communist’s Daughter) and Best Writing for Sketch Comedy (This Hour Has 22 Minutes).
Brefny Caribou
Mary Middleton
Brefny Caribou (she/her) is a performer, writer, and educator of Cree (Mathias Colomb Cree Nation)/Irish-settler descent based in Tkaronto. Holding an MFA in Acting from York University she loves reimagining traditional theatrical practices, telling Indigenous stories, and making people giggle. As a performer: she has worked in TV/film on Tallboyz (CBC/Joanne), and Mayor of Kingstown (Paramount +/Isabelle) and in theatre across Turtle Island on projects such as 1939 (Canadian Stage), The Tempest (Theatre Rusticle/Buddies in Bad Times), Otîhêw (Shakespeare in Action), and completed 3 seasons at the Stratford Festival in productions of Little Women (Beth March), All’s Well That Ends Well (Solider, Understudy), and The Rez Sisters (Zhaboonigan Peterson). Her solo show Savage is a Word in the English Dictionary had its world premiere at the 2025 Awaken Festival at Gwaandak Theatre in Whitehorse, YT. Brefny is going into her 4th year facilitating the Indigenous Arts Program at the Paprika Festival.
Courtney Ch’ng Lancaster
Emma Jenkins
Courtney grew up in Antigonish, NS. FOR THE HOWLAND COMPANY: Hypothetical Baby (Director), The Home Project (Co-Director), The Wolves (Director), 52 PICK-UP (Co-Director & Performer). SOULPEPPER 2025-26: The Welkin, Witch (director). FOR SOULPEPPER: Innocence Lost, Idomeneus, Alligator Pie, The Dining Room, Incident at Vichy, Blood Wedding, Spoon River, Of Human Bondage, Eurydice, Barber of Seville, Marat/Sade, Idiot’s Delight, The Crucible, Death of a Salesman, Royal Comedians, Dirt. OTHER: Directing credits at Shaw, Crows, The Howland Company, Tarragon, York University, Sheridan. Acting credits at Shaw, Canadian Stage, Tarragon, Native Earth, Blue Bridge, Citadel, and beyond. Courtney is an assistant professor at York University, and a founding member of The Howland Company. Upcoming: take rimbaud with Buddies in Bad Times/The Howland Company.
Raquel Duffy
Sarah Hollis
Raquel was born in Charlottetown, Prince Edward Island. SOULPEPPER 2025: The Welkin. FOR SOULPEPPER: The Goat or Who is Sylvia, Spoon River, August: Osage County, Wedding at Aulis, Sisters, La Bête, Rose, Animal Farm, Of Human Bondage, Alligator Pie, It’s a Wonderful Life, The Heidi Chronicles, The Accidental Death of an Anarchist, Noises Off, The 39 Steps, The Just, The Anger in Ernest and Ernestine, Idiot’s Delight, The Barber of Seville, The Play’s the Thing, The Crucible, You Can’t Take it With You, Tartuffe, Angels in America, Perestroika, Death of a Salesman, The Odd Couple, The Royal Comedians, Window on Toronto, Oh What a Lovely War, (re)birth: ee Cummings in Song. Graduate of the Soulpepper Academy. OTHER RECENT CREDITS: Steel Magnolias (The Capitol), Forget About Tomorrow (Here For Now), Tide & Time (Foster Festival), Rosencrantz & Guildenstern are Dead ( Mirvish/ Neptune Theatre), Harry Potter and the Cursed Child (Mirvish). FOR TV: Ginny & Georgia, Reacher, The Most Dangerous Game 2.
Kyra Harper
Sarah Smith
Kyra was born in England. FOR THE HOWLAND COMPANY: Three Sisters. FOR SOULPEPPER: Copenhagen, Escaped Alone, Idomeneus, A Delicate Balance, Farther West. OTHER THEATRE: Infinite Life (The Coalmine), Rockabye (ARC), Long Day’s Journey Into Night, Death of a Salesman, Medea, Calendar Girls (Mirvish/MTC) ( Blue Bridge) Her 2 (Nightwood) The Rez Sisters (Factory) Vincent River (Carthorse) Pacamambo ( Canadian Rep). FILM / TV: Ed and Alfie (Best Actress VIFA), Hudson and Rex, Danger Next Door, Orphan Black, Too Close For Comfort, Heartland, Little Orphans, Hard Rock Medical, See, Clean House, (ATP)
Fiona Highet
Charlotte Cary
Fiona Highet is originally from Halifax NS and is a graduate of Ryerson Theatre School. SOULPEPPER 2025: The Welkin OTHER THEATRE: Roberto Zucco (Buddies in Bad Times), Poison (Coalmine Theatre), Late Company (Why Not Theatre), The Eco Show and Insomnia (Necessary Angel) and The Little Years (TPM). FILM & TELEVISION: Late Bloomer, Law & Order Toronto, Diggstown, Strays, Bitten, Cardinal. OTHER: Fiona also writes and directs for film and television. She is a graduate of the CFC Prime Time Television Program, and has made two award-winning short films, Smart and GoingGoing.
Cameron Laurie
Frederick Poppy/Mr. Willis
Cameron grew up in Huron County, ON. FOR THE HOWLAND COMPANY & CROW’S THEATRE: Heroes of the Fourth Turning, Prodigal. FOR THE HOWLAND COMPANY: Three Sisters, Casimir & Caroline, Punk Rock. SOULPEPPER 2025: The Welkin. FOR SOULPEPPER: Debut. OTHER THEATRE: The Drawer Boy, The Donnelly’s Trilogy, Saving Graceland, The Trials of Maggie Pollock, Our Beautiful Sons (Blyth Festival), A Little Closer (The Vault), The Merchant of Venice (Shakespeare Bash’d) This Feels Like the End (Theatre Aurinko/Next Stage). FILM & TV: The Shape of Water (Fox Searchlight), I Will Find You (Netflix). OTHER: Cameron is a founder and artistic leader of The Howland Company.
Craig Lauzon
Mr. Coombes
Originally from Ottawa, ON, of mixed settler and Anishinabe descent . SOULPEPPER 2025: The Welkin FOR SOULPEPPER: Where the Blood Mixes (2022); Orlando (2018); Trudeau and the FLQ/Trudeau and Levesque (2015) OTHER THEATRE: Truck (Factory); Detroit (Coalmine); Midsummer Night’s Dream (Stratford); A Comedy of Errors (Thousand Island Playhouse); The Drawer Boy (Theatre Passe Muraille); Tales of an Urban Indian (Talk is Free Theatre) Thunderstick (Persephone Theatre); King Lear (NAC). FILM & TELEVISION: Ithaqua; Sheriff Country; Trickster; Adult Adoption; Murdoch Mysteries; The Guilt Free Zone; Fool Canada; Air Farce; The Ron James Show; Beyblade and Beyblade: The Movie.
Annie Luján
Hannah Rusted
Annie was born in Toronto, ON. SOULPEPPER 2025: The Welkin. FOR SOULPEPPER: King Lear, Peggy Pickett Sees The Face of God. OTHER THEATRE (SELECTED): Dance Nation (Upcoming – Coal Mine/OTM), Last Landscape (Bad New Days), A Little Closer (The Vault), Comedy of Errors (The Grove), Storybook Search (Bad Hats). Annie is the co-creator/performer of the duo clown show MONKS (Theatre Centre, Crow’s, County Stage, Toronto Fringe). She is an alumni of the 2022 Soulpepper Academy and Concordia University.
Natasha Mumba
Ann Lavender
Natasha Mumba is a Zambian-born and currently based in Toronto, ON. SOULPEPPER 2025: Welkin, Copperbelt. OTHER THEATRE: School Girls, or the African Mean Girls Play ( Obsidian, Nightwood); Henry V, The Adventures of the Black Girl, Alice in Wonderland, Dracula, Hound of the Baskervilles (Shaw Festival); Silver Arrow (Citadel); Trout Stanley (Factory); Measure for Measure, Much Ado About Nothing (Canadian Stage); Middletown (Crows) The Millenial Malcontent (Tarragon) FILM & TELEVISION: Handmaid’s Tale (MGM); The Last of Us (HBO); Y: The Last Man(FX); Beacon 23(AMC); Matlock (CBS); Five Days At Memorial(APPLE +). OTHER: Natasha is a Dora-nominated actor and a graduate of the National Theatre School of Canada. She works as a freelance director, actor, playwright, and dramaturg, and previously served as the Apprentice Artistic Director at Factory Theatre, where she also participated in the Directing Program with the generous support of the Metcalf Foundation. In 2021/22, she was awarded the Nightswimming Writing Commission to develop her new play Copperbelt, which is set to have its world premiere in a co-production with the National Arts Centre in Ottawa and Soulpepper. Natasha finds her greatest joy in exploring storytelling through the many mediums and perspectives that her career offers. Instagram: @Tashamum
Liisa Repo-Martell
Lizzy Luke (Alternate)
Liisa Repo-Martell is an award-winning stage and screen actor and one the founding members of Artists for Real Climate Action. She has also written a new adaptation of Chekhov’s Uncle Vanya for Crows Theatre and Ibsen’s Hedda Gabler for Coal Mine Theatre and was one of writer/producers of the satirical web series, The Big Oil Alliance. Acting credits include: Theatre: Uncle Vanya (Crows Theatre), Towards Youth ( Crows Theatre) A Beautiful View (Festival Players) What a Young Wife Ought to Know (2b Theatre) The Boy in the Moon (Crows Theatre), The Watershed and Seeds (Porte Parole), Other Desert Cities (The Citadel Theatre) Creditors (Coalmine Theatre), Happy Place, Uncle Vanya, Antigone, The Lesson, School for Wives, Top Girls (Soulpepper) Eternal Hydra (Crow’s Theatre) Midsummer Night’s Dream (Stratford Festival) King Lear (Stratford Festival). Film/TV: Hudson and Rex, Saint Pierre, Happy Place (Sienna Films), The Umbrella Academy. Upcoming: You, Always (CanStage)
Hallie Seline
Helen Ludlow
Hallie Seline was born in Montréal and grew up in the Eastern Townships of Québec. FOR THE HOWLAND COMPANY & CROW’S THEATRE: Heroes of the Fourth Turning, Prodigal, The Wolves OTHER FOR HOWLAND: Three Sisters, Casimir and Caroline, Punk Rock, 52 Pick-Up. FOR SOULPEPPER 2025: The Welkin is Hallie’s Soulpepper Debut. OTHER THEATRE: take rimbaud (Upcoming – The Howland Company/Buddies in Bad Times Theatre); The Merchant of Venice (Shakespeare BASH’d); The Farm Show: Then & Now, Resort to Murder, The Donnellys: A Trilogy (Blyth Festival); Prairie Nurse (Lighthouse Festival); As You Like It, Twelfth Night, Macbeth, Love’s Labour’s Lost, Romeo and Juliet (Shakespeare BASH’d); Oliver! (Capitol Theatre Port Hope) FILM/TV: Everything’s Going to be Great (Lionsgate), Fellow Travelers (Showtime), Mayday (Discovery) OTHER: Hallie is part of the Founding Artistic Leadership of The Howland Company. She has won a Dora Mavor Moore Award and a Toronto Theatre Critics Association Award.
Addison Wagman
Katy Luke/Alice Wax
Addi is thrilled to be a part of this production. SOULPEPPER: Debut. OTHER THEATRE: Beaches (Theatre Calgary), Annie (Stratford), A Christmas Story (Aquarius), Chris, Mrs. (Winter Garden), Joseph…. (Drayton). Voiceover: Peanuts, Wild Kratts, Vida the Vet, Audible. Addi would like to thank the amazing creative team, cast and crew. Special thank you to Shari, Mommy, Daddy, Meme, Jiji, F & H.
The Howland Company 