Group of fourteen women of diverse ages and ethnicities dressed in dark, old-fashioned clothing, standing close together and looking upward with serious, solemn expressions. The central woman holds a thick rope in both hands. The image is bathed in dramatic purple lighting with a misty, theatrical atmosphere.
Photo of Raquel Duffy, Amaka Umeh, Courtney Ch’ng Lancaster, Mayko Nguyen, Ruth Goodwin, Hallie Seline, and Brefny Caribou by Dahlia Katz
Photo of Raquel Duffy, Amaka Umeh, Courtney Ch’ng Lancaster, Mayko Nguyen, Ruth Goodwin, Hallie Seline, and Brefny Caribou by Dahlia Katz

The Welkin

A Crow's Theatre, Soulpepper Theatre, and The Howland Company Co-production
Written by Lucy Kirkwood
Directed by Weyni Mengesha

Canadian Premiere
Sep 4, 2025 - Oct 5, 2025
Young Centre for the Performing Arts

▶︎ ON STAGE AT SOULPEPPER: Single tickets and subscriber add-on tickets must be purchased directly through The Young Centre Box Office.

Rural England, 1759. Halley’s Comet burns in the sky, and a young woman is sentenced to hang. But when she tries to escape the noose by claiming to be pregnant, a jury of twelve women is gathered to decide whether she is telling the truth. As tensions rise, their task becomes a reckoning: with the law, with power, and with the roles they’re forced to play in a world that silences them.

Tony Award nominee Lucy Kirkwood’s The Welkin is a bold and blistering courtroom drama—by turns darkly comic and quietly devastating—about justice, duty, and righteous dissent.

CRITIC'S PICK
★★★★★

Glenn Sumi

A blazing, spectacular finish for one of the country's most talented and consistent directors.

Toronto Star

A provocative, engaging season opener, with an accomplished ensemble cast.

The Globe and Mail

Unlike anything you've seen before... an astounding production.

A View From The Box

No theatre lover will want to miss this one.

Torontonicity

Marvelously daring.

Intermission

A sumptuous production.

Istvan Reviews

Videos

Six women dressed in historical clothing are on stage in a dramatic scene. One woman in the centre, wearing a bonnet and grey shawl, reaches out to touch the face of a younger woman in shackles, who looks distressed. The others watch intently, with expressions ranging from concern to curiosity. The lighting is dim, creating a serious atmosphere, and the background is dark with minimal set pieces.

THE WELKIN Trailer

An isolated woman in period clothes holding a small axe

THE WELKIN Teaser

THE WELKIN at The Village at Black Creek

THE WELKIN at The Village at Black Creek

THE WELKIN First Day of Rehearsals

THE WELKIN First Day of Rehearsals

Photos

Photo by Dahlia Katz
A group of women in 18th-century-style clothing are gathered closely together indoors under warm stage lighting. The central woman in a light yellow dress and patterned shawl has an animated expression, while the others around her exhibit a mix of attentiveness, concern, and curiosity. One woman in white holds a piece of paper, and a wooden cabinet with folded linens is visible in the background.
Photo by Dahlia Katz
A group of women in 18th-century clothing are gathered in a dimly lit interior with warm, reddish lighting, suggesting firelight. Most of the women are kneeling or sitting on the wooden floor in prayer, hands clasped and heads bowed. One woman stands to the left with an arm raised, appearing to address the group. A red-bricked hearth with candles is visible in the background, contributing to the dramatic, solemn atmosphere.
Photo of bahia watson and Mayko Nguyen by Dahlia Katz
Two women in period clothing sit on a low stone ledge in a dimly lit, rustic interior. The woman on the left, barefoot and wearing a worn light-coloured dress with shackles on one wrist, stares forward with a serious expression and crossed arms. The woman on the right, wrapped in a grey shawl, leans in as if speaking gently. A wooden barrel and dark wooden shelves are visible in the background.
Photo by Dahlia Katz
A group of women in period clothing are positioned across a wooden stage, with dramatic lighting and theatrical smoke. Most are dressed in long skirts, aprons, and bonnets, evoking an 18th or 19th-century setting. One woman in the centre raises a black bird, possibly a raven, while others react in various expressive poses—some appear distressed, others shocked or contemplative. A few women kneel or crouch near the front, and a table with lit candles is visible in the background to the right. The atmosphere is tense and dramatic.
Photo by Dahlia Katz
Five women in historical clothing are engaged in domestic tasks under stage lighting. One woman in the centre wears a yellow dress and holds a broom while leaning to one side in apparent discomfort. Others wash, spin, or sift items, with a large spinning wheel and baskets nearby.
Photo by Dahlia Katz
A woman in a grey shawl and long dress stands at the centre of a dimly lit stage, extending one arm as she speaks with urgency. To her left, another woman in a white blouse and red skirt stands silently, watching with a serious expression. Several women in period clothing sit or stand in the background against dark, textured walls, some appearing concerned or exhausted. The wooden floor is scattered with black debris.
Photo of Olunike Adeliyi by Dahlia Katz
A woman in a wide-brimmed hat and 18th-century attire operates a large spinning wheel on a dimly lit stage, her hand pulling thread as warm light highlights her figure against a dark background.
Photo by Dahlia Katz
A barefoot woman in a faded dress stands at the centre of a wooden stage with her hands in shackles, held low in front of her. Her expression is tense as several women in 18th-century clothing sit or stand around her, watching intently with mixed expressions of concern, curiosity, or disapproval. The stage floor is scattered with dark debris, and a wooden shelf with bottles is visible in the background.
Photo of bahia watson by Dahlia Katz
A barefoot woman in a worn, laced dress stands alone on a wooden stage, holding a small bundle to her chest. Her wrists are in shackles, and she gazes off to the side with a distressed expression. The dimly lit room behind her contains a large wooden table, carved chairs, and a bookshelf filled with scattered books and bottles. The lighting casts deep shadows, emphasizing her isolation.
Photo by Dahlia Katz
Thirteen women in 18th-century clothing are positioned across a dimly lit wooden stage with a sloped ceiling. At the centre, one woman kneels beside another who is collapsed on the floor, clutching her torso. Others stand or sit around a large wooden table, observing the scene with concern or focus. A few women stand near a window at the left, illuminated by soft light, while another group gathers near a cabinet and a spinning wheel on the right. A beam of light falls dramatically on the central figures, emphasizing the tense moment.
Photo by Dahlia Katz
A group of eleven women in 18th-century clothing are gathered on a dimly lit wooden stage. One woman sits barefoot near a window at the far left, with a solemn expression and shackles on her wrists. The others are positioned across the room—some standing, some seated—most looking toward the centre with serious or contemplative expressions. The lighting casts a soft glow from the window and a focused beam from above, enhancing the tense, quiet atmosphere.
Photo by Dahlia Katz
Thirteen women in 18th-century clothing are gathered across a wide wooden stage beneath dramatic overhead lighting. Thirteen stand or sit in a semi-circle, facing a barefoot woman seated cross-legged on the floor at the centre, her hands in shackles. Their expressions range from serious to contemplative, and the setting features dark textured walls, a slanted ceiling, and sparse period furnishings including a brick hearth and wooden shelves.
A group of women in 18th-century-style clothing are gathered closely together indoors under warm stage lighting. The central woman in a light yellow dress and patterned shawl has an animated expression, while the others around her exhibit a mix of attentiveness, concern, and curiosity. One woman in white holds a piece of paper, and a wooden cabinet with folded linens is visible in the background.
A group of women in 18th-century clothing are gathered in a dimly lit interior with warm, reddish lighting, suggesting firelight. Most of the women are kneeling or sitting on the wooden floor in prayer, hands clasped and heads bowed. One woman stands to the left with an arm raised, appearing to address the group. A red-bricked hearth with candles is visible in the background, contributing to the dramatic, solemn atmosphere.
Two women in period clothing sit on a low stone ledge in a dimly lit, rustic interior. The woman on the left, barefoot and wearing a worn light-coloured dress with shackles on one wrist, stares forward with a serious expression and crossed arms. The woman on the right, wrapped in a grey shawl, leans in as if speaking gently. A wooden barrel and dark wooden shelves are visible in the background.
A group of women in period clothing are positioned across a wooden stage, with dramatic lighting and theatrical smoke. Most are dressed in long skirts, aprons, and bonnets, evoking an 18th or 19th-century setting. One woman in the centre raises a black bird, possibly a raven, while others react in various expressive poses—some appear distressed, others shocked or contemplative. A few women kneel or crouch near the front, and a table with lit candles is visible in the background to the right. The atmosphere is tense and dramatic.
Five women in historical clothing are engaged in domestic tasks under stage lighting. One woman in the centre wears a yellow dress and holds a broom while leaning to one side in apparent discomfort. Others wash, spin, or sift items, with a large spinning wheel and baskets nearby.
A woman in a grey shawl and long dress stands at the centre of a dimly lit stage, extending one arm as she speaks with urgency. To her left, another woman in a white blouse and red skirt stands silently, watching with a serious expression. Several women in period clothing sit or stand in the background against dark, textured walls, some appearing concerned or exhausted. The wooden floor is scattered with black debris.
A woman in a wide-brimmed hat and 18th-century attire operates a large spinning wheel on a dimly lit stage, her hand pulling thread as warm light highlights her figure against a dark background.
A barefoot woman in a faded dress stands at the centre of a wooden stage with her hands in shackles, held low in front of her. Her expression is tense as several women in 18th-century clothing sit or stand around her, watching intently with mixed expressions of concern, curiosity, or disapproval. The stage floor is scattered with dark debris, and a wooden shelf with bottles is visible in the background.
A barefoot woman in a worn, laced dress stands alone on a wooden stage, holding a small bundle to her chest. Her wrists are in shackles, and she gazes off to the side with a distressed expression. The dimly lit room behind her contains a large wooden table, carved chairs, and a bookshelf filled with scattered books and bottles. The lighting casts deep shadows, emphasizing her isolation.
Thirteen women in 18th-century clothing are positioned across a dimly lit wooden stage with a sloped ceiling. At the centre, one woman kneels beside another who is collapsed on the floor, clutching her torso. Others stand or sit around a large wooden table, observing the scene with concern or focus. A few women stand near a window at the left, illuminated by soft light, while another group gathers near a cabinet and a spinning wheel on the right. A beam of light falls dramatically on the central figures, emphasizing the tense moment.
A group of eleven women in 18th-century clothing are gathered on a dimly lit wooden stage. One woman sits barefoot near a window at the far left, with a solemn expression and shackles on her wrists. The others are positioned across the room—some standing, some seated—most looking toward the centre with serious or contemplative expressions. The lighting casts a soft glow from the window and a focused beam from above, enhancing the tense, quiet atmosphere.
Thirteen women in 18th-century clothing are gathered across a wide wooden stage beneath dramatic overhead lighting. Thirteen stand or sit in a semi-circle, facing a barefoot woman seated cross-legged on the floor at the centre, her hands in shackles. Their expressions range from serious to contemplative, and the setting features dark textured walls, a slanted ceiling, and sparse period furnishings including a brick hearth and wooden shelves.

Artistic Team

Mayko Nguyen

Lizzy

bahia watson

Sally

Olunike Adeliyi

Judith Brewer

Ghazal Azarbad

Peg Carter

Nadine Bhabha

Kitty Givens

Brefny Caribou

Mary Middleton

Courtney Ch'ng Lancaster

Emma Jenkins

Raquel Duffy

Sarah Hollis

Kyra Harper

Sarah Smith

Fiona Highet

Charlotte Cary

Cameron Laurie

Frederick Poppy / Mr. Willis

Craig Lauzon

Mr. Coombes

Annie Luján

Hannah Rusted

Natasha Mumba

Ann Lavender

Liisa Repo-Martell

Lizzy Luke (alternate)

Hallie Seline

Helen Ludlow

Addison Wagman

Katy Luke / Alice Wax

Oliver Dennis

The Justice (voice)

Lucy Kirkwood

Playwright

Weyni Mengesha

Director

Julie Fox

Set Designer

Bonnie Beecher

Lighting Designer

Michelle Tracey

Costume Designer

Thomas Ryder Payne

Sound Designer & Arranger

Anita Nittoly

Fight & Intimacy Director

Jane Gooderham

Dialect Coach

Joanna Falck

Production Dramaturg

Luke Reece

Associate Director

Sebastian Biasucci

Howland Shadow Director

Sam Hale

Stage Manager

Scarlett Larry

Assistant Stage Manager

Kate Chubbs

Apprentice Stage Manager

Alex Edwards

Childe Supervisor

Sponsors