Shakespeare and Canadian Radio

Canada's Golden Age of radio, which spanned the 1930s to the 1950s, represents the apogee of radio broadcast production. This is in great part thanks to two gentlemen by the names of Andrew Allan and Lister Sinclair who demonstrated William Shakespeare’s masterful work as a playwright through decades of radio broadcast adaptations of his plays.

The Stage series productions by Andrew Allan and Lister Sinclair allowed for Canadians of all classes and ages to enjoy Shakespeare’s plays from the comfort of their own homes. Never before in Canada had so many people been privy to such thoroughly educational productions of Shakespeare.

This exhibit sets out to demonstrate Andrew Allan and Lister Sinclair influence on Shakespeare’s presence in Canada, as well as provide a deeper look into the core differences between a radio-drama and a stage production of a Shakespearean play. 

To learn more about Shakespeare’s influence on Canadians through CBC Radio, please explore. 



Above is an image of a girl consuming radio as it would have been done during
the Golden Age of Radio. As in the case of televisions today, many families would
have had a radio of the sort in their living rooms. The song I'll Never Smile Again, 
covered by Frank Sinatra, would have spent 7 weeks at number one,
on the charts.