About the Play:

The Norbals has become a favourite of acting teachers for Female Monologues.

The Norbals is a full-length comedy by Brian Drader. Danny and Penelope are hosting Christmas, but have to be sure to accommodate the beliefs of all family members including Buddhism, Judaism and atheism. A hilarious take on the reluctant holiday preparations of a dysfunctional family, The Norbals will make you feel a whole lot better about those strange people you call relatives.

The Norbals is a heart-warming comedy about a loving but dysfunctional family in the throes of a Christmas crisis. The title is a pun on "normal," but nothing is normal about the Norbals. Danny and Penny are broke but too proud to admit it, narcoleptic Randall is bringing home his fourth partner in as many years, Bee is half way through a sex change, Mom decides to celebrate Winter Solstice instead of Christmas to include Bee's lesbian Jewish girlfriend – but Sean's surprise outdoes them all… But somehow they work out the kinks. In the end, The Norbals learn the meaning of the season of lights. 

The Norbals was first produced in 1998 at Prairie Theatre Exchange in Winnipeg. It won the Herman Voaden National Playwriting Competition.

Cast: 4 female, 5 male

What people say:

"Drader's many years multi-tasking as an actor, director, and writer have come into full gale force in this hilarious two-hour show … a dynamic, galloping script … Drader's ability to blend keen character observations, poignancy and wit make The Norbals a real Canadian Classic." — Winnipeg Free Press

"The Norbals' struggle is symbolic of the universal balancing act performed by all adult children as they wrestle with maintaining the family they're born into and nurturing the one they create when they strike out on their own … stylish and slick, it puts a fresh, wildly funny face on family – an institution struggling to re-define itself ." — Winnipeg Sun

About the Playwright:

Brian Drader is a Canadian actor, writer, dramaturg and artistic administrator. He has acted in over seventy professional theatre productions across Canada, as well as numerous films, television projects, and radio dramas. His plays have been produced in Canada, the United States, and Europe. He served as the Director of Playwriting at the National Theatre School of Canada in Montréal from 2004 to 2017, and is presently the Executive Director of the Manitoba Association of Playwrights.