Audio Transcript
 

Alright folks, as you walk let’s talk about that building directly in front of you, just across the street.

The Royal Manitoba Theatre Centre, founded in 1958, has a rich theatrical legacy that encompasses not just Manitoba but the rest of Canada as well. It is Canada's first, and oldest, English-language regional theatre. Across their 600 and some performances, they've highlighted a wide variety of actors from local celebrities to acclaimed movie stars. Canadian actor Gordon Pinsent, known for Due South and Babar, among many other projects, actually got his start on MTC's stage. Kathleen Turner also performed here in a 1980 adaptation of The Seagull.

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By far their most famous celebrity guest was Keanu Reeves, who played the titular Hamlet in, well, Hamlet. He performed in Winnipeg for a month in 1995, and drew in huge crowds. In fact, the 1995 production of Hamlet sold out before it even opened with people flocking in from across the world for a chance to watch Keanu Reeves live on stage.

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In 2010, the RMTC received it’s royal designation during a visit from Queen Elizabeth II on her official visit to Winnipeg.