Since 2007, Juno Productions has toured their multi-award winning play, Jake’s Gift, to over 250 communities across Canada, including international stops in the US, the UK and Normandy, France, for the 70th, 73rd and 75th Anniversary of D-Day. The production continues to receive rave reviews from audiences and critics alike and is available for your community in both English and French! This one act, one-woman play, written and performed by Wells, BC, based actress and playwright, Julia Mackey, has been described as “An Acting Tour de Force not to be missed!” Jake’s Gift tells the story of a Canadian WW2 veteran's reluctant return to Normandy, France, for the 60th Anniversary of the D-Day landings. While roaming the shores of Juno Beach, Jake encounters Isabelle, a precocious 10-year-old from the local village, whose inquisitive nature and charm challenge the old soldier to confront some long ignored ghosts; most notably the wartime death of his eldest brother, Chester, a once promising young musician. At its heart, Jake's Gift is about the legacy of remembrance and personalizes the story behind one soldier’s grave.
RUNNING TIME: 65 minutes with no intermission.
TOURING COMPANY: 2 People • Julia Mackey (Performer & Playwright) & Dirk Van Stralen (Director & Stage Manager)
SUGGESTED AUDIENCE: Age 10 to 110!
REVIEWS
“Jake’s Gift is the most theatrically pure show I have ever seen.” – Katie Nicholson, CBC Winnipeg
“If I could give this play six stars I would.” - Shannon Boklaschuk, Saskatoon Star Phoenix
“Jake’s Gift - which Mackey conceived, wrote and performs - is theatre in its purest form. It is an instant love affair between performer and audience. This is a jewel of a show you simply can’t afford to miss. “ - Louis Hobson, The Calgary Sun
AWARDS
2012 • Outstanding Performance by an Actress in a Drama • Betty Mitchell Awards (Calgary, AB)
2011 • British Columbia Touring Council’s Touring Artist of the Year Award
2011 • CAPACOA’s 2010-2011 Touring Artist of the Year Award
2010 • Contact East Touring Performers Award
2009 • Royal Canadian Legion Media Award
2009 • Best of Venue/Fest - Winnipeg Fringe Festival
2008 • Best of Festival • Edmonton Fringe Festival
2008 • Best Drama | Best Solo Show | Best Female Performer • Victoria Fringe Festival
2007 • Best New Play | Best Drama | Best Solo Show | Best Female Performer • Victoria Fringe
NOMINATIONS
2018 • Outstanding Leading Performance • Saskatoon & Area Theatre Awards
2016 • Best Actress (Professional Theatre Category) • Capital Critics Circle Awards (Ottawa, ON)
2015 • Best Revival • Calgary Theatre Critics Award
2012 • Outstanding Production • Betty Mitchell Awards (Calgary, AB)
2012 • Best Solo Performance • Calgary Theatre Critics Awards
2011 • Outstanding Touring Production • Dora Mavor Moore Awards (Toronto, ON)
2009 • Outstanding Performance by an Actress in a Lead Role • Jessie Richardson Awards (Vancouver, BC)