This is the fifteenth in a series of Q&A Profiles of London area theatre companies and groups. Today, we interview Hailey Hill, Original Kids Theatre Company Artistic Director.
Q. When was your company founded? By whom and why?
Original Kids Theatre Company was founded in 1991 as a not-for-profit charitable youth organization by David Conron with 12 members. The first location of the company was in St. Thomas, about 30 minutes south of London.
Q. Is your company best described as professional or not-for-profit community theatre? Or both?
We are a not-for-profit youth theatre organization.
Q. What venue(s) do you use to stage your productions?
We are lucky enough to have our own venue: The Spriet Family Theatre! It has a capacity of 105 seats, a stage with a balcony, and a tech booth that comes with its own lighting and sound setup.
Q. Does your company have a Mission or Statement of Purpose?
Our mission statement is:
Original Kids Theatre Company enriches and celebrates the lives of young people through the arts, providing them with opportunities to mature and learn positive values through a variety of theatre experiences in a safe and challenging environment.
And this is our Philosophy:
Original Kids Theatre Company was not formed to create stars, as we believe each child already shines in their own way. We were formed because we believe that by instilling our values in everything we do, we can help young people to grow and gain confidence in who they are. We do this by providing a safe and supportive environment where cast members are part of a community, made up of peers and mentors who are there to help one another. Youth can explore theatre without fear of judgment or ridicule, and our carefully chosen staff work hard to ensure each cast member gets to learn more about their passion for theatre, while also challenging them to meet new people and explore new things. We believe that by doing this, we can help a generation of youth become well-rounded, confident, supportive, and kind individuals who will make the world a better place.
Q. Does your company have a Board of Directors and paid Staff?
We do have a Board of Directors and 5 paid full-time staff members: Artistic Director, Executive Director, Administrative Coordinator, Production Manager, and Technical Director. We also have our Kidlets Coordinator, who runs our introductory program for kids aged 5-9, and our Camp Director, who runs our summer camp, Camp OK! In addition to these roles, we have contract box office staff, camp counsellors, and Kidlets staff. Depending on the time of year, we could have anywhere from 5 to 50 people on payroll.
(Pictured: Hailey Hill, Artistic Director, Original Kids Theatre Company)
Q. Tell me about your 2025-2026 Season. Does it have any underlying theme?
We have nine exciting shows planned for our Fall 2025 season under the theme “No Place Like Home”. If you couldn’t already tell, The Wizard of Oz is one of the titles for this season, as well as the musicals Between the Lines Jr., Oklahoma!, Dare to Dream Jr., Footloose, CATS, and Spamalot, and the plays Dr. Experimentor and the League of Evil and Macbeth. We feel that most, if not all, of these shows highlight a desire to belong and find a way to feel at home, whatever that means for the characters.
This is what I wrote in the Fall 2025 season letter:
“This season at Original Kids, we are appreciating and celebrating what it means to be home. But… what is “home”? Is it the physical house you live in? Is it the people you surround yourself with? Is it where you feel most at peace?
The answer is both very simple and a bit complicated: “home” is what you make it! To Dorothy in The Wizard of Oz, home is in Kansas with Toto and her Aunt Em. To the Knights in Spamalot, they feel at home as members of the Round Table. To Delilah in Between the Lines Jr., she feels most at home when escaping from reality and reading a book on her rooftop. But what all of these situations have in common is the joy, safety, and belonging that these characters feel when doing the things they love most.
No matter the show you find yourself in, we can all explore this season together and really ask ourselves what brings that sense of belonging to the characters we play, as well as us as Original Kids. Many of you may even consider Original Kids a home, whether it be in the rehearsal hall or on the theater stage. Original Kids is a beautiful place that brings performers, parents, and staff together to make one big and beautiful home. And as Dorothy said, there is no place like it.“
As far as our Spring 2026 season goes, that is currently in the works. I have been working hard at work, planning the next season, and am very excited for what is ahead!
Q. What show(s) will you be staging this fall (September to December)? Could you tell me a little bit about each?
DR. EXPERIMENTOR AND THE LEAGUE OF EVIL Dates: Oct. 30 – Nov. 2
Age Rating: All Ages Approx Length: 1 hour (no intermission)
Dr. Experimentor, a mastermind supervillain, must fight to maintain his membership in the infamous League of Evil. There’s just one problem — membership means defeating superhero Extremo, who happens to be his best friend! To make matters worse, Dr. Experimentor faces relentless pressure from Agnes and Abigail Anarchy, ambitious upstart villains eager for his downfall. Armed with his arsenal of ingenious inventions, Dr. Experimentor faces an impossible choice: defeat his superhero or suffer at the hands of the League!
DISNEY’S DARE TO DREAM JR. Dates: Nov. 6 – 9 Age Rating: All Ages Approx Length: 1 hour (no intermission)
Disney’s Dare to Dream Jr. is a musical revue that follows an eager group of trainees on their first day at a fictional Walt Disney Imagineering Studio. As the group sets out to help each other discover their dreams, they work together to explore the power of dreams to unite, inspire, and make anything possible. This musical revue is a thrilling mix of contemporary songs, timeless classics, and brand-new medleys that are sure to surprise and delight Disney lovers of all ages.
THE WIZARD OF OZ: YOUTH EDITION Dates: Nov. 13 – 16 Age Rating: All Ages Approx Length: 1 hour (no intermission)
Join Dorothy and her loyal companion Toto as they “Follow the Yellow Brick Road” through the Land of Oz, determined to reach the Emerald City, where the great and powerful Wizard of Oz will help them get home. Of course, along the way, Dorothy encounters witches (both good and bad), Munchkins, talking trees, and winged monkeys. But most importantly, she befriends three unique characters: a Scarecrow with no brain, a Tin Man with no heart, and a Lion with no “nerve.” Their journey to happiness – and self-awareness – is a glowing testament to friendship, understanding, and hope in a world filled with both beauty and ugliness.
MACBETH Dates: Nov. 21 – 23 Age Rating: Recommended 12+ Approx Length: 2h 10m including intermission
Set in Scotland and partly based on a true historical account, Macbeth charts the bloody rise to power and tragic downfall of the warrior Macbeth. This version will look at the classic story from a more modern perspective and explore themes of witchcraft, fate, and if we can ever really control our own destiny.
OKLAHOMA! YOUTH EDITION Dates: Nov. 27 – 30 Age Rating: All Ages Approx Length: 1 hour (no intermission)
A high-spirited rivalry between local farmers and cowboys provides a colorful background for Curly, a charming cowboy, and Laurey, a feisty farm girl, to play out their love story. Their romantic journey, as bumpy as a surrey ride down a country road, contrasts with the comic exploits of brazen Ado Annie and hapless Will Parker in a musical adventure embracing hope, determination, and the promise of a new land.
BETWEEN THE LINES JR. Dates: Dec 4 – 7 Age Rating: All Ages Approx Length: 1h 30m (no intermission)
Between the Lines is an empowering and enchanting story for anyone who has struggled to find their place in the world. An outsider in a new town and a new school, Delilah seeks comfort in the pages of her favorite book, where she feels heard and understood by the handsome Prince Oliver. But as the lines between fantasy and reality begin to blur in extraordinary ways, Delilah realizes her dreams in the real world are worth fighting for.
THE ACTOR GROWS SHOWCASE Dates: Dec 6 & 7 Age Rating: All Ages Approx Length: TBD
After weeks of training in areas such as stage movement, voice, dance, improvisation, theatre tradition, and much more, our first-year company members take to the stage!
FOOTLOOSE Dates: Dec 11 – 14 Age Rating: Recommended 12+ Approx Length: 2h 15m including intermission When Ren and his mother move from Chicago to a small farming town, he is prepared for the inevitable adjustment period at his new high school. But he’s not prepared for the rigorous local edicts, including a ban on dancing instituted by the local preacher, who is determined to exercise control over the town’s youth.
CATS Dates: Dec 18 – 21 Age Rating: All Ages Approx Length: 2h 20m including intermission.
The Jellicle Cats come out to play on one special night of the year – the night of the Jellicle Ball. One by one, they tell their stories for the amusement of Old Deuteronomy, their wise and benevolent leader, who must choose one of the Cats to ascend to The Heaviside Layer and be reborn into a whole new Jellicle life. Our version will be a bold reimagining of Cats that trades fur and whiskers for something a little more raw, more human, and a lot more personal.
MONTY PYTHON’S SPAMALOT Dates: Jan 8 – 11, 2026 Age Rating: Recommended 14+ Approx Length: 2h 15m including intermission
It’s just a flesh wound! Monty Python’s Spamalot, lovingly ripped off from the classic film comedy Monty Python and the Holy Grail, retells the legend of King Arthur and his Knights of the Round Table. Bursting with unforgettable songs, absurd humor, and zany characters, this musical is a rollicking celebration of all things Monty Python.
Q. Do you have any thoughts about the London area theatre community and your part in it?
Original Kids has been a staple in the London theatre community for 35 years, but we are just one of many amazing theatre companies that call London home. We are so proud to be a part of a community that values local talent, personal growth through the arts, trying new things with the support of others, and doing what you love. We at Original Kids prioritize fostering healthy rehearsal and production environments that help a generation of youth become well-rounded, confident, supportive, and kind individuals who will make the world a better place. We live in a very stressful world right now, and it is incredibly important to us to give children a safe space to learn and grow with people who want nothing more than to see them succeed on and off stage.
For more information about Original Kids Theatre Company and to purchase tickets, visit https://www.originalkids.ca/index.html
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Once an Original Kid, Always an Original Kid.
The Beat Magazine 2025 