The Judy Monologues premiered at Buddies In Bad Times Theatre in Toronto, Ontario in September of 2010 and subsequently played The Pearl Company in Hamilton, Ontario. Performed by three male actors as a tribute to Garland's influence on the gay community, the original cast included Philip Cairns, Ryan Fisher and Darren Stewart-Jones. Nigel Gough (1982-2010) was the understudy. A Garland lookalike, Kimberly Roberts, also appeared in silent vignettes. Sadly, soon after coming off the stage from his one and only performance in The Judy Monologues, actor Nigel Gough was killed in a traffic accident while riding his bicycle. He was just 28 years old.
An abridged version of The Judy Monologues was performed in London, Ontario as part of the London One Act Festival in April, 2011. Philip Cairns won Best Actor at the festival's awards ceremony. The play also received two additional awards - special mentions for the concept and the audio/visual content.
The Judy Monologues enjoyed a successful run at the 2012 Toronto Fringe Festival with Michael Hughes replacing Ryan Fisher in his role. Michael's own Garland-influenced solo show, Mickey & Judy, was awarded Best of Toronto Fringe the previous year.
"These three formidable actors perform a polished rendition of the recordings. They become Judy’s voice. Re-instating her status as gay icon – and honouring her fame."
- Toronto's Mooney On Theatre
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| Elley-Ray as Garland in The Judy Monologues |
In 2013, director Darren Stewart-Jones revamped The Judy Monologues
into a one-woman show. Elley-Ray Hennessy played the role of Garland to
rave reviews at the 2013 Hamilton Fringe Festival. That same production
also played The One More Night Festival at The Box Toronto. The
Hamilton Spectator's theatre critic called Elley-Ray "Garland reborn".
"What playwright Darren Stewart-Jones and actress Elley-Ray Hennessy have captured brilliantly in The Judy Monologues is the essence of a great star confronting her past."
- Gary Smith, The Hamilton Spectator
"What playwright Darren Stewart-Jones and actress Elley-Ray Hennessy have captured brilliantly in The Judy Monologues is the essence of a great star confronting her past."
- Gary Smith, The Hamilton Spectator
Elley-Ray reprised her role as Garland in The Judy Monologues at the 2015 SpringWorks Festival in Stratford, Ontario.
The script for The Judy Monologues is available at most online E-book retailers.
