The premiere of Isle of Demons at Scarborough’s Guild Festival Theatre marks two significant milestones. First, this is the first time that the play by Governor General Award-winning playwright Robert Chafe will be performed in Toronto. Second, Helen Juvonen, Co-Artistic Director at Guild Festival Theatre (GFT), will make her GFT premiere as one of the cast.
Part tragedy and part thriller, Isle of Demons is inspired by the true story of Marguerite de la Roque de Roberval, a 16th-century French noblewoman who in 1542, while en route to Quebec, was marooned by her uncle on a remote island off northern Newfoundland for daring to love a sailor. Directed by Juvonen’s Co-Artistic Director Tyler J. Seguin, the play also features Kiera Publicover as Marguerite, Josh Johnston as Marguerite’s lover Eugene, and Juvonen as Marguerite’s maid, Damienne.
Juvonen has deep roots in Scarborough. She grew up here and attended the Music Theatre program at Wexford Collegiate before it officially became a school for the performing arts. Juvonen’s passion for theatre solidified during an impressionable experience at the Stratford Festival. While at Wexford, she visited the Stratford Festival behind the scenes, and had the chance to step onto the iconic Festival stage. “Standing on those boards in that theatre was such a thrill, and I remember saying to myself, ‘I want to be here.’ I haven’t made it there…yet…but it’s what started me down this path,” she shares.
After high school, she pursued a university degree in English and Drama Studies. “At the time, I thought I might follow a career as a director or a playwright, but acting also called to me,” she recounts. She calls herself “a bit of a magpie – picking up pieces here and there that interest me”. During her formative years, “there was no professional theatre in the area. When Guild Festival Theatre started in 2011, I was thrilled! I just wanted the opportunity to work with the company — who knew I’d end up leading it? I feel incredibly lucky to be able to work and make theatre in Scarborough and serve a local audience.” In addition to GFT, she is the founder and Artistic Director of Thought For Food Productions as well as an independent actor, director, producer, playwright and screen writer – and a Jeopardy! champion.
As Co-Artistic Director of GFT, Juvonen has a keen eye for selecting plays that resonate with contemporary audiences. Isle of Demons caught her attention a few years ago when Persistence Theatre in Newfoundland was producing it. She thought the story was fascinating, and filed it away as a play of interest. After last season’s surprise success, The Drowning Girls, which she directed, she and Seguin felt that the GFT audience was ready for something a little darker and more challenging. Isle of Demons came to mind, and being a Canadian play with strong female characters “moved it to the top of the list”.
She and Seguin did grapple with how it fit GFT’s mandate of “Classics Reimagined,” but as they researched Marguerite’s story, they discovered many different versions of the tale – some dating all the way back to the 16th century. The play’s setting also holds its own mystique. Removed from official cartographic records during the mid-17th century, the present-day location of Isle of Demons is ambiguous. Some historians theorize that the Isle of Demons is Quirpon Island. Others believe that Marguerite, her lover, and Damienne were left at Harrington Harbour, an island in the Gulf of St. Lawrence where Marguerite purportedly found shelter in a small rocky cave which is known today as Marguerite’s Cave. The elusiveness of the play’s setting lends a mystical, otherworldly allure to the story. Ultimately, “The Isle of Demons legend is a classic, even if it is a rather unknown part of history.”
And despite its historical setting, Isle of Demons explores themes that reflect urgent contemporary concerns. Juvonen believes that the play’s core message of “hope and perseverance in the worst imaginable circumstances” is especially relevant today. She notes that “considering the state of the world and what we’ve collectively been through in the last four years, Marguerite’s story is relatable to anyone – even if we don’t find ourselves in her exact situation”.
In Isle of Demons, Juvonen is returning to the stage to play Marguerite’s servant Damienne, a complex character who is navigating intense emotions under dire circumstances. She calls it a “fascinating role,” describing Damienne as “a woman who is a devoted servant and loving mother-figure, but whose love and loyalty start to break down under the pressure of their dire situation. And since these characters are living in extreme circumstances, we get to explore some intense emotions – rage, fear, joy, and more!”
Juvonen feels a strong connection to Damienne’s practical nature and her instinct for problem-solving and thinking ahead. Throughout the play, Damienne tries to warn Marguerite about her impetuousness – first in her affair with Eugene, and then in her uninformed decisions about how and where they should live on the island. “I’ve certainly found myself in situations where my experience has been dismissed or overlooked,” Juvonen reflects. “In real life, you often have to bite your tongue instead of saying ‘I told you so,’ but Damienne gets a few chances to unleash those repressed feelings!”
Balancing her roles as an artistic director and actor, Juvonen finds a unique challenge and genuine thrill in performing this play, which she helped bring to the stage: “I haven’t acted on stage in the past seven years, and this is my first time performing at The Greek Theatre. It’s exciting and a little terrifying to be stepping through those arches as an actor. But I’ve been working with GFT for so many years that it feels like home out there!” .
And for those wondering how this show fits with delightfully silly Three Men on a Bike, which GFT mounted in July, Juvonen’s got a great answer: “We’ve been describing it as the opposite of Three Men on a Bike since it’s such a different tone. However, both plays are about adventurous trips that go horribly wrong but ultimately have hopeful endings. But, of course, the stakes of Marguerite’s predicament are much higher than those of the Three Men.”
As the opening night approaches, Juvonen relishes bringing audiences on this “wild ride through Marguerite’s experiences – her highs and lows and in-betweens”, and she hopes “they’ll enjoy a few thrills, chills, and surprises along the way”. And while she anticipates that audiences will be surprised by the amount of humour in the show, she expects to hear a few gasps as well.
In closing our conversation, Juvonen extends a warm invitation: “Anyone interested in Canadian history, true stories of survival, and stories about resilient women should see this show. We’re also throwing in some thriller elements, and there’s also a touch of romance! So if you’re a fan of those genres, you’ll enjoy this production. Also, we have the most beautiful outdoor venue in the GTA! Whether you’re a Guild Park regular or if you’ve never been to a show at The Greek Theatre – this is one that fits the stage perfectly!”
Isle of Demons is on stage at the Guild Festival Theatre’s Greek Theatre until August 25, 2025. Reserve tickets at guildfestivaltheatre.ca.
© Arpita Ghosal, SesyArts Magazine, 2024
