Bluebirds

by Vern Thiessen

Étaples, France, 1918. In the final year of the First World War, three Canadian nurses, Christy, Maggie, and Bab, serve on the front lines of care, tending to wounded soldiers while navigating the daily realities of war.

Amid the urgency and strain of their work, the women form deep connections, finding moments of humour and relief in one another. Through conversations, letters home, and quiet reflection, their inner lives begin to surface. Maggie longs for the life and love she left behind. Christy wrestles with the expectations of her marriage and her own sense of self. Bab yearns for connection and a future that feels just out of reach.

Lyrical and deeply human, Bluebirds explores both the toll of war and the emotional lives of the women who endured it. Their stories unfold through memory, silence, and fleeting moments of intimacy, creating a moving tribute to courage, compassion, and the strength of those so often overlooked in history.

"A Victory of a Play" — The Globe and Mail

“A powerful and moving… truly Canadian play.” — BurlingtonToday

“A timely tribute to the nurses” of the First World War — Surrey Now-Leader

Accolades:

Vern’s work has been widely celebrated, earning him the Dora Mavor Moore and Elizabeth Sterling Haynes Awards for Outstanding New Play, along with the Carol Bolt Award, the Gwen Pharis Ringwood Award, and the prestigious Governor General’s Literary Award for Drama—Canada’s highest honour for a playwright.

Duration: 90 minutes with no intermission

Recommended Audience: 16+

Content Advisory: This production includes themes of war, injury, and loss that may be emotionally affecting for some viewers.

Dates and Times:

Tickets:

Bluebirds is produced by arrangement with Kensington Literary Representation, 34 St. Andrew Street, Toronto, ON, M5T 1K6, kensingtonlit@rogers.com.