Originally from Montreal, Deborah Hay is a Canadian actress who makes her home in Stratford, Ontario. Her most recent credits include playing ‘Edith Piaf’ in Piaf/Dietrich at the Grand Theatre and ‘Beatrice’ in Much Ado About Nothing at Chicago Shakespeare Theatre. Deborah has spent many seasons at the two largest repertory theatres in North America, the Stratford Festival and the Shaw Festival, most recently playing ‘Feste’ in Twelfth Night, and a “show-stealing” ‘Lady Gay Spanker’ in London Assurance at the Stratford Festival.
Other starring roles at Stratford include ‘Katherina’ in The Taming of the Shrew, ‘Marina’ and ‘Thaisa’ in Pericles, ‘Beatrice’ in Much Ado About Nothing, ‘Emilia’ in Othello, ‘Alice’ in Henry V, among many others. Deborah’s most recent roles at the Shaw Festival include ‘Madame Arcati’ in Blithe Spirit, all the parts in an entirely improvised production of The Game of Love and Chance, the incomparable ‘Sally Bowles’ in Cabaret, ‘the usher/God’ in Everybody, ‘Roxane’ in a highly acclaimed production of Cyrano de Bergerac, ‘Grushinskaya’ in the musical Grand Hotel, ‘Dorothea’ in the rarely performed Tennessee Williams play Lovely Sunday for Creve Coeur, ‘Eliza Doolittle’ in My Fair Lady, ‘Billie Dawn’ in Born Yesterday, ‘Hesione Hushabye’ in Heartbreak House, ‘Molly’ in One Touch of Venus, and ‘Jadis the White Witch’ in The Magician’s Nephew. Deborah has also starred in major theatres across North America, including the selected credits of ‘Jaques’ in As You Like It, and ‘Célimène’ in School for Lies at Chicago Shakespeare, ‘Jean/Donna’ in the world premiere of After the Rain (Tarragon theatre), ‘Frances’ in the world premiere of Fall on Your Knees (Canadian Stage/Neptune/NAC/Grand Theatre), ‘Nora’ in A Doll’s House part 2 (RMTC/Mirvish), ‘Mary Poppins’ in Mary Poppins (Grand Theatre), ‘Goneril’ in Lear (Groundling Theatre), ‘Rose Stopnick’ in two productions of Caroline, or Change (Musical Stage-Dora Nomination), and the North American premiere of the verbatim musical London Road (Canadian Stage - Dora award). Deborah starred for three seasons as ‘Catherine Cardinal’ in the award-winning CTV series Cardinal, opposite Billy Campbell and Karine Vanasse. Her television credits include guest stars in Good Sam (CBS), Saving Hope (CTV), Remedy (Global), Murdoch Mysteries (CBC),and Four in the Morning (CBC), and a recurring role in Five Days at Memorial (Apple). Upcoming, Deb will be returning to the Stratford Festival to play Martie in The King James Bible.
