About this Event
Celebrated indie theatre company Riot King Art Market is back on stage this November with Radiant Vermin by playwright Philip Ridley, playing November 12th to the 22nd, 2026 at The Red Sandcastle Theatre in Toronto’s beautiful East End.
Ollie and Jill want to tell you about their dream home. Some of the things they did to get it, you might find shocking. But they want you to know they did it all for their baby…
Radiant Vermin is a wickedly comedic satire about a young couple who are offered a way onto the property ladder that may turn out to be too good to be true. Through a whirlwind retelling of everything they’ve done to get their dream home, Ollie and Jill show us just how far we might go to build a better life for ourselves. Playful, provocative, and viciously sharp, this outrageous dark comedy comments on the housing crisis, homelessness, and what it really takes to support a family in today’s world. It will leave Toronto audiences shocked, thrilled, and feeling a little more connected to everyone who calls this city home.
Content Advisory: Strong language, mature themes, discussions of violence.
Toronto’s Sebastian Biasucci directs this production. Sebastian is currently an Associate Member of The Howland Company, where he helps lead the Howland Reading Group, where he first came across Radiant Vermin. He has also held assistant directing positions with prolific Canadian directors like Weyni Mengesha and Richard Rose.
“The play asks uncomfortable questions about the value we place on property, who we believe deserves a home, and how easily we can distance ourselves from our unhoused neighbours. At a time when housing affordability, homelessness, and the rising cost of living are affecting so many people in our city, Radiant Vermin allows us to laugh, feel uncomfortable, and ultimately look more closely at the world we have created around us. As the director, I’m excited to bring this challenging and darkly comic play to Toronto audiences with a small group of exceptional artists.” - Sebastian Biasucci, Director
This three-hander is helmed by Canadian theatre icon Lisa Horner (Mirvish, Shaw Festival, Stratford Festival), Riot King company member Katherine Cappellacci (Young People’s Theatre, 4th Line Theatre, Tweed & Company Theatre), and Toronto newcomer Ziye Hu (Stratford Festival, Mirvish, Tweed & Company Theatre).
The creative team also includes stage manager Zahra Esmail (Canadian Opera Company, Small but Mighty, A Moment for Frayed Nerves TO Fringe), lighting design by Toronto & New York City based Natasha Rotondaro (Global Forms Festival, Second Avenue Dance Company, NYU Tisch), set and costume design by Amelia Mielke-O’Grady (Talk is Free Theatre, Nightwood Theatre, Crow’s Theatre), and sound design by Zach Parsons (Tottering Biped, Assembly Theatre, One For One Productions). Rounding out the production team are Riot King company members Brendan Kinnon and Lindsey Middleton. Over the past few years, the Dora Award-winning company has been taking Toronto’s indie theatre scene by storm. After their critically-acclaimed Spring 2026 production of The Moors by Jen Silverman, the team is excited to bring another fast paced dark comedy to Toronto audiences.
Event venue & nearby stays
Red Sandcastle Theatre, 922 Queen Street East, Toronto, Canada
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