Three boys of Pontypool, [ca.1934]. Ontario Jewish Archives, Blankenstein Family Heritage Centre.

The Right Road to Pontypool

By Alex Poch-Goldin

A loving chronicle of one man’s sun-kissed dream for Toronto’s working-class Jews.

In early 1900s, Moishe Yukle Bernstein built ramshackle cottages in Pontypool and enticed poor, working-class Jews to vacation there. More resorts sprang up, and that tiny town nestled in Protestant heartland of Ontario hosted 2,500 Jews every summer for over six decades. Those summers changed thousands of lives. With a vast array of characters, songs, and a healthy does of humour, The Right Road to Pontypool tells a unique and moving story of the Jewish experience in Canada.

“Remarkable new play…absolutely unforgettable…”

The Globe and Mail

“Funny and poignant by turn, and should not be missed… This play not only illuminates the past but it is also about community, family and how we pull together through both difficult and happy times… A rattling good yarn.”

Classical 93.6

Production Details

CASTING NOTE:

With 72+ characters, the play can be produced with a minimum of 10 actors playing multiple roles. It was originally produced with 38 actors.

2 Acts

By Alex Poch-Goldin

Purchase Play Script

Production History

The Right Road to Pontypool was commissioned and produced by 4th Line Theatre (Millbrook, ON) in 2009.

Published by Scirocco Drama, 2018

Cover Design by Terry Gallagher/Doowah Design

License this play? Contact