Tom Patterson Theatre

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Tom Patterson Theatre is a modern performance venue in Stratford, Ontario, on 111 Lakeside Drive along the Avon River. It opened in 2022 and is part of the Stratford Festival, offering a main theatre space and a secondary performance hall. The building was designed by Hariri Pontarini Architects and cost about CA$72 million. It has one main level and about 7,150 square meters of space.

The theatre is named after Tom Patterson, a trade journalist who helped start the Stratford Festival after World War II. Patterson wanted to bring Shakespeare to Stratford, and in the early 1950s he connected with British director Tyrone Guthrie and designer Tanya Moiseiwitsch. The first festival season began in 1953 in a tent, and the company later moved into theatres, opening the Festival Theatre in 1957. In 1971, the Stratford Festival began using the Kiwanis Centre site, which was later demolished to make way for the current theatre.

The Kiwanis site at 111 Lakeside Drive was declared surplus in 2018. The new theatre sits there on the riverfront, a landmark in the community. The design emphasizes acoustics and sustainability. The structure combines reinforced concrete below grade with a steel frame above, and curved outer framing supported by exposed steel columns. A large front canopy is supported by a single exterior column. The walls are concrete to help isolate sound, and the roof is held up by 24-meter-span trusses with hanging catwalks.

Inside, the theatre uses natural materials: oak floors and ceilings, a stage made from Canadian birch, and oak wall cladding—with walnut finishes in the main space to protect acoustics. Landscaping by Hariri Pontarini Architects, Holbrook & Associates, and The Planning Partnership includes the Ophelia Lazaridis Garden, which features a walking path and drought‑resistant native plants.

Since its opening, Tom Patterson Theatre has been a key part of the Stratford Festival, continuing the tradition of education and performances for students and teachers.