Introducing
The Tail of Burro'd Theatre
In the Spring of 2018, Iain Moggach was faced with an opportunity; no summer plans, a love of Shakespeare, and an empty backyard.
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He decided to call up a troupe of talented actor friends, and mounted a full indie production of A Midsummer Night's Dream. Performances ran from mid-August to September in the backyard of his home, and included log set pieces, hot-glued fairy-wear, and floodlights they borrowed from a neighbor. In the end, almost the entire run sold out, proving Simcoe County was hungry for indie theatre - and Iain proposed to his now-wife (who was playing Helena) on opening night.
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Burro'd was born - and named - out of the success of that first run. The production took place in a residential neighbourhood, supported by and grown from our community (our 'good neighbours', in a wider sense), and happened because of some scrappy, determined artists digging (burrowing) in with what they had. Burro'd is also a literal nod to the landmark first production - Bottom's donkey transformation in A Midsummer Night's Dream. And of course, the ability to use that foundation for a myriad of puns was a strong selling point.
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The next year, Burro'd came back even bigger with a touring production of Macbeth in Summer 2019 with performances in Friday Harbour, the Five Points Theatre, and of course the backyard where it all began. The run once again almost sold out completely, and the stage was set for mounting an even more expansive tour of The Merry Wives of Windsor in the Summer of 2020.
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But of course, 2020 did not go as planned. The pandemic brought a pause to Burro'd's growth, though Iain still found a way to make theatre happen safely through a filmed collection of Shakespeare scenes and monologues performed by local actors - all cast against type, gender, age range, and setting - in roles they might otherwise never get to play. SOLUS streamed 'live' in August 2021, providing a creative outlet and income for the artists involved while in-person theatre was still waiting in the wings.​
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Pre-pandemic, Burro'd Theatre kickstarted Simcoe County's local indie-theatre scene and brought accessible classical theatre back to Barrie.
Now, we're wiser, (much) older, and ready to take these 'Asses' to the next level.
Our Core Values
​Arts work is work
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A key tenant of the origin of Burro'd Theatre is the belief that artists deserve to be paid for their time & contributions. That is why every Burro'd production and initiative operates on an equal-split profit-share model for all involved. We purposefully keep production costs low and focus on showcasing raw, local talent to ensure that each share is as high a pay-out as possible.
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Theatre can happen anywhere
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Big budgets are great - and should contribute to even higher pay for artists involved - but theatre can happen without grants, sponsors, light grids, sound systems, and auditorium seating. Indie theatre has the power to fill and activate unexpected spaces, and provide up-close and intimate audience experiences that just cannot happen in traditional venues. The concept of 'play' is so important in the art of theatre, and indie theatre has the power to play with settings, partnerships, and locations in addition to the text on the page.
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The play is the thing
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Quite literally, a play's text is the foundation for everything. As a director, Iain believes in the power of the written word and that thorough text work pays off tenfold in getting a script on it's feet. Not only does putting the text front and center help make theatre more accessible, diving deeper into what is already on the page enables artists to find the drama, tragedy, and humour that is already there. If script usage rights allow, Burro'd may make cuts for time and brevity - but the meaning on the page remains, and provides the foundation for the production as a whole.
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Classics are for everyone
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​While some Burro'd productions are debuts of new scripts, Iain loves diving into a classic show. He believes Shakespeare, Chekov, Euripides, Shaw, and more wrote for the masses - and should be able to be enjoyed by anyone and everyone. When Iain directs a classical text, he always starts the rehearsal process by ensuring every cast member understands each other, and their own lines, thoroughly. If an actor knows word-by-word exactly what they are saying, they are much better able to convey that meaning to any audience member - and that hard work has paid off ten-fold in our Shakespeare productions to date!
The Head Ass of Burro'd Theatre
Photo by Jen Klementti
Iain Moggach
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Iain proudly told his parents he was only going to work in theatre at the ripe age of 10 years old. After graduating from George Brown Theatre School, Iain ran Theatre by the Bay in Barrie for 9 years, producing more than 24 productions and directing across seven cities in a variety of styles. He is now an award-winning professional theatre producer, director, and educator, and was signed to The Talent House in 2023.
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For Burro'd Theatre, he directed A Midsummer Nights Dream, SOLUS, and the pandemic-cancelled Merry Wives of Windsor. He also adapted and directed Burro'd's 2025 production of Anton Chekhov's The Seagull. On stage, you might recognize him from Burro'd Theatre's Macbeth (Macbeth), Theatre by the Bay's The Five Points (Ensemble), and Mariposa Arts Theatre's Vanya and Sonia and Masha and Spike (Spike).​
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Awards and Special Recognition:
Mayor's Innovation Awards Finalist | Creative Collaboration (with Camphill Communities Ontario) - 2025
Barrie Arts Awards | Contribution to the Community - 2024
Community Builder Award | Arts Category - 2023
Barrie Advance Readers’ Choice Awards | Best Live Theatre - 2017-2023
Barrie Advance Readers’ Choice Awards | Best Theatre Instructor - 2017-2023
Mayor’s Innovation Awards Winner | Creative Collaboration (for The Ghost Watchers) - 2021
Tootsie Awards | One to Watch - 2021
Barrie Business Awards | Not-for-Profit/Charitable Organization of the Year - 2021
Mayor’s Innovation Awards | Most Innovative Not-for-Profit/Charitable Organization of the Year - 2019
George Brown College Alumni Awards | Alumni Leadership Award - 2019
Barrie Business Awards | Young Professional of the Year - 2019
Tourism Barrie’s ‘Toast to Tourism Awards’ | Tourism Champion - 2019​
Camphill Venue Partnership
Burro'd is excited to have found a true Venue Partner in Camphill Communities Ontario. After a successful run of The Seagull in Nov 2025 as their pilot project, the beautiful Novalis Hall in Angus, Ontario will house our full Summer 2026 production of A Midsummer Night's Dream.
More details coming soon!
Rebrand Design by Rhubarb Media
When Iain started prepping to kick Burro'd back into full gear, he immediately went to his talented friends at Rhubarb Media for a new, refreshed logo. The Rhubarb team went above and beyond, and the complete new rebrand you see on this site today is because of their hard (and incredible) work!
