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Close-up view looking into a metal bucket full of water, set on a tile floor. Floating in the water is a vacation photo, torn in two, of a South Asian family of five, standing in front of a sign for Niagara Falls, Canada.
Close-up view looking into a metal bucket full of water, set on a tile floor. Floating in the water is a vacation photo, torn in two, of a South Asian family of five, standing in front of a sign for Niagara Falls, Canada.

How much How much

can we truly ask of our mothers? And what must we break to create freedom for ourselves and each other?

Home Events Performance Pleiades Theatre presents: The Roof is Leaking

Pleiades Theatre presents: The Roof is Leaking

From Friday, May 2 to Sunday, May 18, 2025 – Pleiades Theatre presents the world premiere of The Roof is Leaking, written by Sanskruti Marathe and Davinder Malhi, at the Berkeley Street Upstairs Theatre. As the characters grapple with duty, love, the weight of tradition and what it means to truly see your family, the play explores the quiet endurance and unspoken sacrifices of Punjabi/South Asian women that hold their families together.

A love letter to South Asian mothers

The Roof is Leaking ਛੱਤ ਚੋਂਦੀ ਹੈ opens in the home of a middle-class Canadian-Punjabi family in Brampton, Ontario. As the death of their father brings the family to its knees, the mother of the household attempts to divorce her dead husband to recapture her personal freedom. The play asks: How much can we truly ask of our mothers? What do Punjabi families give up in order to uphold tradition? And what must we break to create freedom for ourselves and each other?

Directed by Pleiades Artistic Executive Director Ash Knight, the cast features Sarabjeet Arora, Harry Gill, Kiran Kaur, Sarena Parmar, Tia Sandhu, Harpreet Sehmbi, Harit Sohal and Dharini Woollcombe.

“Continuing our season theme of fragmentation, we explore a family fragmented by tragedy. The play explores familiar Canadian family dynamics in a comedic way while also wrestling with very serious topics. Everyone on the project has felt a need to call the important women in their lives, the ones who have sacrificed for them or educated them (moms, aunts, teachers, grandmothers, elders), and let them know how much they appreciate them. We are bringing many Punjabi-Canadian artists and creatives together to bring authenticity and cultural specificity to this truly Canadian story. After spending three years developing the piece, Pleiades is honoured to present such a moving work for its world premiere.”

– Ash Knight,

Artistic Executive Director, Pleiades Theatre

About Pleiades Theatre

Pleiades aims to redefine what it means to be Canadian by sharing stories from 1st and 2nd generation Canadians. They encourage 1st and 2nd generation storytellers – particularly artists of colour, but through intersectionality, also Deaf artists, artists with disabilities, artists living with mental illness, New Gen artists, 2SLBTQIAP artists and Indigenous artists – to create INSPIRATIONS (new, relevant plays exploring 1st and/or 2nd generation stories); TRANSLATIONS (sharing stories from other languages for all audiences); and ADAPTATIONS (exploring existing works through a new lens). Founded in 1997 by John Van Burek, then led by Andrey Tarasiuk from 2017-2023, Pleiades is now under the leadership of Artistic Executive Director Ash Knight.

Image featuring text & photograph. On the left: A close-up view looking into a metal bucket full of water, set on a tile floor. Floating in the water is a vacation photo, torn in two, of a South Asian family of five, standing in front of a sign for Niagara Falls, Canada. On the right: Pleiades proudly presents The Roof is Leaking. By Davinder Malhi & Sanskruti Marathe. Directed by Ash Knight. Berkeley Street Upstairs Theatre, 26 Berkeley Street. May 2 to 18, 2025. Assorted private sector & government sponsor logos.

(Photo credits: Pleiades Theatre.)

 

Event details

Hosted by: Pleiades Theatre 

Type of event: theatre performance

Written by: Sanskruti Marathe & Davinder Malhi

Directed by: Ash Knight

Cast: Sarabjeet Arora, Harry Gill, Kiran Kaur, Sarena Parmar, Tia Sandhu, Harpreet Sehmbi, Harit Sohal & Dharini Woollcombe.

Dates: Friday, May 2 – Sunday, May 18, 2025

Start times:

  • Wednesday – Saturday evenings @ 7:30 PM ET
  • Saturday & Sunday matinées @ 2:00 PM ET

Duration: 105 minutes (no intermission)

Cost: Tickets range from C$11.80 – C$50.00, with a tiered pay-what-you-can structure.

Location: Berkeley Street Upstairs Theatre, 26 Berkeley St., Toronto, ON, M5A 2W3

Booking link: Book your tickets here

Contact details: Pleiades Theatre, 202 – 258 Wallace Avenue, Toronto, ON, M6P 3M9, Canada; 416-203-1227, info@pleiadestheatre.org, pleiadestheatre.org

 

Content warning: Mature content and language.

Accessibility: The Berkeley Street Upstairs Theatre is not an accessible venue. Their Front of House Staff will do all they can to assist patrons, but a staircase is required to access all seating. Please contact the Box Office if you have any accessibility questions: 416-368-3110 or boxoffice@canadianstage.com. More info here.

Refund policy: All ticket sales are final and non-refundable. Tickets may be exchanged within the same production to a different performance date, provided the exchange is done no later than two hours before the performance for which the original tickets were purchased, subject to availability. The ticketholder must pay any difference in ticket price. Exchanges are subject to a $5.00 fee per ticket.