Heroes on the Air performance marking 100th anniversary of Royal Canadian Air Force returns to Toronto

The Royal Canadian Air Force (RCAF) Foundation is presenting another edition of its performance of Heroes on the Air in East Toronto during Remembrance Week.

The play will be a live radio-style theatre production commemorating 100 years of the RCAF.

Along with other RCAF stories, it will feature the story of Lt. Col. William George Barker, a fighter ace in the First World War, for the first time.

The show will bring audiences into dogfights raging in the sky and introduce one of Canada’s greatest heroes as he risks his life for the greater good. Earlier this year, another version of Heroes on the Air was performed.

“At a time of remembrance, this production reveals the human behind the hero, making real the experiences of our Canadian Heroes in the Air – the bravery, the fear, the survival, and the glory,” said the RCAF Foundation press release.

Also connected to the show is the unveiling of a monument to Barker at Scrivner Square in Toronto’s Summerhill neighbourhood this week. The unveiling will take place on Thursday, Nov. 4, with a parade up Yonge Street to follow. 

Heroes on the Air is written by acclaimed playwright Sara Moyle with musical direction by two-time JUNO Award nominee Jason Wilson.

It brings together real stories of RCAF personnel through scripted storytelling, live Foley sound effects, and music. There are five actors in the performance who will give audiences a unique and immersive tribute to Canada’s air force heritage.

Heroes on the Air honours the courage, sacrifice, and humanity of those who have served in the RCAF over the past century. The goal is to preserve these important Canadian stories by connecting generations through storytelling and live theatre.

“As a playwright, telling the true stories of heroes in the RCAF, I wanted to create a time capsule experience for the audience, bringing them back to the golden age of radio,” said Moyle.

“You are no longer reading about someone; instead, their story is animated in your ear. It’s live with sound. You’re in the moment, you’re experiencing it, you’re feeling it. It brings a different sensitivity to the listener and humanizes the experience of the heroes.”

Heroes on the Air takes place in East Toronto on Tuesday, Nov. 10, at Hugh’s Room at 296 Broadview Ave. Doors open at 7 p.m. and the show starts at 8 p.m.

Tickets are $20 in advance and $27 at the door and can be purchased at https://www.showpass.com/heroes-on-the-air-night-two/