A Fall of Theatre 2017 in Victoria BC. September-December.

A Fall of Theatre 2017 in Victoria BC. September-December.

In the last five year period, the number of shows produced has almost tripled.  This fall sees a record 70+ productions, festivals and special events from musicals to improvised theatre,  cabaret to drama, radio plays to solo shows, on stages big and small  in the Capital Region.  Don’t let anyone tell you Victoria is a cultural backwater.  Our ticket prices continue to be some of the lowest in the nation with many opportunities to attend low-cost previews, pay-what-you-can and by-donation events.  The quality of productions and performances is high, whether presented by professional, alternative, emerging or community theatres.

If your event is not listed here, please contact me.

September

The Birdmann ‘Greatest Hits’
September 7
Metro Studio Theatre

Multiple Pick of the Fringe winner & festival favourite The Birdmann flies back into town for a one-night only show, featuring the greatest hits and classic bits from his past hit shows.

Jeeves Takes a Bow
Chemainus Theatre Festival
September 8-30

Bertie Wooster has bitten off more of The Big Apple than he can chew. All attempts to inflict his charming ineptitude on America and break into show biz are foiled by a kooky childhood friend “Binky” and vengeful thug “Knuckles McCann”. Will his illustrious manservant Jeeves save the scene and the day?

The Children’s Republic by Hannah Moscovitch, directed by Christian Barry
Premiere
Belfry Theatre
September 12-October 8

The Children’s Republic is based on the true and inspirational tale of Dr. Janusz Korczak’s selfless journey to bring safety to Polish-Jewish orphans within the Warsaw Ghetto. His struggle to advocate for children’s rights and to shelter his orphans from the horrors of the war ended with his death in 1942. A powerful and true story of beauty, heroism and legacy in a world devoid of freedom and even the necessities of life.

Nomadic Tempest a climatopian rock opera
Caravan Victoria Festival
September 13-17 and 20-24

Performed aboard the Amara Zee, The Caravan Stage Company’s 90 foot Tall Ship, a replica of a Thames River Sailing Barge. Audiences gather on the shore and experience original music, soaring vocals, aerial artistry and large scenic elements backed by spectacular lighting and sound effects combined to create the visual and auditory feast that has enthralled audiences of all ages in North America and Europe. Performing in areas most impacted by rising sea levels and the realities of forced migration due to Climate Change The Caravan is a diverse, volunteer driven Company bringing the arts to shores near you.

God is a Scottish Drag Queen, the Second Coming by Mike Delamont
September 16
Farquhar Auditorium, University of Victoria

God Is A Scottish Drag Queen returns with an all-new two act comedy of biblical proportions! God comes down to skewer everything from the 10 Commandments to Donald Trump in an unforgettable night of comedy!

Peek-Fest, a Festival of New Work
produced by Impulse Theatre
Intrepid Theatre Club
September 22-24

Impulse Theatre’s PEEK-FEST is a new festival for emerging performing artists in Victoria. The festival offers exciting new looks at work in development from some of the province’s most innovative creators, while seeking to grow the artistic development of local artists through showcases and workshops.

Puppets for Peace
September 23-24

A celebration of UN Peace Day during Canada’s 150th birthday. Puppet artists, musicians and family performers offer performances and hands-on workshops before and during the festival weekend. Culminating with a giant puppet parade linking the Fairfield Gonzales

Puppets for Peace – community to Rockland’s Government House.

The Good Soldier Schweik by Michael John Nimchuk, directed by Don Keith
Theatre Inconnu
1923 Fernwood Road in the Paul Phillips Hall (Fernwood Community Association)
September 26-October 14, 2017

Nimchuk’s adaptation of Jaroslav Hašek’s 1923 great anti-war satirical novel was a model of experimentation in the early heyday of Canada’s alternative theatre movement.
“Clarity, charm and great style… daring.” Globe and Mail (1969)

Girl in the Gold Fish Bowl by Morris Panych, directed by Janet Munsil
Langham Court Theatre
September 27-October 14

“My mother says you know when you’re grown up: it’s the moment you stop being happy and start remembering when you used to be.” As Amahl the goldfish is flushed away, precocious pre-teen Iris savours the final golden hours of her childhood¬¬ amid threats of an atomic disaster, the disintegration of her parents’ marriage, and the arrival of a mysterious stranger who washes up on the doorstep.

“An uncommon, quirky blend of humour and compassion” National Post

“Equal parts Pinter, Orton and Disney” Variety

Bulb Duet by Chase Hiebert
University of Victoria Student Alternative Theatre SATCo
September 27-30 at 12:45pm
Phoenix Theatre

October

The Devil of Mondisque by Andrew Fraser
University of Victoria Student Alternative Theatre SATCo
October 4-6 at 12:45pm
Phoenix Theatre

Acting Classes by Wendy Merk
Langham Court Theatre
October 5th to November 9th.

scene study, monologues, cold readings! Taught by actor and director WENDY MERK. Langham Court Theatre, Thursday evenings, 7 to 9 p.m. October 5th to November 9th (no class October 26).  5 classes for $80, payable at the first class by cash or cheque. For more information contact Wendy at coventrycarollers@gmail.com

Antigone by Sophocles, directed by Eliza Gardiner
William Head on Stage (WHoS)
October 6-November 4
19+ and must have ID; advance tickets only—none available at the door

A sci-fi remount of the tragedy by Sophocles with a restorative twist.

Revised, designed, and performed by the men of WILLIAM HEAD ON STAGE.

Live Group Sex Therapy
PRODUCER: Dick Loss Prevention/Ryan Levis
An Intrepid Theatre YOU Show, Intrepid Theatre Club
October 7, 2017

Ryan Levis, author of Dick Loss Prevention, is bringing his style of utterly vulgar comedy sex education to the YOU Show Series. If you’ve A, got a dick, or B, enjoy the occasional dick this show is bound to leave you in stitches thinking about how a dick can be a beautiful thing. It’s comedy dick jokes to raise the bar on how dudes do it. So shelve that knee jerk offended-ness and preconceived idea of how sex education is boring, and come along on a hilarious journey to discover the magical satisfaction that dicks have to offer!

The show deconstructs the sexual stereotypes of masculinity and attempts to encourage men into more pro-social sexual and mental health practices.

Drops in a Broken Fountain by Emma Leck
University of Victoria Student Alternative Theatre SATCo
October 11-13 at 12:45pm
Phoenix Theatre

Two One-act Dramas directed by Michael King
St Luke’s Players
October 11-22

The Twelve Pound Look

On the eve of his knighthood,

Harry Sims is full of the great things he considers he has achieved. But the typist hired to answer his messages of congratulations has a fearlessness and humour that is alarming. No comparison to his cowed, joyless wife.

Separate Tables: Table Number 7

Set in a shabby genteel hotel on England’s south coast,

a ‘self-made’ army colonel finds solace with a spinster—over the objections of her ruthless, domineering mother. A sordid scandal threatens. Will Miss Cooper manage to save the day?

TK421 is Dead by Charles Ross and Rod Peter Jr
Victoria Event Centre
October 12

It is a time of turmoil. In a galaxy teetering on the brink of war. Terrorist atrocities savage the land and threaten to destroy galactic order. A new ultimate weapon stands as the only beacon of peace and hope. Meanwhile, TK411 stands guard over top-secret garbage. It is his honour to serve. 40 minutes of work. 5 minutes to eat. 15 minutes to rest. And so the cycle goes. Forever and ever and ever… ?

Fresh off the Edmonton Fringe, Charles Ross and Rod Peter Jr. bring their smash hit TK421 is Dead to Victoria, B.C. for the very first time. As the creators of One Man Star Wars and Kitt and Jane, this dynamic duo brings you a beautifully crafted, compelling look into the bleak lives of the more overlooked, background characters of a beloved franchise. This bizarre oddity will leave any Star Wars fan delighted and wanting more.

All proceeds will be donated to the Victoria Poetry Project and the Vic Slam Team, competing at Canadian Festival of Spoken Word in Peterborough, Ontario.

UVic Phoenix Theatre
SPOTLIGHT ON ALUMNI
WEST: A Tribute to BC Trailblazers
October 12 – 21, 2017
A double bill by Histrionics Theatre Company

Lady Overlander
The Fred Wells Show

Featuring:
Danette Boucher (BFA ‘89, MA ‘11)
James Douglas (BA English ‘ 00)

Celebrate Canada’s 150th anniversary with two short solo plays profiling two of our nation’s pioneering spirits. Travel with Catherine O’Hare Schubert in Lady Overlander for a lively first-person account of the legendary woman who – while pregnant! – walked from Winnipeg to Kamloops in 1862 with dreams of finding gold and a home in a tantalizing new land called British Columbia. Then, join charismatic American prospector Fred Marshall Wells in The Fred Wells Show, and experience the discovery of the fabled motherlode during BC’s Depression-era gold rush of the 1930s.

Stolen Graces
CorAx Productions
October 12-22
Intrepid Theatre Club

Stolen Graces is a historical drama set in New York in 1919. Set against the backdrop of Major League Baseball, it is the tale of four young people, hopelessly ensnared in a tragic love quadrangle that will tear their lives apart. Steeped in deception, seduction, gambling, and deceit, this show is stranger than fiction in every way. The names Hal Chase and Heinie Zimmerman have been lost to history, but Stolen Graces brings them back in living, breathing color.

Silent Sky
Chemainus Theatre Festival
October 13-November 4

Henrietta Leavitt sees greatness in the stars – if only others saw the brilliance in her. While many earthly complications stand in her way, her astonishing discoveries of astronomy, family, and love will change everyone’s (outer) worldly perspective.

Based on the true story and science of early 20th century female “computers” at Harvard Observatory. Astonishing discoveries await Henrietta Leavitt as she maps distant stars in galaxies beyond our own. But this brilliant, headstrong pioneer must struggle for recognition in the man’s world of turn-of-the-century astronomy. In this exquisite blend of science, history, family ties, and fragile love, a passionate young woman must map her own passage through a society determined to keep a woman in her place. Finalist for the Jane Chambers Award 2013.

The Odd Couple (female version)
Peninsula Players
Berwick Royal Oak
October 13th, 14th & 15^th
Mary Winspear Centre – Charlie White Theatre
October 20th, 21st & 22^nd
Tickets: https://tickets.marywinspear.ca/TheatreManager/1/online?event=0

Unger and Madison are at it again! Florence Unger and Olive Madison, that is, in this hilarious contemporary comic classic: the female version of “The Odd Couple.” Instead of the poker party that begins the original version, Ms. Madison has invited the girls over for an evening of Trivial Pursuit. The Pidgeon sisters have been replaced by the two Constanzuela brothers, but the hilarity remains the same.

Cleopatra
Ballet Étoile Canada
October 14/15
Dave Dunnett Community Theatre, Oak Bay High School

A compelling portrayal of the most powerful and notorious woman of the ancient world. Be swept away to the luxury and opulence of ancient Egypt in this original ballet, which follows Cleopatra’s journey from an exiled Princess to a powerful warrior Queen and living Goddess.

Admired for her stunning beauty and sharp intellect, Cleopatra risks everything in her alliances and scandalous love affairs with Julius Caesar and Marc Antony, and pays the ultimate price for following her heart. Fighting for a voice in a world ruled by men, Cleopatra stands alone as a courageous leader, who dared to take on the Roman Empire, and for a brief moment held the fate of the Western world in her hands.

Red Death
Launch Pad Theatre
Craigdarroch Castle
October 17^th – 31^st

A brand new Halloween Spectacular. The gothic and the groovy will meet as you travel back to the psychedelic soul sounds of the seventies and throughout the rooms of Craigdarroch Castle during this dramatic new staging of some of the most unsettling stories of Edgar Allan Poe – It’s the end of the world and the last days of Disco!
18+ and remember, there are 87 steps and no elevator

Onegin by Amiel Gladstone & Vedda Hille
Belfry Theatre
October 17-November 12

Based on the poem by Pushkin and the opera by Tchaikovsky.

A lush, passionate and acclaimed new musical about trying not to fall in love. When Onegin, a dashing but jaded aristocrat from St. Petersburg, inherits his uncle’s estate in the country, his arrival sets hearts afire and stirs the embers of jealousy. Even the reclusive young Tatyana falls hopelessly under the spell of the aloof Onegin, and professes her love for him. Will playing with lonely Russian hearts reap heartbreak or romance?

Rocky Horror Show
presented by Atomic Vaudeville
October 18-22, and 25-27, with 2 shows on both the 22 and 27; possible holdover on the 29th
Metro Studio Theatre

The Rocky Horror Show: LIVE is back at https://www.eventbrite.ca/e/charles-dickens-the-old-curiosity-shop-tickets-37771385230the Metro Theatre for another high-energy, audience participation, no-holds barred, performance to make you shiver with antici… pation.

Newly engaged sweethearts Brad and Janet become stranded with a flat tire during a storm – their only ray of light coming from the mansion of mad scientist Dr. Frank-N-Furter (Griffin Leonard Lea). As their innocence is tested, they meet a houseful of wild characters. Directed by Atomic Vaudeville’s Britt Small, and featuring some of Victoria’s best performance and design talent, this show is a high energy cult-classic that has to be experienced.

Dicken’s The Old Curiosity Shop by Simon Webb
Company C, the Canadian College of Performing Arts
October 19-22

Little Nell must rescue her grandfather from his crippling debt by running away together. With nothing but her wits and innate goodness, she encounters a host of Dickens’ richest characters.

The Old Curiosity Shop was bigger than Harry Potter when it became a breakout hit in 1841. Fans rioted at the New York docks when the final monthly installment from England arrived.

The Incompleat Folk Singer performed by Mark Hellman
Brentwood Bay Emporium
October 19^th, 7:30pm

A tour-de-force solo performance, by Mark Hellman, based on the book “The Incompleat Folksinger”, written by Pete Seeger and first published in 1972. Adapted by Ross Desprez and Mark Hellman, directed by Ross Desprez, with musical direction by Tobin Stokes.

Atomic Vaudeville Hallowe’en cabaret
Victoria Event Centre
October 20, 21, 27, 28 & 31

“Picture if you will: You’ve carved your jack-o-lantern for All Hallows’ Eve and decided on a costume, when suddenly you see something from the corner of your eye; a flash of terror, an uneasy cackle, a dance-off from beyond the grave. You try to make sense of it all, but something seems… off… your mind races, your palms are sweaty, your breath is shallow, your pupils – dilated. Was that scary clown a sloth?”

A Closer Walk with Patsy Cline
Little Bowes’ Street Collective
October 20-29 (20/21 at Teechamitsa Theatre Colwood, October 27-29 CCPA)

A Closer Walk with Patsy Cline chronicles the life of one of the most influential female country singers of all time, Patsy Cline. In this highly acclaimed musical follow Patsy Cline and her rise to stardom, from her hometown in Virginia, to Carnegie Hall! Featuring some of her greatest hits, including “I Fall to Pieces”, “Walkin’ After Midnight” and “Crazy”.

The Gathering presented by the Bahai Community of Victoria
A gift to the community—FREE
October 20/21/22
October 20/21 at the Glenlyon Norfolk Theatre
October 22 at the Parkland Secondary Theatre, Sidney

Drawing inspiration from a traditional Hopi legend and the writings of Baha’u’llah, The Gathering is a contemporary blend of story, music and dance affirming our origin as one human family and offering a glimpse of our noble destiny.

CANCELLED
Red Umbrella Theatre Festival
Fisgard Street Forum
October 20-22
this festival will be re-scheduled at a later date.

We are hoping to offer up to sixteen different and thought provoking half hour long pieces. Ranging from original works to segments from already existing pieces.

So please join us in our inaugural event!

Rollercoaster by TJ Dawe, presented by Recreation Oak Bay
October 21
Dave Dunnett Community Theatre at Oak Bay High

Award-winning playwright/actor/director and Fringe Festival veteran TJ Dawe (Burn Job, Medicine, Marathon, The Slipknot) brings his latest solo show to Victoria, BC for a Vancouver Island debut.

Take this ride with TJ Dawe as he weaves together a story about a visit to Orlandos theme parks with his anxieties about a Donald Trump led world, the collapse of civilization, and an exploration of who our real gods are.

Show is suitable for audience members ages 13 and up.

TJ Dawe Theatre Workshop: How To Create Your Own Solo Show
October 21/22

Join award-winning playwright/actor/director and Fringe Festival veteran TJ Dawe for this two day intensive workshop that will guide you through the process of how to turn your stories and ideas into a solo performance piece. Always a Fringe Festival favourite, and also an experienced group facilitator, TJ Dawe has built a career writing, performing and directing solo shows internationally. This is an amazing opportunity to learn from a seasoned professional artist, and to finally get started on that performance piece you’ve been thinking about creating!

There is a bursary option available which can cover up to 80% of registration fees for this workshop to those facing financial barriers please apply online: Theatre Workshop Bursary Application

A Murder on Paper Street, an Improvised Agatha Christie
Paper Street Theatre
October 25th-28^th
Intrepid Theatre Club

When a body turns up on Paper Street it’s up to this vintage cast of colourful cliché characters to discover who did it, how it was done, and who’s next! Inspired by the best selling author of all time, Agatha Christie, this fully improvised mystery will have you on the edge of your tweed-covered seat until the final reveal!

Calling Home: Stories from Military Families, written by Kris Atwood
SNAFU Dance Theatre
October 26
FREE
Belfry Theatre Studio A, 1291 Gladstone Avenue

Calling Home is a documentary play about Canadian Army, Navy and Air Force members stationed in Afghanistan, separated by huge distances and trying to keep the sense of family alive for months at a time. Family members speak about “family being doled out in 15 minute increments” via skype, telephone and snail mail.

A Participant in the Belfry’s New Incubator Project. With support from the CRD.

The Haunting of Langham Court Theatre
Readers’ Theatre at Langham Court Theatre
October 28

Langham Court Theatre, a playhouse since 1929, is haunted by a ghost known as the Lady of the Loft, seen by both theatre staff and patrons. Witness true tales of ghostly encounters, floating objects, mysterious voices and terrifying apparitions. Followed by a Hallowe’en Party celebration. Ghoulish goodies will be served and costumes are encouraged.  By donation.

Murder at the Granby Claim by Enigmatic Events
Duke Saloon
October 30

Come and discover who killed the Sheriff at the Granby Claim. You will need to use all your investigative skills and ask questions throughout the the evening to uncover the details of the murder. Actors will be playing the role of the key townsfolk, as you mingle with them and other guests throughout the evening. Follow your Sherlock Holmes instincts, and once the you’ve eliminated the impossible, the improbable must be the truth.

Come enjoy a fun, unique evening at a venue that is perfectly suited to carry the theme of this old west murder mystery!

Dress-up highly encouraged.

War of the Worlds radio play
Blue Bridge Repertory Theatre
Roxy Theatre (Quadra Village)
October 31, 7 pm

The War of the Worlds is an episode of the American radio drama anthology series The Mercury Theatre on the Air. It was performed as a Halloween episode of the series on Sunday, October 30, 1938, and aired over the Columbia Broadcasting System radio network. Directed and narrated by actor and future filmmaker Orson Welles, the episode was an adaptation of H. G. Wells’ novel The War of the Worlds (1898). It became famous for allegedly causing mass panic, although the scale of the panic is disputed as the program had relatively few listeners. From Wikipedia.

November

 

RATTENBURY  Music and libretto by Tobin Stokes
Pacific Opera Victoria in collaboration with The Other Guys Theatre Company
November 3 to 12, 2017, at the Baumann Centre
Staged Premiere

The tempestuous life and death of Victoria’s most notorious architect.

Meet Francis Rattenbury, architect of Victoria’s Parliament Buildings and Empress Hotel – self-promoter, adulterer, alcoholic … and murder victim. Victoria-based composer Tobin Stokes tells the story of the architect whose murder by his young wife’s teenage lover led to one of the most sensational murder trials of the 1930s. Internationally renowned tenor Richard Margison performs the title role in this new opera about – and for – Victoria.

Chorus Line Cabaret 20: Frank Loesser by Gotta Getta Gimmick
Langham Court Theatre
November 3

Gotta Getta Gimmick celebrates our 20th cabaret with the legendary music and lyrics of Frank Loesser.

Each and every one of us knows at least a handful of Loesser’s songs – whether Tin Pan Alley, the second World War, Hollywood or his unforgettable Broadway scores including Guys and Dolls, How To Succeed in Business Without Really Trying and The Most Happy Fella.

A Thousand Anxious Nights by Dana Neily
An Intrepid Theatre YOU Show, Intrepid Theatre Club
November 3

There’s nothing funnier than a serious mental illness! Spoken word performer Dana Neily attempts to unravel the truth about the lies we tell ourselves, starting with the biggest one we were told as children: YOU CAN BE ANYTHING YOU WANT TO BE. Through poetry and storytelling, common tales like celebrating your nineteenth birthday, not punching people at funerals, and the power of friendship from beyond the grave, will be told and turned over in the light of Dana’s experiences with anxiety and depression.

 

Are We Clear? by Bridget Roberts & Jasmine Li
An Intrepid Theatre YOU Show, Intrepid Theatre Club
November 4

It’s not as simple as you see. The red jelly bean isn’t always strawberry. The green one isn’t always apple. The people you see everyday have different stories than yours. Are We Clear? is a devised piece created by UVic theatre students striving to uncover the world of invisible disabilities. The Victoria community has been integral in our devising process, sharing their experiences with us. When you see someone constantly misspelling a word, do you think she’s dumb? Or do you consider that she might have dyslexia? How about when a young man takes the priority seat on a bus, do you see him as disrespectful? Or could he have chronic pain? These are just a couple of examples you could see on a daily basis. Come together with us to reevaluate what it is to be “normal”.

The Secret Garden
Kaleidoscope Theatre for Young People
November 4-5
Macpherson Theatre

Based on the novel by Frances Hodgson Burnett, and adapted for the stage by Kaleidoscope’s Artistic Director, Roderick Glanville, this classic story of the healing powers of love and family connection is as relevant now as it was when first published in 1911. Kaleidoscope’s adaptation of the Secret Garden was last produced in 2014, and we’re delighted to be giving it a fully realized stage for the first time.

Madwoman of Chaillot,
University of Victoria Phoenix Theatre
November 9 – 25, 2017
By Jean Giraudoux
Adapted by Maurice Valency
Directed by Conrad Alexandrowicz

“One of the most interesting and rewarding plays to have been written within the last twenty years.” – NEW YORK DRAMA CRITICS’ CIRCLE

Welcome to the whimsical world of Countess Aurelia, a flamboyant holdover from a less cynical time. She whiles away her days sharing her joie de vivre and cryptic wisdom with everyone she encounters until corrupt businessmen discover oil beneath her Paris neighbourhood. With everything she holds dear suddenly under threat, the Countess is driven to unite the artists, vagabonds, oddballs and dreamers of Chaillot to fight back. A poetic and comic fable of the triumph of good over evil originally written in 1943 during the Nazi occupation of Paris, this play has a whole new relevance in our current era of pipelines and protests.

Recommended for ages 13+

High School Musical
Four Seasons Musical Theatre
November 9-12 Dave Dunnett Community Theatre (Oak Bay High)
November 17-29 Claremont High Theatre

Disney Channel’s smash hit movie musical comes to life on your stage!

It’s the first day after winter break at East High. The Jocks, Brainiacs, Thespians and Skater Dudes find their cliques, recount their vacations and look forward to the new year. Basketball team captain and resident jock, Troy, discovers that the brainy Gabriella, a girl he met singing karaoke on his ski trip, has just enrolled at East High. They cause an upheaval when they decide to audition for the high school musical that is being led by Ms. Darbus. Although many students resent the threat posed to the “status quo,” Troy and Gabriella’s alliance might just open the door for others to shine as well!

Shadow Kingdom
Mochinosha & Mystical Wishes Puppet Company
November 9/10
Intrepid Theatre Club

A magical puppet tale for the whole family, from Pick of the Fringe winners Mochinosha (Space Hippo, 2016).

Shadow Kingdom is a brand new show done in the cinematic shadow puppetry style of the hit show Space Hippo but aimed at young people and the young at heart. It is an hour long and features original music by Elliott Loran. The show deals with the modern day phenomenon of FOMO (fear of missing out), one of the leading causes of sleep depravation, which in turn is hurting our dream life and imaginations. This is a problem that affects people of all ages but is harming children the most. Our hope with this show is that the kids who watch it will be inspired to spend less time on their phones and more time dreaming. The story is about a young girl who doesn’t want to go to bed and runs away to a magically surreal kingdom inhabited by nocturnal creatures where it is always night and sleep has been outlawed by a tyrannical ruler.

Suitable for young audience; suggested for ages 6+
(see also Space Hippo on November 11th)

Oliver, the musical by Lionel Bart
Sooke Harbour Players
Nov 10-25^th (Friday & Saturday—evening, Saturday—matinée)
EMS Community School Theatre

Bird Songs in Autumn Leaves, well-known and new works by Stanley K Freiberg
Scrumpy Productions, directed by Julian Cervello
November 10/11/12 at the Paul Philips Hall (1923 Fernwood Road)

Some of Victoria’s finest actors including Clayton Jevne, Jacob Richmond, Naomi Simpson, Iris Bannerman with special guest appearances by Brian Linds, Amanda Lisman, and Stanley K. Freiberg in a reading of Dr Freiberg’s work.

Space Hippo
Mochinosha & Mystical Wishes Puppet Company
November 11
Metro Studio Theatre

The 2016 Pick of the Fringe winner returns to Victoria for ONE NIGHT ONLY!

Scientists weren’t lying. Earth is really dying. Space Hippo, you’re the only one, that can undo what we’ve done. Sail across the universe. Help us save the planet Earth. Hilarious and epic science fiction, experienced through live animation. With original music by Elliott Loran.

The Original Deed by Sid Tafler
Congregation Emanu-El
November 15, 16, 18 and 19

Sam Abelman is haunted by the memory of the burning of his boyhood synagogue and his escape from the deportations that destroyed his family in Nazi Germany.

Now in his twilight years, he desperately wants to save another synagogue—the old Emanu-El temple in Victoria—as his son Morris plans to sell the building and move the community to the suburbs.

As the conflict intensifies, Sam’s wife Rivka, his younger son Jack, his granddaughter Ellie, even his lawyer Phil intercede to make peace— or stir the pot till it overflows.

When all seems lost, the old building destined for the wrecking ball, Sam invokes the Original Deed, as a ghostly figure from his past emerges to salvage his dream and his memories.

Les Belles Soeurs, A Comedy by Michel Tremblay, Directed by Judy Treloar
Langham Court Theatre
November 15-December 2

Montreal housewife Germaine has won a million Gold Star stamps – given out by grocery stores and exchanged for goods like BBQs and lawn chairs – and invites all the women she knows to help her stick them into redemption booklets. As they stick, the women discuss the men in their lives, the church, and their small joys – like Bingo. What Germaine doesn’t realize is that while the women are talking, they are also robbing her of her Gold Star stamps.

Cornwalls’ All-Inclusive Cancun Christmas
Chemainus Theatre Festival
November 17-December 31

The Cornwalls are back for another great holiday season! More classic 80’s tunes, cornball antics, and big hair. Will Tommy find true love this year? Come and join their all-inclusive holiday yuletide cheer.

“Pure Christmas family entertainment at its best!“

88 Keys, a Fundraiser for Kaleidoscope Theatre
to raise funds for a  digital piano
November 18
Odd Fellows’ Hall

Music Director:  Anna Lowen
Singers: Anna Shill, Dwayne Gordon , Tim Kyle, Griffin Lea, Pat Rundell
Pianists: Montgomery Bjornson, Lara Oberg, Braden Young

Life on Repeat by Kolby Wardell
An Intrepid Theatre YOU Show, Intrepid Theatre Club
November 22+23

Through personal stories, original songs, movement and drag, Kholby Wardell reflects on the triumphs and tragedies of his and his Mom’s journey through her eating disorders, mental illness, abuse, love, and loss. LIFE ON REPEAT explores patterns of grief and self destruction and his fear that the cycle will never be broken. Join Kholby for this first workshop presentation of a new one-person musical about love, life, family, and finally… moving forward.

Anne of Green Gables
Victoria Operatic Society
November 23-December 3
Macpherson Theatre

To help celebrate Canada’s 150 Anniversary, VOS will open their Season with a production of Canada’s longest-running musical, ANNE OF GREEN GABLES: THE MUSICAL. With book by Donald Harron, music by Norman Campbell, and lovingly adapted from the 1908 novel by Canadian author L.M. Montgomery, ANNE OF GREEN GABLES: THE MUSICAL is a timeless piece of Canadiana. The story is filled with unforgettable characters and brings the comical adventures of spunky red-headed orphan Anne Shirley to life as she wins over her new family and the rest of Prince Edward Island with her spirit and imagination in this heartwarming story about love, family, and home.

Merry & Bright
a fundraiser for Intrepid Theatre
Sunday November 26
The Atrium

Tis the season! Join us for a live and silent auction, a complimentary tasting hour, and delicious cocktail catering at our signature holiday fundraiser in one of the city’s most beautiful downtown venues, The Atrium. Naughty or nice, this is one holiday event you want on your calendar! All proceeds support Intrepid Theatre.

Theatre tickets, gift packages, and unique one of-a-kind experiences will be up for auction and make the perfect gift for anyone on your Christmas List.

Whiskey Fugue and Requiem by David MacPherson and Abigail Kitt
Theatre Inconnu
November 28-December 16, 2017

This collectively created physical theatre piece – chronicling the outrageous (but true) after-death adventure of 19th century Canadian prospector John “Cariboo” Cameron – was a highlight on the Fringe Festvial tour circuit in the early 1990’s, and will be resurrected by David himself! David is the Artistic Director of Victoria’s internationally acclaimed Story Theatre.

A Christmas Carol, by Charles Dickens, adapted by Michael Shamata
Belfry Theatre
November 28-December 17

A ghost story for Christmas, the Belfry’s acclaimed production returns, along with some of the best-loved Dickensian characters of all time. A story of love, generosity and second chances, it takes us through the darkness and into the light of true joy and celebration!

Wintertime by Charles L. Mee
Company C, the Canadian College of Performing Arts
November 30-December 3

Described as a sweet, dreamy, romantic comedy from the world of The Winter’s Tale, The Cherry Orchard, Molière and Magritte. “I like plays that are not too neat, too finished, too presentable. My plays are broken, jagged, filled with sharp edges, filled with things that take sudden turns and careen into each other,” says author Charles L. Mee. “It feels like my life; it feels like the world.”

December

Homo for the Holidays
Intrepid Theatre
December 1^st
Metro Studio Theatre

Christmas is about to get (even) gayer with Homo for the Holidays, a cabaret from the fine folks at Intrepid Theatre that celebrates the talents of the local theatre and gay communities and brings them together for a special one-night only event. Homo for the Holidays, a queer-themed holiday cabaret is a unique night of performance, camp, cocktails and frivolity. Naughty, nice, or nicely naughty, we want you there!

Theatre Under the Gun produced by workingclasstheatre
Metro Studio Theatre
December 3

Six teams of Victoria’s most epic indie theatre artists come together to create brand new 10-minute performances in just under 48 hours. Fueled by their own imaginations, talents, and copious amounts of caffeine, these adventurous artists are provided with only a mysterious gift-wrapped box of inspiration, and a looming deadline.

Z-Mas: An Improvised Zombie Movie
Paper Street Theatre Company
December 7th-9th & December 14th-16th (Preview December 6th)
Intrepid Theatre Club

All I want for Christmas is BRAINS! When a zombie outbreak hits, this rag-tag band of improvisers must try to work together to stay alive. A fun and bloody twist to your holiday traditions, this show will eat the heart right out of Christmas.

The Snow Queen by Hans Christian Andersen
Lawyers on Stage Theatre (LOST) adapted and directed by Kate Rubin
Langham Court Theatre (tickets on sale through the box office in late October)
December 7-9

One of Hans Christian Anderson’s most highly acclaimed works. Published in 1844, it tells the story of a plot to make the world “frozen” forever, and the courageous struggle of all that is good against what seem like overwhelming odds.

Theatrical Treasures
Shakespeare’s A Midsummer Night’s Dream directed by Barbara Pogemillar
Year II, the Canadian College of Performing Arts
December 13-16, 2017

An evocative moonlit adventure, charged with erotic energy, the ‘Dream’ explores imbalance of male/female power. Titania, Queen of the Fairies, challenges her King, Oberon, with the idea that the dissention between them creates havoc in the natural world. The play’s fuel is desire, and the chaos it unleashes before balance is restored. It is brilliantly conceived, funny and magical.

The play is one of Shakespeare’s most popular works for the stage and is widely performed across the world.

Fashion Machine by Theatre SKAM, in conjunction with the Royal BC Museum
December 15/16/17

In Fashion Machine, children get the chance to take select attendees’ outfits and remake them into new works of fashion art. The show has had an extensive development process, with years of camps, workshops, previews, and in 2014, a World Premiere!

It’s a Wonderful Life radio play
Blue Bridge Repertory Theatre
December 15 and 17 (8pm) and 16^th (2pm)

Shop Around the Corner radio play
Blue Bridge Repertory Theatre
December 14th and 16th (8pm) and 17th (2pm)

Join the Blue Bridge ensemble for these holiday classics.

Cinderella, a panto
written by Dave and Helena Hitchcock
St Luke’s Players
December 15-January 1

Once upon a time in the far away country of Fantasia, (beyond Neverland and even further than Port Alberni) lived a young girl called Cinderella whose life was disrupted by a new stepmother and stepsisters, a ball and a prince.

Join in on the adventures

“Panto-style” with singing, dancing, lame jokes and silly good fun. A favourite for all ages and always a sell-out!

Sleeping Beauty the pantomime
Peninsula Players
December 15-December 29
Berwick Royal Oak and Mary Winspear Centre (Sidney)

At her christening, Princess Aurora is blessed by a group of fairies but cursed by a wicked fairy who was inadvertantly left off the guest list. However, her life appears to be developing normally until her 17th birthday when she pricks her finger and falls asleep for a hundred years. She is awakened by a young prince from nearby Langford (who is also the son of the wicked fairy) and who is expected to marry her – but there seems to be a snag. The local shopkeeper, her son and a young fairy try to help Aurora find a solution to the snag but the wicked fairy, aided by her henchmen, does her best to thwart their plans. Will she succeed or will good triumph?

O Christmas Tea! By James and Jamesy
December 17
Royal Theatre

Following the smashing success of their 2017 international tour, James & Jamesy return to Canada with their outrageously funny and brilliantly inventive Christmas comedy O Christmas Tea: A British Comedy.

When catastrophe strikes at James and Jamesy’s Christmas tea party, the friends leap into action, finding innovative and hilarious solutions to keep them afloat. These masters of physical comedy—with over 20 comedy awards to their name—sweep the audience out to sea in a jolly aquatic escapade brimming with whimsy, action, and ingenuity in a celebration of friendship at Christmas.

Radio, Mistletoe and My Man Godfrey
Launch Pad Theatre at Craigdarroch Castle
December 27-30

Back after last year’s sold out run for a holiday–a haywire radio hour! A fun-for-the-whole-family adaptation of a comedy classic, wrapped in a Christmas cracker!

Peter Pan, the Panto, by Stephen Andrew
Kaleidoscope Theatre Company for Young People
December 28-30
Macpherson Playhouse

Guest director Stephen Andrew returns, after last year’s phenomenal panto production of ‘Snow White’, to present the classic tale of the boy who never grew up. With a wink to the audience and a lot of laughs for young and old, our Peter Pan panto promises a playfully peppy production of perky performances!