Vanya and Sonia and Masha and Spike at the Belfry Theatre. A review. There’s something to be said for the absence of the traditional curtain in modern theatre for it allows time to admire and appreciate the set design before the action begins, and to wonder all the while about what it divulges of the characters who will soon appear. Cory Sincennes design reveals a very comfortable and elegant abode, absent clutter and filled with family … [Read more...]
Vanya and Sonia and Masha and Spike at the Belfry Theatre. A review.
April 19, 2015 By Leave a Comment
Interview with Dave Morris, Artistic Director of Paper Street Theatre Company in Victoria BC.
March 30, 2015 By Leave a Comment
Interview with Dave Morris, Artistic Director of Paper Street Theatre Company in Victoria BC. Coming up—the final show of Paper Street's fourth season—A Fistful of Improv: An Improvised Western. Paper Street creates improvised theatre in the style of….. Some people may wonder how you prepare for an improvised show. Can you describe the process, and the amount of work that goes into crafting a show of this nature? Was there anything specific … [Read more...]
Kelt Eccleston’s Kitchen Party at the Oak Bay Beach Hotel. A review.
March 21, 2015 By Leave a Comment
Kelt Eccleston's Kitchen Party at the Oak Bay Beach Hotel. A review. March 13-May 2 2015 in Victoria BC. Kelt Eccleston has been a performer for decades, since his teens. It’s evident in the wonderful synergy he creates onstage in Kelt Eccleston’s Kitchen Party at the Oak Bay Beach Hotel (March 13-May 2, 2015) where a group of long-time friends and associates, including his sister Colleen, join him in a warm, relaxed set of old favourites, … [Read more...]
The God That Comes at the Belfry Theatre SPARK Festival 2015. A review.
March 19, 2015 By 2 Comments
The God That Comes at the Belfry Theatre SPARK Festival 2015. A review. In The God That Comes (Belfry Theatre SPARK Festival March 17-21) modern minstrel and story-teller Hawksley Workman delivers a wildly hypnotic performance that defies theatrical convention. The Juno-award winning musician is a multi-instrumentalist of phenomenal ability whose blazing virtuosity will remain seared in memory long after the show is over. Three years of … [Read more...]
2014 a Theatre Year in Review in Victoria BC
March 14, 2015 By Leave a Comment
2014 a Theatre Year in Review in Victoria BC Don’t let anyone ever tell you that Victoria is a cultural backwater—in a year that included a wonderful week at the Stratford Festival (with performances by legends like Martha Henry, Colm Feore and Shauna McKenna), I managed to see 90 theatrical performances in the regular season as well as 42 shows at the Victoria Fringe, and a regrettably smaller number of concerts, dance, comedy and spoken word … [Read more...]
Amadeus by UVic Phoenix Theatre March 12-21, 2015. A review.
March 14, 2015 By 1 Comment
Amadeus by UVic Phoenix Theatre March 12-21, 2015. A review. Modern history has not been kind to Antonio Salieri, a composer and Kappelmeister in the Hapsburg court of Emperor Joseph II. Despite his considerable musical influence in the development of Italian opera of the era, and the fact his students included Franz Schubert, Ludwig van Beethoven and Franz Liszt, his life has been reduced to the portrait painted by Peter Shaffer in … [Read more...]
Boys With Cars and Let Me Borrow That Top at Belfry Theatre SPARK Festival 2015. A review.
March 12, 2015 By Leave a Comment
Boys With Cars and Let Me Borrow That Top by Anita Majumdar at the Belfry Theatre SPARK Festival March 10-15, 2015. A review. Majumdar’s Fish Eyes (performed at the Belfry Theatre SPARK Festival in 2012) first introduced us to the interactions of a group of teenagers at a fictional Port Moody high school through the eyes of Meena, a young Indo-Canadian straddling two worlds. Majumdar’s classical kathak dance training comes to the fore in … [Read more...]
A Spring of Music 2015 in Victoria BC. March-May.
March 11, 2015 By Leave a Comment
A Spring of Music 2015 in Victoria BC. March-May. Regular readers of my Monday Magazine column and this website know that I have a wide interest in the arts; it spans not only theatre but music, art and dance. In fact when my children were young (and taking piano and trumpet lessons) our arts experiences were mainly focused on concerts with the University of Victoria School of Music events being some of our favourites. In recent years I have … [Read more...]
Waiting for Godot at Blue Bridge Repertory Theatre March 5-15 2015. A review.
March 9, 2015 By 2 Comments
Waiting for Godot at Blue Bridge Repertory Theatre March 5-15 2015. A review. The entire arc of humanity onstage—life, death, love, hatred, indifference to the plight of others, boring mundanity and joy. Waiting for Godot at Blue Bridge Repertory Theatre March 3-15, 2015 is a brilliant microcosm. Laughter and horror co-habitate in exceptional performances by Peter Anderson (Vladimir), Brian Linds (Estragon), Scott Hylands (Pozzo) and Trevor … [Read more...]
The Mystery of Edwin Drood, Langham Court Theatre March 4-21, 2015. A review.
March 8, 2015 By Leave a Comment
The Mystery of Edwin Drood, Langham Court Theatre March 4-21, 2015. A review I never had the chance to see Jerry Gosley’s legendary Smile Show (which played in Victoria for over 40 years until the 1970s) but I’m sure his legacy is in good hands after seeing The Mystery of Edwin Drood at Langham Court Theatre (March 4-21, 2015). Drood (the original title of Rupert Holmes’ 1985 musical) is quick-witted, high-energy, expertly executed, fast … [Read more...]
