Who Killed Spalding Gray at Belfry Theatre SPARK Festival 2018. A review. What do you get when you cross Daniel McIvor, playwright, performer and renowned Canadian theatre artist with Spalding Gray, the man who practically invented the autobiographical monologue? Daniel McIvor. Photo: Guntar Kravis Two celebrated storytellers—Canada’s Daniel MacIvor, Siminovitch Prize winner, playwright and actor Spalding Gray, the American who re-invented … [Read more...]
Who Killed Spalding Gray at Belfry Theatre SPARK Festival 2018. A review.
March 14, 2018 By Leave a Comment
Mouthpiece at Belfry SPARK Festival 2018. A review.
March 13, 2018 By Leave a Comment
Mouthpiece at Belfry Theatre SPARK Festival 2018. A review. Mouthpiece. Photo: Joel Clifton Mouthpiece premiered in Toronto in 2015, won several Dora awards, was remounted, travelled to the Edinburgh Fringe in 2017 and has toured Canada. Mouthpiece follows one woman, for one day, as she tries to find her voice. Interweaving a cappella harmony, dissonance, text and physicality, two performers express the inner conflict that … [Read more...]
SPARK Festival 2018 at the Belfry Theatre March 8-25, 2018
March 13, 2018 By Leave a Comment
SPARK Festival 2018 at the Belfry Theatre March 8-25, 2018 Victoria has an abundance of theatre festivals and the Belfry Theatre SPARK Festival is one of my favourites. It kick-starts the festival season in early spring; there are many FREE events (mini-plays, Belfry 101, play readings, concerts and a Hootenanny); there are opportunities to see vibrant, current work by artists not often seen on Victoria stages; it attracts a different … [Read more...]
ProArt Victoria announces Regional Arts Award
February 22, 2018 By Leave a Comment
ProArt Victoria announces Regional Arts Award. (Media Release) Victoria, Canada (February 15, 2018)—The Professional Arts Alliance of Greater Victoria (ProArt) announces the launch of the first Regional Arts Award. ProArt President David MacPherson says, “Arts awards happen in many communities across Canada and are an excellent means of recognizing the achievement and contribution of outstanding artists while raising the profile of … [Read more...]
A Spring of Theatre 2018 in Victoria BC. March-May.
February 21, 2018 By Leave a Comment
A Spring of Theatre 2018 in Victoria BC. March-May. Spring signifies renewal, rebirth and growth, and nowhere is this more evident than in Victoria's burgeoning theatre ecosystem where the period from March to the end of May will see more than SIXTY shows, cabarets, fundraisers, play readings and festivals, including the Belfry Theatre SPARK Festival and the TD Festival of New Works at the Canadian College of Performing Arts in March, Paper … [Read more...]
Crimes of the Heart at UVic Phoenix Theatre. A review.
February 19, 2018 By 1 Comment
Crimes of the Heart at UVic Phoenix Theatre. A review. In 2018, Beth Henley’s southern-based drama Crimes of the Heart (set in small town Mississippi in 1974 and at the University of Victoria Phoenix Theatre February 13-24, 2018) is problematic—on one hand, it’s the story of three sisters bonded through a troubled childhood, on uneasy terms with one another as adults; on the other it’s a fine example of racism so pervasive as to be invisible, … [Read more...]
Neva by Guillermo Calderon at Theatre Inconnu. A review.
February 16, 2018 By 1 Comment
Neva by Guillermo Calderon at Theatre Inconnu. A review. Three actors. One stage. Minimal set décor. Costumes, lighting and classical music. Neva by Guillermon Calderon (at Theatre Inconnu February 13-March 3 2018) as imagined by director Clayton Jevne and his ensemble, is theatre reduced to its essential elements; theatre relying solely on the director’s interpretation and the cast’s ability to carry it through ninety minutes of in-depth … [Read more...]
Pendulum An Indigenous Showcase. Interview with Lindsay Delaronde.
February 15, 2018 By Leave a Comment
Pendulum An Indigenous Showcase. Interview with Lindsay Delaronde. Lindsay Delaronde was chosen in 2017 as the City of Victoria’s first Indigenous Artist in Residence and over the past year has initiated a number of performances, workshops and talks. February 23/24 at the Belfry Theatre she presents Pendulum: An Indigenous Showcase. I wanted to learn more about her statement (emphasis mine) “Pendulum brings new life into the context … [Read more...]
Once at the Chemainus Theatre Festival. A review.
February 14, 2018 By 2 Comments
Once at the Chemainus Theatre Festival. A review. Once (currently at the Chemainus Theatre Festival to March 10) is a breath of fresh air in the world of the contemporary musical. Once had an unusual progression to the stage, and a backstory to rival the script—originally conceived by John Carney as a low-budget Irish film, songwriters Glen Hansard (frontman of The Flames, an indie rock group of some repute) and Markéta Irglová (a young … [Read more...]
Company C presents Cabaret at the Canadian College of Performing Arts. A review.
January 29, 2018 By Leave a Comment
Company C presents Cabaret at the Canadian College of Performing Arts. A review. The 2017 Company C of the Canadian College of Performing Arts (CCPA) caps off two years of training, and a solid 5 months of ensemble work, with the quintessential musical Cabaret. Packed with gravitas and grit, and featuring both bold ensemble numbers and punchy solos, this production whisks the audience away to the heady time between wars, when life in Berlin … [Read more...]
