An interview with Alanna Mitchell. Sea Sick at UNO Fest 2015 in Victoria BC. Alanna Mitchell is an award-winning Canadian journalist and author (New York Times, CBC’s Quirks & Quarks, Globe and Mail, and more) who writes about science and social trends specializing in investigative reporting. Sea Sick is inspired by her international bestseller and award-winning book of the same name. I had the opportunity to speak with her before her … [Read more...]
An interview with Alanna Mitchell. Sea Sick at UNO Fest 2015 in Victoria BC.
May 7, 2015 By Leave a Comment
Cock by Mike Bartlett at Theatre Inconnu May 5-23, 2015. A review.
May 6, 2015 By 1 Comment
Cock by Mike Bartlett at Theatre Inconnu May 5-23, 2015. A review. John is confused—but is it by his sexual orientation or by life in general, bound-up as he is in a general inability to make a choice? Theatre Inconnu tackles the Oliver-award-winning play Cock by Mike Bartlett, one of Britain’s rising young stars in the theatrical firmament. Director and designer David MacPherson, in his first production for Theatre Inconnu, sets the audience … [Read more...]
Hedda Gabler by Working Class Theatre at Craigdarroch Castle. A review.
May 1, 2015 By Leave a Comment
Hedda Gabler by Working Class Theatre at Craigdarroch Castle April 28 – May 6, 2015. A review. There can be no more perfect setting for the great classic by Norwegian playwright Henrik Ibsen than the dance hall and sitting room on the fourth floor of Craigdarroch Castle. Surrounded by luxurious woodwork, ornate staircases and deep bay windows, in a building of the same period as the play, one cannot help but be pulled back in time to a society … [Read more...]
The Mousetrap at Chemainus Theatre Festival April 24-May 30, 2015. A review.
April 29, 2015 By Leave a Comment
The Mousetrap at Chemainus Theatre Festival April 24-May 30, 2015. A review. There is something irresistibly delicious about being wrapped in a comfortable sweater, sipping a mug of hot Ovaltine, ensconced in a pair of well-worn slippers. Certain literary and theatrical forms recall this sense of familiarity. Agatha Christie’s play The Mousetrap, currently at the Chemainus Theatre Festival April 24-May 30, 2015 is one of the finest examples, … [Read more...]
August Osage County at Langham Court Theatre. April 22-May 9 2015. A review.
April 27, 2015 By Leave a Comment
* This review has been revised* August: Osage County at Langham Court Theatre April 22-May 9 2015. A review. Important note: August: Osage County begins at 7:30pm and late-comers will not be seated until the end of Act I. It runs three hours with two intermissions. Woohee! August: Osage County, currently at Langham Court Theatre (April 22-May 9, 2015) is like throwing gasoline on a smouldering campfire & running like hell. … [Read more...]
Smokey Joe’s Cafe at the Canadian College of Performing Arts. A review.
April 20, 2015 By Leave a Comment
Smokey Joe's Café at the Canadian College of Performing Arts. A review. Presented April 16-25, 2015 in Victoria BC. Youthful energy and exuberance abound in Smokey Joe’s Café, the end-of-year On Broadway! production by the first and second year students of the Canadian College of Performing Arts. With no story line or dialogue Smokey Joe’s relies on staging and the ability of the artists to convey the emotional through line. The College, … [Read more...]
Vanya and Sonia and Masha and Spike at the Belfry Theatre. A review.
April 19, 2015 By Leave a Comment
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...]
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...]
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...]
