Do you come from Victoria, or have your moved here from elsewhere? What does “home” mean to you? Dustin Harvey of Secret Theatre will be investigating the notion of place (and home) in two works during Intrepid Theatre’s Winterlab (January 25th – February 1st). We Are Here takes place during the opening Winterlab Fête January 25th and Farewell Victoria closes the festival (January 31st and February 1st). I had the opportunity to ask … [Read more...]
Cabaret at Langham Court Theatre. A review.
January 21, 2014 By Leave a Comment
Life is a cabaret—or is it? There is plenty to ponder amid the hummable songs and intricate dance numbers of Cabaret currently playing at Langham Court Theatre to sold-out houses (January 15-February 1, 2014). At heart, Cabaret is the classic tale of a young American (Griffin Lea as Cliff Bradshaw) bound for Europe and adventure. Set in Berlin during the heady and decadent between-wars time of the WeimarRepublic, this on-the-surface … [Read more...]
Sci-Fi Double Feature at Winterlab 2014. Q&A with Brian Fidler.
January 15, 2014 By Leave a Comment
I was first introduced to the work of Ramshackle Theatre of Whitehorse when Brian Fidler presented Broken at Intrepid Theatre’s UNO Fest in 2013 (my review is here). Now, Ramshackle returns for Winterlab (January 25th-February 1st, 2014) with Sci-Fi Double Feature—a cardboard puppet show for adults and children alike. I caught up with Brian when he was deeply immersed in a puppet intensive at the BanffSchool of the Arts (co-incidentally … [Read more...]
Home is a Beautiful Word at the Belfry Theatre. A review.
January 12, 2014 By Leave a Comment
Home is a Beautiful Word, currently at the Belfry Theatre (January 7-19th), is proof positive that contemporary theatre is relevant. By turns stark, hard-hitting, sad, brave, uncomfortable and funny, this well-researched verbatim-theatre play challenges assumptions about homelessness by reflecting the points of view of a wide range of Victorians. Playwright and journalist Joel Bernbaum was commissioned by the Belfry Theatre, and has spent … [Read more...]
Chor Leoni presents Cadillac Cathedral Feb 1 in Victoria, Feb 2 in Nanaimo
January 11, 2014 By Leave a Comment
Chor Leoni presents Cadillac Cathedral. No writer better embodies what it is to live on Vancouver Island, for me, than the venerable Jack Hodgins, author and professor emeritus at the University of Victoria. I came late to his work, in the 2000s, and still remember reading passages of The Invention of the World (his first novel, written in 1977) and veritably smelling the tang of the beach at high tide, and hearing the crunch of sand under … [Read more...]
Ignorance by the Old Trout Puppet Workshop. Victoria BC review.
January 10, 2014 By 1 Comment
It’s time to put on your silly hat, leave the judging adult behind and surrender to delight - the Old Trout Puppet Workshop has arrived in Victoria for the first time since 2007 (Famous Puppet Death Scenes) with Ignorance (playing January 7-18th at Blue Bridge at the Roxy as part of the Presenter’s Series). If you believe that puppets are limited to characters like Casey on Mr. Dressup, or the traditional Punch and Judy, prepare to have your … [Read more...]
University of Victoria School of Music presents tribute to Mahler Jan 6 – 11 2014
December 13, 2013 By 1 Comment
A tribute to Mahler, presented by the University of Victoria School of Music, January 6 - 11, 2014, includes Song of the Earth (Das Lied von der Erde). My knowledge of Mahler - sadly - is limited to the 1974 biographical film by Ken Russell, so when Kristy Farkas, the Concert Manager for the UVic School of Music, contacted me with news of a week-long Mahler tribute, I knew that I had to add some of the events to my arts calendar. I've also … [Read more...]
Company C presents Zorba the Musical December 13-15, 2013
December 12, 2013 By Leave a Comment
Company C presents Zorba, the musical, December 13 – 15, 2013 in Victoria BC. I’ve got a very special spot in my heart * for the Canadian College of Performing Arts (CCPA), and for Company C, their Year III students who produce three shows in four months (September to December) taking on all aspects of production (choreography, costumes, publicity, lighting, stage management, sound) other than directing. For their final production of 2013, … [Read more...]
An Improvised John Hughes by Paper Street Theatre – review
December 12, 2013 By 1 Comment
John Hughes may have dropped out of the spotlight in 1991, long before his untimely passing in 2009, but the teen films he crafted continue to resonate with a younger generation, if this week’s An Improvised John Hughes, by Paper Street Theatre Company, is any indication. The audience bopped to the beat of the 80s montage laid down by master musical improviser - and erstwhile DJ - Dan Godlovich and laughed out-loud to recognize the many … [Read more...]
Books I Read in 2013
December 10, 2013 By 3 Comments
I got a Kobo for Christmas in 2012 and thus started the year, by fluke, reading Alice Munro's newest short story collection Dear Life. How fortuitous! I finished the year reading the 2013 Giller prize winner Lynn Coady's books, including Hellgoing. And added the short stories and novels of Lisa Moore, another east-coaster, who was on the Giller short list, to my repertoire. Along the way I re-connected with Joyce Carol Oates, Susan Musgrave … [Read more...]
