Elf the Musical at the Chemainus Theatre Festival November 20-December 31, 2015. A review. Christmas classics have a long and rich history in the North American canon. From time to time, a relative newcomer takes everyone by surprise. The 2003 film Elf (featuring Will Ferrell in the title role) is much-loved for its gangly central character who never seems to quite fit in. Adapting the film for Broadway, veterans Bob Martin and Thomas Meehan … [Read more...]
Doubt, a Parable at Langham Court Theatre November 18-December 5, 2015. A review.
November 21, 2015 By Leave a Comment
Doubt, a Parable at Langham Court Theatre November 18-December 5, 2015. A review. Doubt, by John Patrick Shanley, at Langham Court Theatre, is substantive, powerful, perplexing theatre filled to the brim with riveting, satisfying and deeply human performances. Set in the Bronx in 1964, post Vatican II, Doubt is a chronicle of a time passed, a peek into a period of history that represented a sea-change in the Catholic Church’s and society’s … [Read more...]
The Threepenny Opera at UVic Phoenix Theatre November 5-21, 2015. A review.
November 9, 2015 By Leave a Comment
The Threepenny Opera at UVic Phoenix Theatre November 5-21, 2015. A review. The Threepenny Opera by Bertolt Brecht and Kurt Weill, directed by Brian Richmond, currently at the University of Victoria Phoenix Theatre, November 5-21, 2015, is an extravagant spectacle, with minute attention to detail where every design choice is in service to advance the aesthetic of the show. Set by Richmond in the year 2028, after the assassination of King … [Read more...]
Chelsea Hotel the Songs of Leonard Cohen at the Belfry Theatre, October 20-November 15, 2015. A review.
October 23, 2015 By 2 Comments
Chelsea Hotel-the Songs of Leonard Cohen at the Belfry Theatre, October 20-November 15, 2015. A review. For generations of fans, both of his poetry and his music, Leonard Cohen has epitomized the archetype of Writer as tortured, tormented soul. In an audacious move, playwright Tracey Power has dared to tamper with the author’s creation, rendering a startling re-interpretation of the master’s oeuvre. Loosely imaging a solitary and dark night … [Read more...]
Grace & Glorie at the Chemainus Theatre Festival October 16-November 7, 2015. A review.
October 20, 2015 By Leave a Comment
Grace & Glorie at the Chemainus Theatre Festival October 16-November 7, 2015. A review. Believer or non, at some point, life’s big questions come creeping in with the biggest being “why?” when confronted with inevitable difficulties—death, illness, tragedy. Grace & Glorie is a well-written, slow-paced exploration of these questions as city collides with country, education with illiteracy, and youth with age. Grace (Valerie Pearson), … [Read more...]
HERE: A Captive Odyssey by William Head on Stage WHoS October 9-November 7, 2015. A review.
October 15, 2015 By Leave a Comment
HERE: A Captive Odyssey by William Head on Stage WHoS October 9-November 7, 2015. A review. HERE: A Captive Odyssey created by William Head on Stage Prison Theatre (WHoS) and The Prison Arts Collective is an ambitious project and striking reminder of the fleeting nature of our brief human lives. Taking as inspiration the very land itself and working from source material from the Royal BC Museum archives , and William Head’s library as well as … [Read more...]
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