PAL Studio Theatre to November 24, 2024
If you’ve never heard of Tom Crean (CREE-an), you’re not alone. Unlike explorers Captain Robert Falcon Scott and Ernest Shackleton, Crean didn’t keep a diary and so his exploits are only known through the diaries of Scott, Shackleton and other Antarctic explorers all of whom wrote of Irish seaman Crean’s courage, perseverance and high spirits.

Aidan Dooley as Tom Crean in Tom Crean – Discovering Antarctica: Heroic Tales of Scott, Crean & Shackleton

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Firehall Arts Centre to November 3, 2024
It seemed at first a strange pairing: The Fugitives, an award-winning Canadian folk music group, and the story of Vimy Ridge, often called “the war that made Canada”. But a more sensitive, thoughtful, deeply personal look at what really went on at Vimy is hard to imagine.

The Fugitives: Brendan McLeod, Christopher Suen, Carly Frey and Adrian Glynn

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Jericho Arts Centre to November 3, 2024
If you’ve never seen Billy Bishop Goes to War, here’s your chance to see this 1978 Canadian musical written by iconic Canadian writer John MacLachlan Gray and iconic Canadian actor Eric Peterson.

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Pacific Theatre to October 6, 2024
I’m so grateful to Pacific Theatre for this Sticks and Stones Theatre guest production of Middletown by Will Eno. Sometimes – with some exceptions – it feels like a drought of exciting, provocative, innovative theatre in this town. Now, finally, here’s something to wrap our heads and hearts around.

Poster Design: Yvonne Fabian

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Stanley Industrial Alliance Stage to October 20, 2024
My guest was vibrating with excitement throughout Jersey Boys, the Arts Club’s 2024-25 season opener at the Stanley. It was her music, her time, and she knew all the words to all the songs.

Jason Sakaki as Bob Gaudio, Elliot Lazar (Frankie Valli), Darren Martens (Tommy DeVito) and Tanner Zerr (Nick Massi). Credit: Moonrider Productions

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Jericho Arts Centre to September 29, 2024
Hands down, Chickens will be the goofiest 2024-25 season opener anywhere in the city. Written by award-winning Canadian actor and playwright Lucia Frangione back when she was a student at Alberta’s Rosebud School of the Arts back in the late 80s or early 90s, Chickens is so ‘country’ you can almost smell the hay and the chicken shit.

Axe-wielder, Jennifer Suratos. From centre front: Joel Garner, David Johnston, Aunya Jayde, Dustin Freeland and Cassie Unger. Credit: Nancy Caldwell

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Theatre Under the Stars to August 24, 2024
On Jennifer Stewart’s set – a poster lined bed studio alternately with two huge school pillars lit by John Webber – everyone is having a great time in School of Rock.  It’s impossible not to start rockin’ and rollin’ in place.

Colin Sheen (centre) as Dewey Finn in School of Rock. Credit: Emily Cooper

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Bard on the Beach (Vanier Park) to September 20, 2024
Unless you have two sets of identical twins in your theatre company – and what company would have? – mounting  The Comedy of Errors is an interesting challenge for a director.

Synthia Yusuf as Luciana in The Comedy of Errors. Credit: Emily Cooper

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Bard on the Beach (Vanier Park) to September 20, 2024
On opening night of Measure for Measure I found myself amidst a crowd of theatre goers laughing their faces off and woo-hooing with glee while I’m thinking, “This is just silly.” And not in a good way.

Karthik Kadam as Lucio in Measure for Measure. Credit: Emily Cooper

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Arts Club Granville Island Stage to August 11, 2024
Directed by Rachel Peake this is a good show performed by six extremely capable musicians/singers. And despite the fact that country music has never been my thing, my toe did do a little tapping.

Frankie Cottrell as Johnny Cash in Ring of Fire: The Music of Johnny Cash. Credit: Moonrider Productions

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