At The Waterfront Theatre until January 4, 2015
It’s not unusual in TYA (Theatre for Young Audiences) to have actors dressed up like cute little bunnies, raccoons or squirrels but it’s out of the ordinary to find the stage ‘peopled’ with creepy crawlies. While we’re fine with ladybugs and grasshoppers, for some people there’s a definite ‘eeuuw’ factor around earthworms and a bit of fear concerning spiders and centipedes.

Julian Lokash (centre front) as James in James and the Giant Peach. Credit: Tim Matheson

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At the York Theatre until December 28, 2014
If you’re looking for fun-filled family entertainment, look no further than the York Theatre where the second annual Christmas panto is happening. You can boo, you can cheer, you can holler, “Look behind you!” or “Oh no, you don’t!” It’s rowdy, it’s musical and it’s a heap of fun.

Josh Drebit, Donna Soares, Allan Zinyk and Jamie Long in Cinderella: An East Van Panto. Credit: Emily Cooper

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At Little Mountain Gallery (26th & Main) until December 20, 2014
Does she or doesn’t she? ‘B’, an actress, is married to ‘A’, a screenwriter, who fears his wife is in love with ‘C’, his old best friend who’s an actor that used to have a thing going on with ‘D’, a film director. Why, fergawdsake, doesn’t playwright Brendan Gall give them names?

Sean Harris Oliver and Claire Hesselgrave in Wide Awake Hearts. Credit: Sabrina Evertt

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At the Arts Club Revue Stage until December 27, 2014
Bah, humbug! Yes, it’s that time of year when you can’t drink your medium, soy, extra hot latté without hearing “Rudolph, the Red-Nosed Reindeer” or pick up a loaf of bread without being serenaded with “Have A Holly, Jolly Christmas”. So thank goodness for Rock Paper Scissors and the Arts Club for mixing it up with A Twisted Christmas Carol.

Gary Jones as Scrooge in A Twisted Christmas Carol. Credit: David Cooper

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At the Arts Club Granville Island Stage until January 3, 2015
It feels like the first time – only better. This production is even slicker and funnier than last season and although it’s not Christmas-y, it’s bound to make you ho-ho-ho like Santa.

Kayla Dunbar as Lucy T. Slut in Avenue Q. Credit: David Cooper

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At The Cultch until November 3o, 2014
If you’ve got teenagers in your house, they’re probably in their bedrooms using their computers and cellphones. But exactly what are they doing on those electronic gadgets? Do you know?

Kerry Sandomirsky as Debora Shaun-Hastings in Late Company. Credit: Tim Matheson

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At Studio 16 until November 29, 2014
Hold your breath. Everyone else is holding his or her breath as we wait to see if Karen (Kayla Deorksen) will tell the truth or not. It’s not so much a case of, “Did she or didn’t she?” but more like, “Would she or wouldn’t she?”

Craig Erickson and Kayla Deorksen in Speed-the-Plow. Credit: Shimon Karmel

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At The Cultch until November 23, 2014
I’m afraid my inner child has run away from home – or maybe I never had one – because Loon simply didn’t charm me the way Grim and Fischer, Wonderheads Theatre’s 2012 show, did. When Mother Nature was handing out the gene for appreciating fantasy, I was probably off finding something to eat or taking a pee.

Kate Braidwood as Francis in Loon. Credit: Second Glance Photography

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At Studio 58 until November 30, 2014
Head nurses can’t order electroshock therapy or frontal lobotomies (if they ever did) for rebellious patients as Nurse Ratched does in Ken Kesey’s 1962 novel. But in spite of all our modern medicine and advanced psychotherapy we still haven’t solved the problems of the mentally ill.

Erin Cassidy as Nurse Ratched, Tom Krushkowski as Dr. Spivey and Markian Tarasiuk as McMurphy. Credit: David Cooper

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At the York theatre until November 22, 2014
Don’t see this show unless you want to laugh your face off. It’s rude, rude, rude and funny, funny, funny.

Gili Roskies and Benjamin Elliott in Broken Sex Doll. Credit: Bettina Strauss

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