At Jericho Arts Centre until April 20, 2014
The Old Curiosity Shop is a bit of a curiosity in itself. It’s a Charles Dickens novel set back in 1825 and serialized weekly in 1841. Director Sarah Rodgers writes that New York readers “stormed the wharf when the ship bearing the final installment arrived in 1841.”
Graeme Thompson, Kazz Leskard and Kirsty Provan. Credit: Nancy Caldwell
At Little Mountain Theatre until April 6, 2014
Many of us remember the TV coverage of the looting of Baghdad’s National Museum of Iraq in the Spring of 2003. Perhaps by the time we saw the news the most precious artifacts had already been stolen because what I remember seeing were men and boys running out with chairs, bookcases and small tables.
Alec Willows as Khalil Najim in Ghosts in Baghdad. Credit: Tim Matheson
At The Cultch until April 19, 2014
When Mies Julie (Hilda Cronje) enters the room, barefoot and bare leggèd, slick with sweat and wearing a flimsy skirt slit to the waist, you know she’s looking for action.
Bongile Mantsai (John) and Hilda Cronje (Julie) in Mies Julie. Credit: Mark Wessels
At The Russian Hall (600 Campbell Avenue) until March 30
After Macbeth stabbed King Duncan in his bedchamber he finds his hands drenched in blood and he begins to panic. Get over it, says Lady Macbeth.
Credit: Dan Borzillo
At Studio 58 until April 6, 2014
Can there be any adequate compensation for being falsely convicted of rape and murder, and being incarcerated for a decade from the age of fourteen? That’s the story of Steven Truscott, dramatized in 2009 by Canadian playwright Beverley Cooper and on stage now at Studio 58.
Mike Gill as Steven Truscott in Innocence Lost. Credit: Emily Cooper
At Gallery Gachet until March 30, 2014
Confession is good for the soul according to an old Scottish proverb. If that’s true, there’s a lot of ‘good’ happening at Gallery Gachet. And there’s so much – and I know, it sounds so 60s – love in the room, you can do the breaststroke in it.
Robert Salvador, Alexa Devine, Allan Morgan and Manami Hara in This Stay in the Room.
Credit: Tim Matheson
At The Stanley until April 13, 2014
The ‘wow’ factor in Helen Lawrence is huge. So hyped has this show been no one believed it could live up to expectations. But from a technical and aesthetic perspective, it really does.
Lisa Ryder as Helen Lawrence. Credit: David Cooper
At the Performing Arts Lodge Theatre (PAL) until March 30
Lowest Common Denominator reminded me that I’m an older, heterosexual female. Nothing wrong with that; it’s just that lust at first sight is hard to wrap my head around.
Dallas Sauer as Trevor in Lowest Common Denominator. Credit: Mark Halliday
At The Cultch until March 22, 2014
Jennifer Lines was still misty-eyed – and with good reason – when the cast of Whose Life Is It Anyway? took its bows. I was choked up, too. And for good reason.
Jennifer Lines, Bob Frazer and Patti Allan in Whose Life Is It Anyway? Credit: Tim Matheson
At Pacific Theatre until March 29, 2014
Those who know Ron Reed, artistic director of Pacific Theatre, will be astonished at how he has transformed himself for his role in The Seafarer. In it, his hard drinking Irish character Richard punctuates almost everything he says with the f-word and he’s so filthy, so unwashed, you’d swear you can smell what undoubtedly are Richard’s frequently pissed-in trousers.
Ron Reed as Richard in The Seafarer. Credit: Emily Cooper