“A brand new adventure every time!” announces Brent Hirose as he sends us off after a very entertaining hour of Sci-Fi improv brought to you by Vancouver’s Instant Theatre.
It’s 2073 and we join Starship Galaxy as they float around the Universe…well…having adventures!
Join Starship Galaxy and watch the escapade unfold right before your very eyes with only one suggestion from the audience. This night “Peanut Butter” led to hilarity involving peanut butter and shellfish (allergies anyone?) and Smuckers 6, a planet entirely inhabited by berries led by none other than…who else but…King Berry!
Touchstone Theatre has this wonderful mandate of producing only contemporary Canadian plays. In addition to this their Flying Start program (in association with Playwrights Theatre Centre and the Firehall Arts Centre) gives new Canadian professional playwrights an opportunity to develop and showcase their work. The Concessions is the product of the Fourth Flying Start Cycle.
I have come to expect a lot from Touchstone Theatre. They typically produce strong work and I always look forward to their season. I have yet to see a Touchstone Theatre production that didn't have an innovative set and an intelligent, complex script....
Emma Slipp and Sebastian Kroon - Photo by Tim Matheson
The opening night production of Spamalot at the Arts Club Stanley Theatre was exactly what I was hoping it would be, a hilarious spectacle dripping in silliness. Self described as “lovingly ripped off ” from the comic genius 1975 film Monty Python and the Holy Grail, this musical ‘extravaganza’ includes many iconic scenes from the film.
It opens with King Arthur scouring his kingdom, servant Patsy closely in tow banging two coconut shells together to mimic the hoof sound of Arthur’s “horse”, in an effort to recruit Knights to his Round Table in Camelot. Once assembled, and at...
The experience is like watching a series of snap shots, moving from one into the next, add the sound of voices individual and in a chorus, a violin and percussive instruments aptly punctuating movement and the poetry and you have the essence of Mother Tongue.
In part one (The Poet's Dream), the snap shots are beautifully lit. Costume designer Barbara Clayden creates layered looks for each performer with a multitude of swatches of black and white; strips, slashes, splatters... blending these contrasting shapes to great effect. Lighting Designer Bryan Kenney uses the white in the costumes to pick up colour in his...
Linda Quibell, Jane Osborne, Peter Anderson, Vanessa Goodman (photo by Tim Matheson)
Running until May 3 at Studio 1398, Equity Collective Bad Dog Productions is presenting Sherlock Holmes' Greatest Adventure. It's a spoof make-over of The Hound of the Baskervilles adapted by a British comedy duo (John Nicholson and Steven Canny) which was such a hit in its 2007 premiere that it ended up touring the UK and transferring to the West End.
Ellie King directs this fast-paced production featuring James Rowley, Mark Carter and Michael Charrois in multiple roles. Our intrepid detective Sherlock Holmes (Charrois) sports a fine French-ish accent and is flanked by a goofy Dr. Watson (Carter). They encounter...
Cast members James Rowley, Mark Carter and Michael Charrois
Mies Julie is an interpretation of August Strindberg's Miss Julie taking place in the new South Africa. The set was simple and symbolic, typical of South African Theatre and as a native South African I was prepared for an imaginative, magical ride with no punches pulled.
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Bongile Mantsai, Hilda Cronje in Mies Julie, pic by Murdo MacLeod
In honour of the visual polyphony attempted by the creative team of Helen Lawrence, two intrepid PLANK reviewers attended the world premiere showing and recorded their discussion post-show in a fairly synchonous fashion. Allyson McGrane and Danielle Benzon weigh in as they hang in a pub drinking Grolsch.
Gerard Plunkett and Nicholas Lea (Photo by David Cooper)
I was embarrassed to be a member of the audience last night at Vancouver Opera’s visually stunning production of Don Giovanni. Not because of the raunchy content, but because of the rude and disrespectful behaviour of so many members of the audience. I was appalled to see almost a quarter of the crowd stand up and leave during the not particularly long curtain call. This is a live performance, you’re not at a movie theatre, the people on stage can see you leaving. Don’t stand for an ovation...
From the moment you enter into the theatre you are made to feel welcomed. Real life mother, Asha and son, Ravi greet the audience with a handshake, a smile, a personal introduction and food! Delicious vegetarian samosas are handed out. With the taste of Indian spices and the warmth of a hello, the stage is set to settle in for the next 90 minutes and hear a true family story, the story of finding a wife for Ravi in the traditional Indian way. A tradition that has come into conflict with the Canadian born and raised son.
Both characters connect...
Ravi & Asha Jain onstage (photo by Erin Brubacher)
Hotel Bethlehem is a must see this holiday season, especially if you want a break from the syrupy sweet rhetoric of Christmas-themed stories. It is refreshing to see a play that is funny, clever and sometimes teetering on the edge of appropriateness. The premise of the play is to tell the story behind the story, what was going on at the inn in Bethlehem the day that Jesus was born. The next 110 minutes is a fast paced, witty combination of farce and satire.
As any farce would dictate, physical humour is in attendance including the proverbial multiple entrances and...
