THEATRE — Articles

Theatre review: Sparks fly between brilliant equals in Bard on the Beach’s The Dark Lady

Poetic flourishes and strong characterizations bring compelling charge to imagined story of Shakespeare and the woman who inspired and challenged him

THEATREJanet SmithJuly 15, 2025Bard on the Beach, Summer 2025

Pacific Theatre announces fall-only season before leaving historic venue in new year

Comedy with Charlie Demers and Jacob Samuel and a remount of Wakey, Wakey are some of the offerings onstage before renovations and a time of internal review in 2026

THEATREJanet SmithJuly 15, 2025Pacific Theatre

Women of the Fur Trade opens Touchstone Theatre's just-announced 50th season

More mainstage offerings include love story Gertrude & Alice, video-game-style production 2021, and solo show Danceboy

THEATREJanet SmithJuly 14, 2025Touchstone Theatre, Frances Koncan

Bard Club cultivates lively Shakespeare discussions at Vanier Park, starting July 16

Facilitated conversations with directors take place before matinee showings of four Bard on the Beach productions this season

THEATRE, WHAT'S STIRRINGJanet SmithJuly 9, 2025Bard on the Beach, Summer 2025

Theatre review: Fresh take on Legally Blonde uplifts and empowers at Theatre Under the Stars

Core elements of this audience favourite remain in a production full of touches that feel unmistakably contemporary

THEATREJanet SmithJuly 8, 2025Theatre Under the Stars, TUTS, Homepage feature

Page Turn puts out call for emerging performing-arts critics

Vancouver’s Neworld Theatre is producing and administering nationwide initiative in search of experienced arts writers who are IBPOC or face other barriers

THEATRE, NEWSJanet SmithJuly 8, 2025Page Turn

A Punjabi play, an enlightening salon series, and more as Monsoon Festival of Performing Arts unveils 2025 lineup

This year’s event, on from August 7 to 17, also features a standup comedy show by YouTube star Manpreet Singh and all-ages dance workshops

Theatre review: Theatre Under the Stars brings its own darkly inventive comedy to Charlie and the Chocolate Factory

Young cast fuels this new production of the Roald Dahl classic with over-the-top silliness and sheer song-and-dance talent

THEATREJanet SmithJuly 7, 2025Theatre Under the Stars, Stanley Park, Summer 2025

Bard on the Beach star Arghavan Jenati reflects on Dark Lady at the heart of Shakespeare’s work

New production of Jessica B. Hill’s witty play reclaims the lost history of poet Emilia Bassano

THEATREJanet SmithJuly 7, 2025Bard on the Beach, Summer 2025

Theatre review: Arts Club stages a top-tier murder-mystery template with Agatha Christie’s The Mousetrap

From revealing performances to spot-on costumes and sets, this new production conjures all the atmosphere of the play’s old London home

Theatre artist Bernard Cuffling serves up life stories, sips, and snacks at a rooftop-garden gathering, July 6

Western Gold Theatre fundraiser features the U.K.–born Canadian artist in an intimate, informal setting

THEATREJanet SmithJuly 2, 2025Western Gold Theatre, Bernard Cuffling, Summer 2025

Theatre review: Two Gentlemen of Verona’s comic tale of romance and betrayal thrives on ’80s-era dazzle

In Bard on the Beach’s new production, retro pastels and power suits map surprisingly well onto the chaos of Shakespeare’s sometimes troublesome original

FESTS, THEATREJanet SmithJuly 2, 2025Bard on the Beach, Shakespeare

Theatre review: Eyes of the Beast asks what it means to bear witness to climate disaster

Neworld Theatre in collaboration and SFU’s School for the Contemporary Arts humanizes the issue by drawing on real, lived memories of fires, floods, and heat waves

THEATREJanet SmithJune 24, 2025Neworld Theatre, Summer 2025, SFU School for Conetmporary Arts

Arts Club Theatre Company resets Agatha Christie classic The Mousetrap, June 26 to August 10

With audiences sworn to secrecy over a decades-long run, the mystery at the heart of author’s most famous whodunit endures

THEATRE, WHAT'S STIRRINGJanet SmithJune 24, 2025Arts Club Theatre Company, Summer 2025

Theatre review: Bard on the Beach opener Much Ado About Nothing mixes summery charm with updated reflections

With modernized touches and strong performances, this adaptation renews the wit and scheming of Shakespeare’s classic comedy

THEATRE, FESTSJanet SmithJune 23, 2025Bard on the Beach, Much Ado About Nothing, Shakespeare, Summer 2025

Theatre review: Arts Club cooks up a creative hit with a Waitress that's moving yet whimsical

Rachel Drance’s poignant performance mixes well with choreographic and design innovations in new rendition of musical at the Stanley

Theatre Under the Stars music directors welcome the chance to work outdoors in Stanley Park

Sean Bayntun and Eliza De Castro sound off on bringing to life the bold characters of Charlie and the Chocolate Factory and Legally Blonde: The Musical