WITCH WITH HER SKIRT ON FIRE (Vancouver Fringe)
Writer/performer Megan Markham’s solo show consists of a series of fairytale-like stories about witches and witchcraft. The imagery and ideas are often charmingly inventive: the library at the centre of the universe that contains every book ever written; the lead...
THE PLAY THAT GOES WRONG: GOES RIGHT
Farce is so difficult. You need significant chops to pull it off, so a non-Equity production of The Play That Goes Wrong struck me as a dicey proposition, but this creative team is clearly drawing on a huge treasure chest of non-Equity experience. They’re rocking this...
![THE COMPLETE WORKS OF WILLIAM SHAKESPEARE (ABRIDGED) [REVISED] [AGAIN]: TO ITS OWN SELF IT’S TRUE](https://colinthomas.ca/wp-content/uploads/2025/07/Screenshot-2025-07-26-at-3.56.45-PM-400x250.jpeg)
THE COMPLETE WORKS OF WILLIAM SHAKESPEARE (ABRIDGED) [REVISED] [AGAIN]: TO ITS OWN SELF IT’S TRUE
The Complete Works of William Shakespeare (Abridged) [Revised] [Again] is kind of like a trampoline park for actors: it gives them a great workout and a chance to show off their skills as they bounce from one Shakespearean play to the next, trying to get them all done...
THE MOUSETRAP: A DELIGHTFUL CONTRAPTION
To me, this production of The Mousetrap feels like one of those fantastically diverting mechanical toys I used to get on Christmas mornings — and that I still sometimes give on Christmas mornings. The play isn’t deeply meaningful, but there’s joy in the mechanics —...
CHARLIE AND THE CHOCOLATE FACTORY: DARK, FUNNY, FULLY REALIZED
Peter Jorgensen’s directorial vision is crystal clear in this production of Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, he has assembled a stellar team to realize that vision, and his sure hand makes for a luxurious evening at the theatre. Based on a novel by Roald Dahl, the...
LEGALLY BLONDE — WITH HIGHLIGHTS
I’m going to hold off on my assessment for a little bit and give you some context. I love a good bimbo and the character Elle Woods in the musical Legally Blonde is one of the best. A Malibu princess who has a 4.0 grade average — in fashion merchandising — Elle is...
WAITRESS: WILL MORE THAN SERVE
The material isn’t immortal, but it’s substantial enough and the production is perfect. Yep, that’s what I said: perfect. Jessie Nelson’s book for the musical is based on the movie, which was written by Adrienne Shelly. In the story, a waitress and piemaker named...
THE TWO GENTLEMEN OF VERONA: A STAR IS BORN
The play is slight. Director Dean Paul Gibson’s production is inconsistent. And young actor Jacob Leonard is a star. If The Two Gentlemen of Verona hadn’t been written by Shakespeare, I can’t imagine it would still be getting produced today. In the simple and...
THE DARK LADY: MURKY
Playwright Jessica B. Hill’s The Dark Lady kept me listening for the most part, but I was never fully or consistently engaged. The Dark Lady imagines a relationship between William Shakespeare and Emilia Bassano, the first woman in England to claim the status of...
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