Mrs. Krishnan’s Party: accept this invitation
I feel revived. So many things in the world these days are so depressing and alienating—the endless Trump news, for instance. Grounded, personal, and celebratory, Mrs. Krishnan’s Party is the perfect antidote for all of that. I don’t know when I’ve left the theatre feeling so refreshed and renewed.
Dakh Daughters: lots of texture—and bafflement
Dakh Daughters looks and sounds great, but what the heck is it about?
The Full Light of Day: through a glass darkly
The Full Light of Day is obsessed with its surfaces and, as a result, many of them are well crafted. The performances in this production are first rate. And the script is a mess—especially in Act 1, which is 90 minutes long. By intermission, I had very little...
The Lion, the Witch, the Wardrobe—and some very good acting
When you watch an actor transform from one character to another, it’s like watching an excellent magic trick. It’s alchemical: they were one thing and now they’re another. And there are many such transformations in Pacific Theatre’s skilled, innocent production of The...
Beauty and the Beast: still a beauty
As I was watching the Arts Club’s production of Beauty and the Beast for approximately the ten thousandth time, I was struck by three things: actors’ jobs are weird; no matter how many times I see this show, it completely undoes me; and this year’s version is...
It’s a Wonderful Life: It’s a boring show
Adapter and director Peter Jorgensen gets a lot of things right in this musical version of It’s a Wonderful Life at the Gateway. The Arts Club has repeatedly trotted out Philip Grecian’s politically neutered stage adaptation of Frank Capra’s 1946 movie, but...
Holiday Baking Time: sweet treat for little ones
Holiday Baking Time is designed for little kids—I’d say three to six is the core audience—and the only evening shows are on Thursdays, which are billed as “pyjama nights”. So the audience is insanely cute. I particularly liked the little girl in the giraffe onesie who...
Little Dickens: The Daisy Theatre presents A Christmas Carol—is a long title for an excellent show
This is the sixth year running that Ronnie Burkett has done a Christmas show at The Cultch. Sometimes they’ve been blindingly good and sometimes they’ve been a little ragged around the edges—a bit repetitive or sloppy—but one thing never changes: in terms of sheer...
East Van Panto: The Wizard of Oz – Yes! Just yes!
I want to live there. East Van Panto: The Wizard of Oz is my new happy place. I’m going to see if I can just rent out one of the seats in the York Theatre for the duration of the run. This is the sixth year of Theatre Replacement’s East Van Panto, and this edition is...
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