›› Mark Dusseault
Here at the Belfry, our mandate is to produce contemporary theatre, with an emphasis on Canadian plays. We program engaging, exciting and entertaining stories—plays that open a window onto a world with which we are unfamiliar, or that provide a new perspective on the world we know.
Some have recently premiered elsewhere. Some are from the canon of great Canadian plays. Some are from the hottest international playwrights. And often—usually at least once a season—they are plays that the Belfry has commissioned, developed, and workshopped; plays that have been written for this theatre, for a Victoria audience; and which debut here before going on to theatres across the country.
This season we’ll be producing Bears, Matthew MacKenzie’s multi-award-winning play about the environment and Kat Sandler’s surreal comedy, Mustard. Both Kat and Matthew are emerging Canadian playwrights.
A Doll’s House, Part 2 and 4000 Miles are new plays from Lucas Hnath and Amy Herzog and they come to us with Tony and Pulitzer Award nominations. Hnath’s A Doll’s House, Part 2 examines gender parity and Herzog’s 4000 Miles is an intergenerational comedy.
In December we’ll premiere Nick Bantock’s Griffin & Sabine, based on his international best-selling trilogy. Nick lives in Victoria and we’re honored to have the opportunity to premiere this new work.
We’re finalizing our SPARK Festival (March 2019) right now but be forewarned, don’t miss Old Stock: A Refugee Love Story, a Canadian musical that the New York Times has named a critic’s pick and the New Yorker said “it is hard to imagine a more apt time for a production with so clear a moral center.”
We rehearse and build our productions right here in Fernwood. Tucked away in our restored heritage building is our rehearsal hall, a carpentry shop where our sets are built, and a wardrobe shop where our costumes are created.
Come for the stories. Stay for the conversations. We have a slew of informative programs designed to enhance your play-going experience: podcasts, magazines, before-play talk shows, after-play discussions, and more… all of which will throw the windows open even wider.
Tickets and more information are available at belfry.bc.ca or come by the theatre and get your copy of our season guide.
