Opera The Birds gets sweet with satirePacific Opera Victoria founding artistic director Timothy Vernon is giving audiences a look into the work of Greek comedic poet Aristophanes with the opera The Birds. Aristophanes was a satirist, using his work to comment on the society of his day. “What he was writing wasn’t necessarily through-line plots as [it was] satires, making fun […] Continue Reading |
Vinegar Tom well-produced but not much of a playVinegar Tom is a theatre production originally written by Caryl Churchill in 1976, and currently directed by Francis Matheu under the University of Victoria’s department of theatre. It sets its story in 17th century England, during the rampant witch trials where countless innocent women were accused of heresy, and drowned, burned, or hanged. These women were […] Continue Reading |
New Music Revue: dEUS return with a mixed bagdEUS How to Replace It ([PIAS] Recordings) 3.5/5 Coming off of a 10-year hiatus, Belgian art-rock band dEUS have re-entered the music scene with their eighth album, How to Replace It. There are influences from alternative, pop, and electronic rock through the album. The first single, “Must Have Been New,” as well as cuts like […] Continue Reading |
Heart of the House explores art and architecture of post-war modernist BCThe era directly following World War II was one of revitalization and invention, a sort of cultural and artistic renaissance where people tried to move past the trauma of war by emphasizing family, community, and prosperity. This was the birth of the “modern” era, and its naive idealism and unbridled invention put a stamp on […] Continue Reading |
Vinegar Tom showcases early feminism on stageThe Phoenix Theatre is known for producing progressive work, and Vinegar Tom is no exception to this tradition. Written in 1976 by Caryl Churchill, and directed by MFA candidate Francis Matheu, Vinegar Tom revolves around mother and daughter Joan and Alice, who are accused by an angry neighbour of practicing witchcraft. “The play is about […] Continue Reading |
New play examines troubled family relationshipsLocal director Zelda Dean is getting ready to launch her new play, The Year My Mother Came Back; the play and the Alice Eve Cohen novel it’s based on is strongly inspired by Cohen’s turmoil-filled relationship with her mother. “I just love this play, I think I related to it. It’s just such a brave […] Continue Reading |
The Unplugging resonant and heartfelt tale of survivalOn Thursday, February 9, The Belfry Theatre unveiled the heartwarming and resonant production of The Unplugging, written by Yvette Nolan and directed by Reneltta Arluk. The play details the story of Elena, an Indigenous woman played by Marsha Knight, and Bern, a white woman portrayed by Lois Anderson, surviving in the cold Canadian winter after […] Continue Reading |
The Unplugging shares unique Indigenous perspectiveDirector Reneltta Arluk says what drew her to The Unplugging is how the play defies the norm of portraying different Indigenous perspectives in theatre. And it’s not Arluk’s first time taking on the play, which is based on the book Two Old Women; she previously directed it in Whitehorse. “What I love about it is […] Continue Reading |
Pacific Baroque Festival explores music of 17th and 18th century EnglandThe annual Pacific Baroque Festival has returned for its 19th season, this year with the theme of “music for distracted times.” The festival transports listeners to 17th and 18th century England, to a time when Britain was, for the most part, prospering, and the musical arts were booming. At the time, King Charles II had […] Continue Reading |
New Music Revue: Ladytron deliver sombre yet danceable albumLadytron Time’s Arrow (Cooking Vinyl) 4.5/5 UK-based electronic dance band Ladytron’s seventh album, Time’s Arrow, offers a lot more than initially meets the eye. Listening to the music alone it’s unclear what the lyrics really mean to say, but with the synthesizer featured there’s a definite reason for vague lyrics overpowered by the eerie and […] Continue Reading |
