Vancouver’s Summer Theatre Scene Is Heating Up: 11 Shows To See

And we’re not just talking the sunny weather forecast. Live performances, on stages indoors and out, are happening now and all throughout the summer. Here’s a lineup of what to see and when, with a nudge to grab your tickets soon, as they go fast. —Catherine Dunwoody

On stage now and extended until August 16 at the Stanley BFL Canada theatre, is Tony award-nominated, Canadian theatre classic, Come From Away. Inspired by true events that took place during the September 11 tragedy, this inspirational musical tale takes places in the tiny town of Gander, Newfoundland when 7,000 airplane passengers were stranded there.

Bard on the Beach Shakespeare Festival is in its 37 season at Sen̓áḵw/Vanier Park with The Merry Wives of Windsor performing until September 19 at the BMO Mainstage. This time the comedy is a music-filled production set in a community athletic centre of a (fictional) Vancouver suburb complete with soccer moms and loads of laughs.

Also, at Bard on the Beach until September 18, ‘the Scottish play’ Macbeth tells the tragic tale of greed, murder, and deceit. “Macbeth is one of Shakespeare’s most gripping and intriguing plays,” says Christopher Gaze, Bard on the Beach Artistic Director. “It is a story of fate, power, and consequence that feels as urgent today as ever.”

Theatre in the Country showcases local talent in Langley City, with dinner and a show. Catch The Producers, a Mel Brooks classic musical comedy that won a record breaking 12 Tony Awards and a Broadway hit that everyone should see, especially if you’ve yet to. Runs June 3 to 20.

The Play That Goes Wrong runs June 18 to August 16 at the Lindsay Family Stage at Granville Island. A 1920s whodunit story where a fictional theatre company does nothing short of botch it terribly, incredibly funny and perfect for a summer show.

Sophocles’ enduring drama, Antigone, is a modern adaptation of a classic Shakespearean tale that examines political power, family devastation, and the personal cost of standing against authority. Runs June 30 to September 18 at Bard on the Beach’s Douglas Campbell Theatre.

Goblin: Oedipus also in the Douglas Campbell Theatre will hit the stage July 5 to September 19 with a return of goblins WUG, KRAGVA, and MOOG taking on their own version of the story of Oedipus.

Theatre Under the Stars’ 86th summer season returns to Malkin Bowl in Stanley Park, this time with musical hits Sister Act and Disney’s The Little Mermaid, from July 3 to August 22. Strong female leads, and a fun summer evening for the family.

Bard in the Valley takes place in Langley City, where you can catch Henry IV at Township 7 Winery June 25 to July 12. Persephone will be staged at Douglas Park in Langley City in an open-air theatre against a Fraser Valley backdrop, July 21 to 23 and admission is free. 

Broadway Across Canada presents Clue  from July 28 to August 2 at the Queen Elizabeth Theatre. Expect a classic murder mystery that six mysterious guests must try to solve while gathered together in a (you guessed it) eery mansion. Inspired by the Hasbro game, you’ll know the names. But not whodunit.