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Surreal antics and yodel queens combine in New Cackle Sisters: Kitchen Chicken

New Cackle Sisters: Kitchen Chicken | L’orchestre d’hommes orchestres | The Cultch | York Theatre | April 2 – 6, 2019

Dancing chickens, spray bottles of wine, and Cheese Whiz art — just a few of the joyously weird sights in this delightful orchestra that caters to all the senses. By the end of the show, the smell of roasted chicken fills the theatre and audience members have been treated to various delicacies such as lettuce wrapped hotdogs, mashed potato cones, and cups of tea with a whipped cream rim. But it’s not what’s on the plate that’s important — it’s how it gets there.

Gross Misconduct is sharply written with plenty of suspense and superb acting

Gross Misconduct | SpeakEasy Theatre | Gateway Theatre | March 14 – 23, 2019

Meghan Gardiner’s sharply-written Gross Misconduct is a difficult yet important story about sexual assault that explores the complex consequences and repercussions for all involved.

In a stark jail cell with two white boxes serving as beds and harsh fluorescent lighting, Deke (Ian Butcher) enjoys his silence. He tells the guard, Gareth (Scott Bellis), “I haven’t had a cellmate since —…” The unfinished sentence begins to build the suspense as we wonder why Deke is in prison.

Yoga Play parodies the commercialization of yoga

Yoga Play | Gateway Theatre | February 7 – 16, 2019

Playwright Dipika Guha’s Canadian debut, Yoga Play, takes aim at corporate culture, the false authenticity of the yoga lifestyle, and cultural appropriation. The themes and comedic material are all stacked in favour a great play, but the narrative remains on the surface; instead of delving deeply into the issues this production takes a more slapstick approach that didn’t resonate with me.

Circle Game gives new life to Joni Mitchell classics

Circle Game | Firehall Arts Centre | January 12 – February 9, 2019 | On tour around the Lower Mainland February 14 – March 26, 2019

Joni Mitchell’s songs are full of classic themes of love, environmental consciousness, and social justice. In this marathon musical, her songs have been updated and reimagined with new arrangements or musical styles, and sometimes with new narrative interpretations. Mitchell’s words still retain a great deal of relevance for today’s generation, and Circle Game reminds us of her wisdom.

The Full Light of Day is innovative, ambitious

The Full Light of Day | Electric Company Theatre | Vancouver Playhouse | January 7 – 12, 2019

This is the most innovative piece of theatre I’ve seen in a long time. The integration of beautiful film elements, suspenseful plot, tense family dynamic, and brilliant cast made for a spectacular production. Ambitious and immersive, this is theatre that’s pushing the art form in new and exciting directions.

Mary (Gabrielle Rose) is an aging matriarch of a wealthy family who feels that she must face her husband’s corrupt past and reject it wholeheartedly before she dies. In an act of redemption, she banishes him from her deathbed and comes to terms with her self-imposed ignorance.

Marie Chouinard brings Bosch's The Garden of Earthly Delights to life in all its surreal, macabre glory

Hieronymus Bosch: The Garden of Earthly Delights | Compagnie Marie Chouinard | DanceHouse | Vancouver Playhouse | March 15-16, 2019

If there’s any dance company in the world that Hieronymus Bosch’s 500-year-old painting was made for, it’s Compagnie Marie Chouinard. Chouinard’s trademark nude forms have earned her a reputation as a bold choreographer whose works range from idyllic to sinister.

Revisor explores the relationship between movement and meaning

There are many standout lines in Revisor, Crystal Pite and Jonathon Young’s innovative dance-theatre hybrid, but the one that has stuck with me is also an apt summation of its theme: “I’m here to move a comma.”

In this tale of mistaken identity, corruption, and abuse of power based on Nikolai Gogol’s The Inspector General (Revizor in the original Russian), a commoner is mistaken as the “Revisor” (Tiffany Tregarthen) who has been sent “from head office” to investigate a political leader.

Jacob Boehme is vulnerable, captivating in Blood on the Dance Floor

Blood on the Dance Floor | DanceHouse, SFU Woodward’s Cultural Programs, and Talking Stick Festival present ILBIJERRI Theatre Company | SFU Goldcorp Centre for the Arts | February 6 – 9, 2019

In a satin robe, flashy costume jewellery, and bright red lipstick, Jacob Boehme warmly welcomes the audience as we arrive at the theatre. His drag queen persona sits in the aisle for a few minutes, telling us about the many funerals during the AIDS epidemic. The persona is short-lived, though, as he soon de-robes and descends to the stage to tell us his story.

Innovative dance works at the 15th PuSh Festival

Attractor – DanceNorth Australia, Vancouver Playhouse | Loop, Lull – Company 605, Scotiabank Dance Centre | Fragile Forms – Machinenoisy, Anvil Centre | PuSh International Performing Arts Festival | January 17 – February 3, 2019

Attractor – DanceNorth Australia

Seated on a semi-circle of stools, the eight dancers move slowly, robotically. Gradually their movement build as they get up, the Javanese musical duo, Senyawa, providing loud accompaniment with their handmade, electric stringed instruments.

The dancers’ trance-like state renders their movement as pure dance, the artists channeling their own interpretation and allowing the movement to flow through them, free from artifice and extrinsic influences and without any concern for connecting with the audience in a traditional sense.

Indigenous voices will be the focus at the 19th Vancouver International Dance Festival

Vancouver International Dance Festival | KW Production Studio, Roundhouse Performance Centre, Vancouver Playhouse, and Woodward’s Atrium | March 4 – 30, 2019

With a whole month of programming and 45 performances, including 17 free shows and 23 free dance classes, the 19^th edition of the Vancouver International Dance Festival brings local, national, and international dance to the stage throughout March. The amount of free programming is impressive, and this year’s focus on Indigenous artists will offer audiences diverse perspectives and varied choreographic and storytelling styles.