Bard After Dark brings late-night improv to Vanier Park through August

Bard on the Beach is extending its summer atmosphere late into the evening with Bard After Dark, a new late-night cabaret series that trades scripted soliloquies for audience suggestions.

The 16+ series features a rotating cast of Canada's best improvisers, with every performance built from audience-supplied prompts. The lineup includes familiar faces from Vancouver's theatre and comedy communities, many of whom have performed with Bard in previous seasons — making the late-night series something of a reunion with considerably fewer Shakespearean monologues.

"One of the things audiences love most about Bard is the atmosphere, and with Bard After Dark, we're extending that experience late into the evening with something playful, spontaneous, and completely different," said Bard's founding artistic director Christopher Gaze. "Even if you aren't seeing one of our productions before this event, you can still purchase a ticket to come experience Bard After Dark."

Presented in partnership with Tightrope Theatre, the shows begin at 10 p.m. after Bard's regular productions wrap up, giving audiences the option to cap off an evening at the festival with something unpredictable. Audiences holding same-day performance tickets can snag discounted admission. That means no two shows will be the same — scenes, characters, songs and surprises unfold in real time.

Bard After Dark runs August 7, 14, 21, and 28 at the Douglas Campbell Theatre in Vanier Park. Tickets are $20 and up.