Six Vancouver theatre shows worth catching this July
From Greek tragedy to Disney musicals to experimental goblin takes on Shakespeare, summer stages are offering everything from the classical to the delightfully weird.
The day's top stories, food & events — every morning at 7. Unsubscribe anytime.
Summer theatre in Vancouver is in full swing, with stages across the city offering a mix of classics, musicals, and experimental takes on familiar stories. Here's where to catch the best.
Antigone runs through September 18 at Sen̓áḵw/Vanier Park. Sophocles' profound Greek tragedy gets a new adaptation from Kate Besworth in Bard on the Beach's small tent. The daughter of Oedipus faces an impossible choice: bury her brother or obey the king's law, knowing disobedience means death. Ming Hudson directs a cast including Yoshie Bancroft as Antigone and Paul Moniz de Sá as King Creon. Tickets from $30.
Goblin:Oedipus plays through September 19 at Sen̓áḵw/Vanier Park. After the success of Goblin:Macbeth in 2023, Bard has brought back Rebecca Northan and Bruce Horak's weirdly effective take on tragedy using only three unidentified actors in goblin masks performing Sophocles' Oedipus Rex. Tickets from $30.
A Streetcar Named Desire runs July 9–18 at Jericho Arts Centre. Ensemble Theatre has revived its summer repertory with Tennessee Williams' brilliant drama of Southern love, lust, and madness. Cat Smith plays Blanche DuBois, with Terri Carricoates as Stanley Kowalski and Brynna Drummond as Stella. Chris Lam directs. Tickets $35/$25.
Why We Work Out takes the stage July 15–18 at The Fishbowl, Granville Island. Toronto's Nightswimming theatre brings a solo show where actor and dancer Anita Majumdar weaves Hindu mythology with Indian dance and pop culture to explain how deeply exercise videos have influenced her life. Part of the Lower Mainland's Indian Summer Festival. Tickets $33.50.
The Apiary runs July 16–25 at Vine's Den, 825 E. Hastings St. American playwright Kate Douglas sets her futuristic drama in a lab where technicians work to save the world's fast-diminishing bee population amid an ecological crisis. Daniela Atiencia directs. The New York Times called it "a bright, strange and mesmerizing marvel." Tickets $15–$40.
Sister Act opens July 3 and runs through August 21 at Malkin Bowl, Stanley Park. The musical adaptation of the 1992 Whoopi Goldberg film stars Kat Reynolds as Deloris, a lounge singer turned undercover nun. Tickets from $35.
