CRITIC’S PICKS: The Wilds; Chemainus Theatre Festival; Mini Pops Kids
THE WILDS
Where: McPherson Playhouse, 3 Centennial Sq.
When: Tonight, 7:30 p.m. Tickets: $38.50-$49.50 from the Royal McPherson box office (250-386-6121) or rmts.bc.ca
Why: You may have to drive up and down the Island in order to find tickets, but The Wilds is certainly worth the extra effort on that front.
Andrew Phoenix and Kate Braidwood, the Victoria husband-and-wife creative team behind A Wonderheads Christmas Carol, have another winner in The Wilds, a fantasy adventure built around the pioneering puppetry that has become their trademark.
Tickets to tonight’s performance at the McPherson Playhouse are quickly disappearing, but seats may be available for performances in Duncan at the Cowichan Performing Arts Centre on Saturday and Courtenay’s Sid Williams Theatre on Monday.
Make haste; this is one of the best shows this city has ever produced.
CHEMAINUS THEATRE FESTIVAL
Where: Chemainus Theatre, 9737 Chemainus Rd.
When: Friday to Dec. 22 Tickets: chemainustheatre.ca and 250-246-9820
Why: The Chemainus Theatre Festival is celebrating 30 years of fine dining, theatre and art during its 2024 season, which gets underway Friday.
Five shows — Hurry Hard (by playwright Kristen Da Silva), Jeeves at Sea (Margaret Raether), 9 to 5 The Musical (Dolly Parton and Patricia Resnick), The Piano Teacher (Dorothy Dittrich), and Miss Bennett: Christmas at Pemberley (Lauren Gunderson and Margot Melcon) — are on tap through December.
All manner of ticket packages are available, and with a range of stylistic offerings, there is something here for theatregoers of all stripes.
MINI POP KIDS
Where: Royal Theatre,
805 Broughton St.
When: Friday, 4 p.m.
Tickets: $41.25-$51.50 from the Royal McPherson box office (250-386-6121) or rmts.bc.ca
Why: Can’t afford Taylor Swift tickets? Mini Pop Kids’ The Good Vibes Tour might provide some recompense for budgetminded parents.
What’s more, pint-sized Swifties of the world could be persuaded to go for the pre- and post-show meet and greets with the Mini Pop Kids cast (which includes a photo opportunity, autographed tour poster, and VIP tour laminate), resulting in a razzle-dazzle night of fun for pre-schoolers.
Songs performed include hits by Beyoncé, Olivia Rodrigo, Harry Styles, Dua Lipa, and the aforementioned Tay Tay, so expect more than a few singalongs Friday afternoon.