Category Archives: Reviews

Read along as we seek out the best of what the British Columbia coast (and beyond) has to offer.

10.23.15
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Building Heart in Kaleidoscope Theatre’s 2015 Fundraiser: A Little Shop of Horrors

Tickets can be bought at the McPherson Theatre Playhouse (3 Centennial Square, Victoria, BC) at the box office or online.

Showtimes:
OCT 30, 8PM
OCT 31, 8PM
NOV 1, 2PM

Kaleidoscope Theatre‘s Halloween spectacular is not just taking place in the support of bringing youth to the arts. It’s also a major fundraiser for the theatre company to keep their programs running year-round. Artistic Director Roderick Glanville leads this year’s production of Little Shop of Horrors and he recounts his youth as one of simply finding the right place to belong when the academic side of the education system didn’t quite hold his interest very well. Fortune would find him discovering theatre at the suggestion of his teacher and he loved it.

“From that point on, throughout my whole schooling. I was involved in every theatre program, did every single show (all the way through middle school and high school), excelled in all communications and theatre and formed my own,” said Roderick.

Frequent attendees of this autumn-centric show will find familiar names in this production. This director knows that he should not stress them out since they are volunteering their time to put on a Halloween treat for the theatre-loving community of Victoria, BC. He likes to see performers come back and not feel burnt out because of how stressful last year’s event went. The point is to have fun, and it’s shown in The Addams Family Musical and Rocky Horror, which played in the past two years.

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10.22.15
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How to Plan for the Next Nightmare at the Royal BC Museum

nightshift-sep2015-event-banner

Although the Royal BC Museum‘s evening party for this upcoming All Hallow’s Eve is sold out, people interested in this festival will no doubt have to plan far in advance for next year’s Nightmare at the Museum. Interest for this event has been very heavy, and Kim Gough, one of the staff’s event coordinators, reveals that the goal of expanding interest in this archive’s collections in a fun evening event is achieved.

“The best connection that was there for this time of the year seemed to be about the Victorian period’s fixation on dying [in reference to our first event],” said Gough, “Fixation may not be the right word but it was certainly an important part of that culture.”

In previous events, the gallery held a faux Victorian style séance. That was led by actors and they were probably more in line with the Victorian séances that were conducted at the time. There were probably more people out to make some money. While Sir Arthur Conan Doyle, creator of Sherlock Holmes, wanted to believe, Harry Houdini was out to disprove the impossible. This escape artist believed any competent magician can muster the illusion. These two frequently clashed over what is truly paranormal.

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10.17.15
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Enter Arkenham Abbey If You Dare …. A Review

arkenham-abbey-poster1

Runs October 15 – 31, 2015
Tickets available on site or online at

Craigdarroch Castle.
1050 Joan Crescent
Victoria, BC

Launch Pad Productions proves that they will fly high and soar through the cosmos as they take audiences on journeys of nerdom, Shakespeare (due in April in an adaptation of Shakespeare‘s The Taming of the Shrew) and beyond. First up is their homage to all things Batman.

Arkenam Abbey wonderfully makes use of the Gothic tradition to show the decay of the soul as The Nightwatchman (Justin Carter) journeys through the hallowed halls of this ‘hospital’ and confronts its denizens. Most of them have a sordid past with him and they challenge him to face his fears than theirs as both sides — nicely represented by Black Jack (Trevor Hinton) — face the inevitable. Just who will dominate the night?

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10.08.15
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A Few Hungry Picks for Halloween 2015

Instead of simply rinse and repeating the annual events happening at Halloween in Victoria, BC, what we are offering are our picks of the season that changes things up every year. These are the shows that we are thinking of attending and are wanting to lose our heads over like Ichabod Crane. While James’ pumpkin face is topped with a sprig of hair, to show his excitement during the Halloween season, Ed’s will be extended lush and long so he can hide behind it, like a certain member of the Addams Family to blend with the scenery.

david-radford-the-fool-photo-christina-patterson

Oct 15-31st, 2015
Launchpad Production’s
Arkenam Abbey
Craigdarroch Castle
1050 Joan Crescent

The theatre company of Giggling Iguana Productions decided to take a break and thankfully what’s to come in its place will have fans of Gothic entertainment clapping. Launchpad Productions is taking over and they promise to bring entertainment to all new heights for both Halloween enthusiasts and nerds alike with this homage to the Batman universe. This company’s debut from a few years ago at the Victoria Fringe Theatre Festival with Tara Firm and the Lunar War Chronicles certainly shows this group is ready.

Tickets can be bought online through The Castle’s website and to learn about what’s in store, check out our interview with this troupe and a preview here.

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10.05.15
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Scaring Up Halloween this October with Horror Escape!

horror-escape523 Broughton St.
Victoria, BC V8W 3E2
Phone: (250) 644-6679

I can only imagine what trying to escape from a haunted room can be like if demons are real. Downtown Victoria‘s latest attraction is Horror Escape and it has a great concept that can get thrill seekers excited for. There’s two themed rooms to challenge puzzle solvers to unlock. They aren’t easy. As the ambient background music gets more intense, that’s when the worry starts to creep in as the clock edges closer to the witching hour.

Being able to immerse yourself into the environment is important to get the total experience down. You’re introduced to the room and its history by the host where next, you’ll be led into the chamber to find the entryway to the next room locked. Nearly every set piece is a clue to how it’ll unlock, and if a magnifying glass was offered, some items might stand out more than others. Having good night vision helps, as most of it is hidden within low light situations. Objects to finding the solution are provided if you know where to look.

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09.29.15
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Looking at Launch Pad Production’s Past, Present & Future with Arkenham Abbey, a Preview

Originally published on Otakunoculture.com

Arkenham Abbey Poster(1)

Christina Patterson and David Radford are the heart and soul of Launch Pad Productions, a Victoria, BC based theatre company, and they have a new production coming up that will be a delight to Batman fans. They are presenting Arkenham Abbey, a horror comedy which pays homage to the comics, TV shows and films about this Dark Knight. It will be playing at Craigdarroch Castle starting October 15th and leading up to Halloween.

I started noticing them when I decided to make attending shows at The Castle an annual tradition. They appeared in The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde (2009) and Dracula: The Blood is the Life (2012/13). In alternating years, I saw what they did at 2011 the Victoria Fringe Festival was more than fun. They showed a true love for the medium. Tara Firm and the Lunar War Chronicles (2011), according to Radford, is a Teslapunk styled story than steampunk. His imaginative spirit is captivating and he knows how to write for his wife, Christina. I had always hoped for a continuation of this saga and was told that if there’s a venue to continue it at, it would be at the Victoria Event Centre. Hopefully I did not miss any advertising for it, but alas there were years where my nose was stuck behind many an academic book. In what I took from my past inquiry with Radford, I instantly knew he was a literary nerd and it seems there’s many in this community who are just the same. When the cast included my favourite one-man act, Charlie Ross (One Man Star Wars and One Man Lord of the Rings), I knew everyone in this company are big-time pop culture geeks.

Batman is loved by all. Ross will be putting on his condensed version next year in Vancouver and for Patterson and Radford, they have Arkenham Abbey to treat Victorians with. For the folks who thought Giggling Iguana Productions has left the building without leaving a surprise will be glad to know that Launch Pad is the group who is taking over.

“We were very privileged to have Ian pass this torch to us,” said Patterson, “We will continue to uphold the standard of great Halloween entertainment modelled by Giggling Iguana.”

To truly discover who they are, I had a chance to talk to this couple about their beginnings, their company and what’s in store for this play.  When I look at the towering spires at this venue, I’m often wondering if there are bats up there or if a ghost is lurking behind The Castle’s walls.

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