CTORA Theatre has plucked Roald Dahl’s beloved story Charlie & the Chocolate Factory from the pages and transformed it into a larger-than-life production that proves how pure imagination can make anything possible. Over the past few seasons, CTORA has emerged on the Vancouver theatre scene with productions infused with clever staging concepts and production values, under the direction of Mark Carter. To that end, Charlie & the Chocolate Factory is right up CTORA’s alley, with a show that combines strong on-stage talent with delightful visuals to entertain and inspire audiences of all ages. 

Emotional baggage from dating is no joke. But it can be entertaining to poke a little fun at. After all, recognizing the humour in past experiences is part of how we grow. Sarah Segal-Lazar’s play Baggage is a clever and playful look at how baggage from past relationships follows us. This freshing work is superbly brought to life by a cast of tremendously talented Studio 58 students, led by the charismatic Michelle Avila Navarro. Director and Studio 58 graduate Jessie Liang offers an inventive concept with some creative ideas that highlight the many strengths of the cast and Segal-Lazar’s script.

The Improv Centre a thing or two about timing, which of course is essential when it comes to comedy. And now that we’re officially into fall, The Improv Centre is right on time with its latest show, Betrayers—and not just because it’s based on one of the year’s most memed TV shows.

Cats are known to have nine lives. But Cats, the iconic Broadway musical, seems to have countless lives, as it’s still being performed worldwide after first premiering in the West End over 43 years ago. In fact, there’s even a drag-and-ballroom-themed version off-Broadway, where the Jellicle cats are voguing and waacking their way down a catwalk. Here at the Malkin Bowl, Theatre Under the Stars is offering a fresh reimagining of its own. While this retelling is nowhere near as drastic as the current off-Broadway version, director Ashley Wright’s production offers some creative ideas to keep things interesting, while still having one paw planted faithfully in the original.

Hairspray, the hit Broadway musical, has danced its way into Vancouver, looking and feeling as fresh and energized as ever. The show, which premiered on Broadway in 2002 and is based on the 1988 film, oozes with fun and heartfelt messaging. You may just find yourself leaving the theatre humming its tunes and feeling inspired to help make positive change. 

The true story of Jewish American Leo Frank’s wrongful murder conviction and lynching in 1915 in Marietta, Georgia is bone-chilling, heartbreaking, and fascinating. These events are dramatized in the Tony Award-winning musical Parade, which originally premiered in 1998.