The stages are set for another terrific summer, featuring four classic Shakespeare plays plus a short-run contemporary drama. Together they transport audiences from a mythical past to modern-day Venice and contemporary Vancouver.
Opening the Festival on the BMO Mainstage is an audience favourite, Much Ado About Nothing, set in 1959 Italy. Inspired by the era’s glamorous and extravagant Italian films, it is directed by John Murphy (Measure For Measure, 2013). Alternating with Much Ado is The Winter’s Tale, a magical and poignant family drama, set in mythical kingdoms in Sicily and Bohemia and directed by Bard’s Associate Artistic Director Dean Paul Gibson (A Midsummer Night’s Dream, 2014).
On the Howard Family Stage in the Douglas Campbell Theatre, award-winning Canadian actor-director Nigel Shawn Williams directs a provocative staging of The Merchant of Venice, set in contemporary Italy. It will alternate with Shakespeare’s romantic comedy The Two Gentlemen of Verona, directed by Bard Artistic Associate Scott Bellis (The Comedy of Errors, 2015).
Rounding out the 2017 lineup is a short-run production in September to complement The Merchant of Venice. Shylock is a single-hander written by BC’s Mark Leiren-Young. First produced at Bard in 1996, it imagines a modern-day actor playing Shylock as he wrestles with the timely issues of censorship and political correctness, themes that strongly resonate in our world today.
Vancouver’s Bard on the Beach Shakespeare Festival begins its 28th season in beautiful Vanier Park on June 1, with an exciting lineup of plays, concerts and special events. All tickets for the Bard on the Beach’s 2017 season, which runs from June 1 to September 23, are now on sale.
Here is the lineup of events:
Much Ado About Nothing: June 1 – September 23 (BMO Mainstage) – Opening Night is Thursday, June 15.
The Winter’s Tale: June 8 – September 22 (BMO Mainstage) – Opening Night is Thursday, June 22.
The Merchant of Venice: June 22 – September 16 (Howard Family Stage) – Opening Night is Thursday, July 6.
The Two Gentlemen of Verona: June 29 – September 17 (Howard Family Stage) – Opening Night is Wednesday, July 12.
Shylock: September 6 – 15 (Howard Family Stage) – Opening Night is Thursday, September 7.
Bard-B-Q & Fireworks: July 29; August 2 & 5 (both stages). Includes Much Ado About Nothing or The Two Gentlemen of Verona, dinner, entertainment from the Dowco Triumph Street Pipe Band and a private view of the Celebration of Light Fireworks.
Family Nights: July 11 and August 8 & 22 (BMO Mainstage & Bard Village) - Make lasting memories with a trip to Much Ado About Nothing. Arrive at the Village early for family-friendly activities including the PIXSTAR Photobooth, a food truck and an exclusive pre-show talk designed just for kids.
Opera & Arias: The Barber of Seville: August 28 and September 4 (BMO Mainstage) - Rossini’s masterpiece of the comic opera stage.
Exploring Shakespeare: June 24; July 8 & 15; August 12 (BMO Mainstage) - Go beyond the story and explore Shakespeare’s influences with Simon Fraser University’s Dr. Paul Budra.
For complete details about event and tickets, please visit: https://bardonthebeach.org/
