After a year hiatus due to the COVID-19 pandemic – Bard in the Valley is back with a zany run-through of everything Shakespeare.
From now until July 25, the theatrical group is performing the modern comedy The Complete Works of William Shakespeare (Abridged), a play that pays tribute to, and relentlessly spoofs, the works of the Bard, from bloodbaths like Macbeth to comedies like A Midsummer Night’s Dream.
The return of Bard in the Valley is part of the return of theatrical productions have come with the second and third steps in the B.C. Restart Plan.
Due to the province’s revised guidelines on outdoor gatherings, organizers are no longer limiting attendance at venues below typical capacity.
There will be three performance locations this year, two in Langley and one in Abbotsford.
The play just wrapped its inaugural run at Douglas Park in Langley City, and then will move to Township 7 Winery from July 8 to July 19, and then will finish at the Eco Dairy in Abbotsford July 23 and 24.
READ MORE: Bard in the Valley returns to live performing as restart opens performance opportunities
Starring Dylan Coulter and siblings Lauren and Nik Trotzuk, the play – written in the 1980s by Adam Long, Daniel Singer, and Jess Winfield was chosen because of its limited cast.
President Madison McArthur said she’s seen audiences relieved in having a sense of normal.
“It’s a smaller show with a lot of energy. It’s been fun to get together with people and be outside,” McArthur said.
Typically, Bard in the Valley has big casts, but their production Measure for Measure had to be cancelled due to the pandemic.
“We wanted to do it this year but didn’t know what the restrictions would be,” she explained. “This show only needs three actors. They started rehearsing in May with masks on.”
More about times and tickets can be found online at bardinthevalley.com.
“It’s something very light-hearted, so if you’re looking for a night out, it’s a night of comedy to enjoy,” McArthur noted.
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