Less than three weeks to opening, the cast and crew of Arms and the Man have assembled in Victoria, bringing a multitude of experience and talents to the stage for the first play of Blue Bridge’s highly anticipated fourth season.

The George Bernard Shaw classic has been an audience favourite since it first opened in London in 1894. Set during the Serbo-Bulgarian War of 1885, the subject matter is surprisingly relevant to—and equally tragi-comic for—modern audiences who have also lived through tumult in the Balkans. Under the guise of a romantic comedy, Shaw satirizes society’s habit of romanticizing war and soldiers, and he reveals the absurdity of doing so through side-by-side love triangles. Does all end well in war and in love? You’ll have to wait and see!

The show’s director, acclaimed Canadian theatre and opera director Glynis Leyshon (2010’s Blithe Spirit with Blue Bridge), promises a more poetic production than Shaw’s contemporary audience would have seen, which she achieves particularly through a naturalistic, romantic set by Nathan Brown. “There is a very operatic quality to this piece,” explains Glynis. “Not very many people know that Shaw was a very famous opera music reviewer… There’s something very operetta in this [play], so we’ve taken that and had fun with it.”

Glynis herself is well-known in opera circles, having directed 22 operas just with Pacific Opera Victoria! Though she came to opera later in her career, she believes that alternating between straight plays and operas strengthens her direction in both types of productions. Directing Arms with an operatic slant provides a rare chance for her to draw from the best of both worlds and fuse her experiences into a unique, artistic vision for Blue Bridge audiences.

This production marks Glynis’s first time directing Arms, though she directed Shaw’s Mrs. Warren’s Profession (amongst other plays) at the Shaw Festival in Niagara-on-the-Lake. When approaching a work for the first time, Glynis follows the Bard’s advice: “The play’s the thing!” She laughs musically. “You read it, and you re-read it, and you think about it. You’re challenged by it, and you really start tearing it apart and contextualizing it for yourself and the audience you’re playing for.”

One significant change Glynis faces directing Arms for Blue Bridge compared to previous experiences directing Shaw is that his work is no longer under copyright. She has been able to make cuts and even changes to the script to suit a modern audience and to suit her vision. “[Once rehearsals start] more changes may happen, too, as we work together and I realize where the strengths in the company are and what [the cast] is responding to, and how [the actors] respond.” The process sounds very collaborative, with every member of the team helping shape the overall production.

What will make the collaboration even more exciting for Glynis is that she feels Blue Bridge has assembled a truly talented company, including Dylan Smith (Jacques in 2009’s As You Like It), fresh from a Broadway run of Private Lives, here creating the role of Bluntschli, the endearing “chocolate soldier,” and Stratford Festival veteran Amanda Lisman playing Raina, the charming heroine caught between honouring tradition and following her heart.

Above all, Glynis hopes that the audience laughs a lot and has a good time. Though the play deals with a serious war and seriously flawed societal norms, she stresses that Arms is, after all, a romantic comedy, and one of the highest order. Enjoy!

Tickets are on sale now at the McPherson Box Office, online or by phone, 250 385 4462 . Seasons tickets still available!

“Hits all the right notes”

- CVV Magazine.com

“An absolute delight to behold”

- Monday Magazine

“Nicola Cavendish holds us captivated!”

- Janislacouvee.com

“Cavendish is, simply put, a consummate, powerful, and captivating performer”

- Westofwest.ca

“Impressive”

- Times Colonist

Normal office hours will resume January 24th.

We appologize for any inconvenience this may cause.

Nicola Cavendish in Shirley Valentine. Credit Barbara Zimonick.

Nicola Cavendish returns to Victoria to reprise her Dora and Jesse Award-winning role of Shirely Valentine. This special Blue Bridge presentation is a limited engagement for one week only (May 15 – 20). Tickets go on sale to the general public on February 14 at the Blue Bridge Office . This smash hit comedy will be popular, so we advise booking in advance. Plus, if you purchase an early bird ticket you can save up to $10.

RECENT REVIEWS

***** 5 stars `a tour de force that puts her in the national-treasure category` – Winnipeg Free Press. >>Read More.

`MTC`s Shirley Valentine is easy to love`- CBC. >>Read More.

VIDEO

CBC’s interview with Nicola about playing Shirley more than 600 times.

SHOW DETAILS

Shirley Valentine by Willy Russell

MacPherson Playhouse, May 15 – 19, 8PM + May 19-20, 2PM

Early Bird Ticket Vouchers: preview ($24.50), adult ($49), senior ($43.75). Price goes up by $5 on April 16. Buy in advance and save!

Vouchers ON SALE Feb 14: at the Blue Bridge Office or by phone 250 385 4462.

Nicola Cavendish in Shirley Valentine. Credit Barbara Zimonick.

Nicola Cavendish returns to Victoria to reprise her Dora and Jesse Award-winning role of Shirely Valentine. This special Blue Bridge presentation is a limited engagement for one week only (May 15 – 20). Tickets go on sale to the general public on February 14 at the Blue Bridge Office . This smash hit comedy will be popular, so we advise booking in advance. Plus, if you purchase an early bird ticket you can save up to $10.

RECENT REVIEWS

***** 5 stars `a tour de force that puts her in the national-treasure category` – Winnipeg Free Press. >>Read More.

`MTC`s Shirley Valentine is easy to love`- CBC. >>Read More.

VIDEO

CBC’s interview with Nicola about playing Shirley more than 600 times.

SHOW DETAILS

Shirley Valentine by Willy Russell

MacPherson Playhouse, May 15 – 19, 8PM + May 19-20, 2PM

Early Bird Ticket Vouchers: preview ($24.50), adult ($49), senior ($43.75). Price goes up by $5 on April 16. Buy in advance and save!

Vouchers ON SALE Feb 14: at the Blue Bridge Office or by phone 250 385 4462.

Blue Bridge Repertory Theatre is moving up – literally! Our spacious, brand new office is located at the 6th floor of #3 Fan Tan Alley, conveniently close to the McPherson Playhouse and within view of our namesake. Blue Passes are now available at our new office location or by calling 250-385-4462.

>>Find out more about our exciting 2012 Season here.

>>Award-winning Theatre: Blue Bridge recently recieved three awards at the 2010-2011 Critic’s Choice Awards – for “Best Professional Production, Actor and Director” for its 2011 production of Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf? Read more here.

Our offices will be closed from December 23rd, 2011 to January 2nd, 2012 for the holidays.

Join us at our new office space at #600 – 3 Fan Tan Alley in the new year!

All the best of the season from the Blue Bridge Repertory Theatre Team!

Prizes include:

A theatre getaway to Seattle with tickets to Seattle Repertory Theatre!

A Chemainus Theatre Festival ticket package!

An original costume plate by local artist Cat Haywood from Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf? signed by Meg Tilly!

Tickets are $10 each or 5 for $40 and are available at the Empress Hotel before each performance and during intermission of Miracle on 34th Street.

Only 500 tickets will be sold, be sure to get yours early!

Draw date is December 18th, 2011 following the final performance of Miracle.

Miracle on 34th Street – the radio play marks Christopher’s return to the stage, and to celebrate, our matinee performance on Thursday, December 15th at 2:00pm will be dedicated to Christopher, with $5 from each ticket sold going directly to Christopher to help with the costs of establishing his firm.

For more about Christopher’s story, click here