The inaugural Great Works Theatre Festival lands in Fernwood Square this summer with a goal to become a vibrant and dynamic annual event that celebrates the power of theatrical storytelling by presenting bold new adaptations and interpretations of timeless masterpieces from around the world.
A partnership between Puente Theatre and Blue Bridge Repertory Theatre, the festival aims to enrich Victoria’s cultural landscape with fresh takes on timeless classics.
The inaugural festival runs July 29 to Aug. 10 in the Patrick Stewart Theatre at the Belfry Theatre.
It opens with La Bete (The Beast or The Idiot) with previews July 29 and 31 and opening day Aug. 2.
David Hirson’s 1992 Olivier Award-winning comedy is set on the estate of Princess Conti in 1654 Languedoc, France. The play is an homage to the man who is considered France’s greatest playwright and satirist Jean-Baptiste Poquelin – better known by his stage name, Moliere. Revolving around the attempt by a royal patron to introduce a megalomaniac street performer and playwright into one of France’s most respected theatre ensembles, La Bete is a contemporary comic masterpiece that skewers a world that has gone mad with the thrall of ego.
“Audiences attending La Bête will experience a virtual hurricane of words,” director Brian Richmond said in a news release. “Thoughtful words, complex words but, mostly, hysterically funny words placed in a structure of perfectly rhymed couplets that mirror the form and practice of the French theatre of the 17th century. Although utilizing the lush scenery and costumes present in France at the height of its power, we could have just as easily set the production in the City of Babel or modern day Washington, DC, so timeless is its satirical focus.”
The festival also premiers a haunting new adaptation of Blood Wedding: The Forest Remembers, with previews July 30 and Aug. 1 and opening night Aug. 2.
Acclaimed director and playwright Mercedes Batiz-Benet brings a poetic new adaptation of Federico Garcia Lorca’s iconic tragedy. This world premiere production anchors the inaugural Great Works Theatre Festival.
Set in a mythical landscape where the soil remembers every wound, Blood Wedding: The Forest Remembers explores forbidden love, ancestral hatred, and the terrifying inheritance of violence. The cast of twelve includes performers, dancers, and musicians, with original flamenco choreography by celebrated dancer and choreographer Lia Crowe, and live music composed and performed by renowned flamenco guitarist Gareth Owen — both performing live in the production.
Get tickets online at www.greatworksfestival.ca.
