I was happy to see at least two other women crying at the end of Schoolhouse at Two Planks and a Passion Theatre. Leanna Brodie’s play, staged outdoors till Sept. 4 at the Ross Creek Centre for the Arts, is full of comedy and the high spirits and hijinks of children. However, it has a poignant story at its core that left me thinking, “Why is there no Kleenex in […]
Told round a leaping campfire blaze, Macbeth by Fire is an excellent, spinetingling, ghost story exploring the darkest recesses of the human soul as Macbeth and his twisted wife – the famous “out-damn-spot” Lady Macbeth – go mad with murder. Actors sweep in and out carrying flaming torches so it’s easy to imagine damp castle walls and the strange, unnatural nights full of scary noises produced by percussionist Dashiell Cole […]
Nova Scotia summer theatre roars back to life with Ship’s Company Theatre’s magical, laugh-out-loud production of Mary-Colin Chisholm’s Half-Cracked. Artistic director Richie Wilcox saw the 2018 Eastern Front Theatre/Neptune Theatre premiere in Halifax and “I knew I had to program it!” I also saw the 2018 show but so desperately wanted to see professional theatre again that I decided to drive up for a 2 p.m. matinee. It got a […]
There was a lineup at Studio 21 when it could finally open Curved Space: Debra Kuzyk and Ray Mackie to the public as COVID-19 restrictions eased. Together Kuzyk and Mackie form the very popular Lucky Rabbit Pottery, which they set up in 1999 in Annapolis Royal and which is a mecca for pottery lovers. The married couple’s colourful, carved vessels decorated in flowers and birds are a marvel that uplifts […]
Whether your are a metal fan or not, it’s a good sign that Judas Priest is performing live in Halifax Nov. 2 at the Scotiabank Centre, with the opening act TBA. One of heavy metal’s all-time greats, Judas Priest celebrates its 50th anniversary this year with a North American tour, the 50 Heavy Metal Years Tour. The band’s recent and highest-charting album Firepower hit #5 on the Billboard 200. Tickets […]
Argyle Fine Art won’t let COVID-19 spoil the show. Owner Adriana Afford is exhibiting gorgeous and uplifting, flower paintings – in a first solo show by emerging Halifax artist Raquel Roth – in the gallery’s front windows. The acrylic paintings, visible during the day and magically lit at night, are a must for anyone who loves flowers – fluffy peonies like prom dresses; roses bursting out of a thin, stem-crowded […]
In this odd time of no live theatre, the depths of winter and a spiritual hunger, Aaron Collier mines the cosmos to find meaning in life, love and loss. His 75-minute, multimedia performance Frequencies, streaming online through Sunday, is celestial and individual, philosophically expansive in ideas about time, love and grief but also a simply-told personal story. How this fusion of theatre, techno concert and digital scenography is told is […]
Festival Antigonish Summer Theatre is moving outdoors with Robin Hood: The Great Escape in August at Keppoch Mountain. After cancelling all live productions in 2020 due to COVID-19, the 34-year-old repertory company, based in the Bauer Theatre, decided outdoor theatre was the only way to ensure live performance. “This summer, I want to make sure that we have the greatest chance possible of bringing live theatre back to our community,” […]
Highland Arts Theatre turns the 40-year-old classic Billy Bishop Goes to War into a kaleidoscope of colour, passion and story in its 70-minute production, extended through Friday, 8 p.m., due to popular demand. Over the years Truro-born playwright John Gray and actor Eric Peterson have revisited their musical about the Owen Sound flying ace to combine boyish excitement and high spirits with an awareness of the horror and loss of […]
The 14th annual Halifax Independent Filmmakers Festival (HIFF) is free and online starting today and running to Nov. 15. Produced by the Atlantic Filmmakers Cooperative, it includes a 14-hour film shown in three parts, Atlantic Canadian shorts, a Centre for Art Tapes digital art tour and 10 Canadian and international feature films. (To view the full program and select tickets go to: https://watch.eventive.org.) United Kingdom director Mark Jenkin’s BAFTA-nominated film […]
NS reviews 