NS reviews

Reviews of theatre and art in Nova Scotia and beyond

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Standing O for Outside Mullingar at Theatre Baddeck

People clapped before Outside Mullingar started when Theatre Baddeck’s co-artistic producer Hannah Ziss proclaimed, ”Welcome to our first live production in two years!” John Patrick Shanley’s 2014 play, which got a standing ovation at show’s end, is an Irish comedy about two singular people trying to find their way to love in spite of longstanding family feuds. This production, originally scheduled for 2020, is a partnership between Theatre Baddeck and […]

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Tribute to Carole King extended in P.E.I.

The Guild Summer Festival in Charlottetown is adding five performances of Tapestry: A Tribute to Carole King, as part of its first professional season of shows produced in-house. This is the second extension to the run originally set to end on August 14; it will now close on August 28 after 21 performances. “Even after increasing capacity, our entire existing run and extension is over 96% sold out, so we […]

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One-room schoolhouse of yore meets timeless tale of the outcast at Ross Creek

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 […]

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Macbeth By Fire: deliciously spooky, bloody and passionate

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 […]

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Summer Theatre kicks off with hilarious Half-Cracked at Ship’s Co. (Part II: the N.S. season)

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 […]

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Lucky Rabbits, Odd Creatures and Creature Comfort: 2 art shows of ceramics and paint

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 […]

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JUDAS PRIEST LIVE IN HALI IN NOVEMBER

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 […]

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Flower Power in Argyle Fine Art’s Windows

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 […]

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Frequencies: looking out to the universe and into the human heart

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 […]

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At FAST the Show Must go on – Outdoors!

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,” […]

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