9 hottest Vancouver arts shows in June

Monica Shah in 12 Min Max (Photo by Chris Randle)

Finally, summer has arrived. As the days get progressively longer, Vancouverites can’t help but take in that this city has to offer.

Whether you’re chasing the tides over at Spanish Banks, or reciting Shakespeare with under the unmistakable tents of Bard on the Beach, here are some great events you should keep in mind while enjoying some time out in the sun.

DO MAKE SHOW – All Bodies Dance Project

Image: Chris Randle

Dance at its most inclusive is a beautiful sight. Celebrating inclusion, creativity and difference, 25 dancers with and without disabilities will hit the stage at Yaletown’s Roundhouse Arts Centre.

Where: Roundhouse Arts Centre – 181 Roundhouse Mews, Vancouver
When: June 1 to 2
Tickets: At Brown Paper Tickets; Sliding Scale ($10 min)

SHIFT Festival

Image: Sevil Baghran Karimi

Collaborating with more experienced artists and activists than ever before, SHIFT Festival will feature bold new works by local innovators for its tenth iteration, including Pride, performed in both English and Farsi with an all-female, Iranian-Canadian ensemble.

Where: Firehall Arts Centre – 280 E. Cordova Street, Vancouver
When: June 1 to 3
Tickets: At Firehall Arts Centre; $25

Hand to God – Arts Club

Image: David Cooper

This new Broadway show has swept across the States since its debut in 2015, and Arts Club has scored the Canadian premiere. Sarcastic hand puppets, suburban Texas life, and Sunday service rehearsals all feature prominently in the black comedy. Like Book of Mormon, Hand to God deals with faith and what happens when we lose it.

Where: Goldcorp Stage (BMO Theatre Centre) – 162 West 1st Avenue, Vancouver
When: Until June 25
Tickets: At Arts Club; $29-$54

Much Ado About Nothing – Bard on the Beach

Image: David Cooper & Emily Cooper

The Bard is back under those trademark red and white tents at Vanier Park. Each year sees at least one play with a twist, and this year’s Much Ado About Nothing is set in 1950s Italy. While the lines are all faithful to the original masterpiece, see a complete re-imagining of this rom-com as a group of actors and filmmakers celebrate the wrap of their latest movie. The punchline is much the same: can love really conquer all?

Where: Vanier Park – 1000 Chestnut St, Vancouver
When: June 1 to September 23
Tickets: At Bard; $21-$59

Wagner’s Die Walküre – Heroic Opera Company

Image: Heroic Opera Company

While we might not all be opera buffs, the famous scene from Ride of the Valkyries has seeped into popular culture. Based on Norse mythology, a group of female valkyries will decide who will live and die on the battlefield.

Where: St. Helen’s Anglican Church – 4405 West 8th Ave, Vancouver
When: June 4
Tickets: At Brown Paper Tickets; $29-$94

Off The Hook – Project Limelight

Image: Janis Nicolay

Here’s one for the kids—instead of the usual summer blockbusters, why not take them to this fresh new take on Peter Pan, performed by some talented emerging artists? Project Limelight Society is a free performing arts program for young people living in the DTES, and features guidance and coaching from some seasoned veterans.

Where: SFU Goldcorp Centre for the Arts – 149 West Hastings Street, Vancouver
When: June 11
Tickets: At Eventbrite; $12

About Love Short Play Festival – Tomo Suru Players

Image: Patricia Trinh

Whether you’re new to the theatre world, or if you just don’t have the patience to sit through full-length shows (and we don’t blame you, with summer here), the short film festival “tests the ability to tell stories without the luxury of time.” Sort of like rapid speed dating for theatre, this year’s plays are all themed around a universal topic that never gets old: L-O-V-E.

Where: Roundhouse Arts Centre – 181 Roundhouse Mews, Vancouver
When: June 13 to 18
Tickets: At Brown Paper Tickets; Sliding Scale ($10 min)

CINERAMA – Fight with a Stick Performance

Image: Natalie Purschwitz

A play that isn’t really a play, CINERAMA defies expectations by making the stage the backdrop of Spanish Banks. Wear your sensible sandals out for this jaunt along the beach at low tide, as the production company plays with movement among the tides, in the backdrop of Supernatural BC, featuring those menacing oil tankers.

Where: Spanish Banks Beach – 4801 NW Marine Dr, Vancouver
When: June 15 to 18, June 21 to 30 – check website 24 hours before performance for updates
Tickets: At Universe, $20

12 Minutes Max – The Dance Centre

Image: Jack Sommer

Shorts are a repeating theme this month, and 12 Minutes Max features five short and eclectic up-and-coming choreographers. This edition features exceptional five female choreographers, just on the cusp of hitting it big: Jenn Edwards, Molly McDermott, Liliane Moussa, Monica Shah and Marissa Wong.

Where: Scotiabank Dance Centre – 677 Davie Street, Vancouver
When: June 16
Tickets: At Tickets Tonight; $34

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