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Welcome to the Belfry’s 51st season and to the first season for our new Artistic Director, Nigel Shawn Williams. We can’t quite articulate how excited we are to work with each other. We’ve known each other for about 20 years and now, together, we get to guide this incredible theatre, this wonderful staff, and you, our amazing audience, on an extended artistic journey. This season we have the honour to shepherd Michael Shamata’s last year of programming. The plays this year continue to do what the Belfry has always strived to do: to entertain, to enlighten, and to provoke new ideas and conversations. We promise it will be a blast. Along with these amazing plays, the SPARK Festival returns, as does our best kept secret - B4Play. In partnership with Pacific Opera, we are delighted to present the first opera written in joual. We have a shared vision of creating great theatre in our beautiful heritage building. Because we believe

Photo by Jo-Ann Richards, Works Photography

that theatre is for everyone, the Belfry continues to offer Pay What You Want for all tickets and all subscriptions. We are committed to broadening our storytelling, uplifting and supporting artists, and equitably investing in them. This next part of our journey is going to be an exciting one, so we hope you join us for the ride, as we continue to share great stories at the Belfry.

Isaac Thomas

Nigel Shawn Williams

EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR

ARTISTIC DIRECTOR

The Belfry Theatre is on the land of the People, known today as the Songhees and Kosapsum Nations. The people have been keepers of this land for millennia and we offer our respect and gratitude for our presence on this territory.

SEPTEMBER 8—OCTOBER 4, 2026

“uproarious…irreverent…political rom-com… a gift.” —Intermission Magazine “side-splitting comedy…disarms with its wit, charms with its narratives and provokes with its timeless themes.” —Toronto Star Set in “eighteen hundred and something”, three very different women, with a preference for 21st-century slang, sit in a fort on the banks of the Reddish River, sharing their views on life, love, and that hot nerd Louis Riel (“He is SO dreamy…the total package!”) In this lively historical satire of survival and cultural inheritance, playwright Frances Koncan shifts perspectives from the male gaze onto women’s power—in the past and present—through the lens of the rapidly changing world of the Canadian fur trade. WHY WE CHOSE THIS PLAY

BY FRANCES KONCAN directed by Kathleen MacLean

4 Tickets · 250-385-6815

We are captivated by the way that Koncan’s irreverent and witty comedy looks at Indigenous history through a modern feminist lens. Poking fun at the men who have stolen the limelight for far too many years, Marie-Angelique, Cecilia, and Eugenia track the progress of—and interact with—Louis Riel and Thomas Scott. —Michael Shamata & Nigel Shawn Williams

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OCTOBER 27—NOVEMBER 22, 2026

“first-rate Pinter… precisely crafted.” —Globe & Mail “a marvellous, multi-layered play…his most accessible and arguably his best.” —British Theatre Guide “…desire, pain, alarm, sorrow, rage… compressed, like volatile gas in a cylinder less stable than it looks.” —The Times of London Nobel Prize winner Harold Pinter is renowned for his distinctive dramatic style: economy of language, potent pauses, and an undercurrent of menace. Betrayal—widely regarded as one of his best— unfolds in reverse—coolly dissecting a seven-year extramarital affair.

BY HAROLD PINTER directed by Tawiah M’Carthy

It opens after the affair has ended, then proceeds to track it from the final breakup to the first kiss. Encountering the aftermath before the initial spark, the audience becomes acutely aware of the fallout from every decision. WHY WE CHOSE THIS PLAY

Harold Pinter’s debut on the Belfry stage is long overdue—! One woman and her husband and lover are caught in a game of cat and mouse. Who’s wise to whom—and who will pay the price for their acts of betrayal—? We love the way every sentence, every word seems innocent on the surface, yet laden with tension below. Pinter is the master of simmering and intriguing drama. — MS & NSW 6 Tickets · 250-385-6815

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BONUS PRODUCTION DECEMBER 2—20, 2026

★★★★ “Funny and spontaneous, but also genuinely adorable… Mimi’s definitely a keeper.” —Globe & Mail “...a flight of theatrical fancy that is absolutely magical. Four stars out of four.” —Toronto Star “Irresistible… a cheeky and charming evening.” —New York Daily News Mimi, a saucy French clown, is waiting for a blind date in an elegant café. When she realizes she’s been stood up, she turns to the audience to find someone willing and brave enough to step up and go on a date with her.

A SPONTANEOUS THEATRE CREATION

STARRING LILI BEAUDOIN, TESS DEGENSTEIN & ALI FROGGATT

8 Tickets · 250-385-6815

What happens next is anybody’s guess, and different each night. This unscripted, fly-by-the-seat-ofyour-pants adventure is one delightful, daring and entertaining night out. WHY WE CHOSE THIS PLAY

Blind Date Creator Rebecca Northan is a national treasure—and this is her signature piece. Every performance is unique. No one knows what will happen or how it will unfold. It’s improvisation with heart—and the cast ensures that it’s all carried out with kindness, generosity, and a belly-full of laughs—! —MS & NSW

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FEBRUARY 9—MARCH 7, 2027 A CROW’S THEATRE PRODUCTION

“like a Canadian version of Succession.” —CBC Radio “Tom Rooney dazzles…it’s funny… and delivers a message Canadians should hear.” —Intermission Magazine “a dizzying one-man showcase for Tom Rooney…three cheers for this new brand of branded Canadian stories.” —Globe & Mail Telecom tycoon Ted Rogers built an empire turning Canada’s airwaves into cash. Now his son is fighting for control of the family business, while a shrewd public servant tries to derail Rogers’ billion-dollar takeover of Shaw Communications. From award-winning playwright Michael Healey (1979, Proud), Rogers v. Rogers is a riveting drama about corporate ambition, power, personal grudges, the price of pushing back and the legacy that money can—and cannot—buy. WHY WE CHOSE THIS PLAY

ADAPTED BY MICHAEL HEALEY

Based on Rogers v. Rogers: The Battle for Control of Canada’s Telecom Empire by Alexandra Posadzki

directed by Chris Abraham starring Tom Rooney 10 Tickets · 250-385-6815

Michael Healey—one of Canada’s brightest and sharpest playwrights—and Tom Rooney—one of our most exceptional actors—bring this internecine corporate battle to stunning theatrical life. We loved the political maneuvering in 1979—but how much dirtier—and how much higher the stakes are—in the world of business. This play shows us how real life can be much more unbelievable—and entertaining—than any piece of fiction—! —MS & NSW belfry.bc.ca 11

March 2027

MAY 29 – 30, 2027

MAY 29–30, 2027 MARCH 12 – 21

Albertine en cinq temps – L’opéra BY LES PRODUCTIONS DU 10 AVRIL

A verbatim theatre project led by artists Yvette Nolan & Joel Bernbaum Over the past three years, Climate Play has been created from eight hyper-local verbatim plays in eight different communities, including Victoria. The national Climate Play braids together four main elements from the plays: the script edited from the transcripts of the interviews; photos and videos of local land, water, and nature filmed by local artists in each community; a mid-show facilitated audience discussion and original music inspired by the transcripts of the interviews, including a new song generated from the discussion at the end of Act 1. Our annual SPARK Festival will feature play readings, works-in-progress, and countless other goodies that will be announced in the new year.

PRESENTED BY THE BELFRY & PACIFIC OPERA VICTORIA

A landmark of Québec theatre, Albertine en cinq temps – L’opéra follows one woman at five stages of her life, as memory, identity, and emotion collide. This new operatic adaptation brings Michel Tremblay’s powerful work to the stage in an intimate and striking form. This production brings a defining work of Canadian theatre to the operatic stage. The play is written in joual (a distinctly Québecois dialect) and is deeply rooted in the cultural and social shifts surrounding the Quiet Revolution, a period that reshaped Québec’s identity, religion, and family life. Tremblay’s work gives voice to women whose experiences were often overlooked, capturing both the intimacy of domestic life and the weight of broader societal change. Photo by Véronique Duplain

12 Tickets · 250-385-6815

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APRIL 27 – MAY 23, 2027

“big-hearted play…playfulness meets unabashed emotional vulnerability.” —Intermission Magazine “deeply contemporary…leaves the audience…overwhelmed with accumulated emotion.” —Stage Door “Every beat, every word, is richly considered, and Shields’s trademark lyricism is well-used to conjure the sisters’ thorny love…” —Globe & Mail A portrait of sisterhood. In the wake of shocking news, sisters Liz and Delia unravel a lifetime of memories. Travelling across space and time, they trace the push and pull of their fifty-years of shared history, with humour, nuance, and candor. You, Always is an ode to sisterhood—to the brutal honesty, raucous silliness, and unflinching support of an indispensable sibling.

BY GOVERNOR GENERAL’S AWARD-WINNING PLAYWRIGHT

ERIN SHIELDS directed by Evalyn Parry

14 Tickets · 250-385-6815

WHY WE CHOSE THIS PLAY

We love Erin Shields’ writing. She is one of this country’s most prolific and acclaimed playwrights. Here she tells a simple story in a most unusual fashion. Two sisters live their lives out before our eyes— switching from young children to mature adults and back again in the space of a few lines. This is a dazzling piece of writing—and a deeply emotional investigation of sibling love and rivalry. —MS & NSW

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Season Tickets Once again, we are offering three price options. Whichever price you choose, your subscription includes a ticket to each of our four Mainstage productions.

REGULAR ($138 PER PERSON)

Our standard subscription price.

PAY IT FORWARD ($188 PER PERSON)

For those patrons who wish to help offset the cost of offering pay-what-you-want tickets this season; the Belfry invites you to choose the Pay It Forward option and open the door for others.

PAY-WHAT-YOU-WANT For those who are not in a financial position to afford the regular subscription price, the Belfry is pleased to be able to offer this Pay What You Want option. While we suggest $98.00 (per person), we will accept any amount affordable for your circumstances.

FEES AND TAXES A $4.00 order fee & 5% GST will be added to each subscription, regardless of the price you choose to pay. Order fees go toward the Belfry Futures Fund, which supports capital improvements and ongoing stability. SINGLE TICKETS Single tickets for all our productions are offered with PayWhat-You-Want price options. TICKET EXCHANGES Season tickets may be exchanged for another performance (within the current season’s Mainstage series / subject to availability) provided they are being held at the Box Office or returned to us prior to the performance for which they were issued. Single tickets may be exchanged within the run of the same show.

16 Tickets · 250-385-6815

Audience Engagement B4PLAY (IN-PERSON + ONLINE) Our live talk show hosted by CBC Radio’s Gregor Craigie and featuring artists from the upcoming show, along with experts from the community, has been designed to provide insight into each Mainstage production. Each event is held the Saturday before Opening, is free to attend, live-streamed on Facebook, and is available as a podcast on our website.

TALKBACK THURSDAY Following the third Thursday performance of each show, actors return to the stage to answer your questions and provide insight into the play you have just experienced. These Q & A sessions last approximately 20 minutes.

VOCALEYE For patrons with low or no vision, we offer one VocalEye performance during most Mainstage productions. Trained Audio Describers provide descriptions of the visual elements of the show, allowing people with low vision to enjoy the theatrical experience without missing any of the details. Touch tours are available following the performance. More information at the Box Office -250-385-6815.

SCRIPT LIBRARY & READING COPIES You’re welcome to visit our lobby (during normal business hours), curl up on the green couch* and read a copy of the scripts from our current season, or delve into our extensive collection of Canadian scripts. * If we are in rehearsals, we can’t guarantee the green couch. AUDIENCE ADVISORIES The Belfry is a contemporary theatre for an adult audience. Our plays may contain strong language and mature content. If you have any concerns before or when you book your tickets, please speak to our Box Office. Reading copies of the scripts are available through the Box Office.

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Our Sponsors & Funders GOVERNMENT SUPPORT