Vancouverscape, a Vancouver based blog covering travel, tech, and lifestyle

South Vancouver’s Metro Theatre is thrilled to announce the lineup for its 52nd season. The 2014-2015 season marks a departure for Metro Theatre, with five productions never before seen on its stage, including Fawlty Towers, The 39 Steps, Parfumerie, Pride and Prejudice, and The Graduate. Agatha Christie’s Go Back for Murder returns, as does Metro’s traditional Christmas-time pantomime which promises a great time for all ages.

Tracy Labrosse, member of Metro’s Play Selection Committee, says of this exciting upcoming season: “Our goal with the shows we selected is to stretch ourselves creatively, and bring laughter, intrigue and surprise to our dedicated audiences.”

Metro’s 2014-2015 Season

The 39 Steps adapted by Patrick Barlow
Alfred Hitchcock meets Monty Python! The original Hitchcock film has been reworked into a frantic farce as our hero tries to escape his evil pursuers and the mysterious organization called “The 39 Steps.” Over 150 zany characters are played by a ridiculously talented cast of four.

Parfumerie adapted by E.P. Dowdall
The 1930’s Christmas-time romantic comedy that provided the inspiration for several movies including The Shop Around the Corner, You’ve Got Mail, and In the Good Old Summertime.

Aladdin: A traditional Christmas-time pantomime by Johnny Duncan
A British family-friendly tradition – a fairy-tale story with silly song-and-dance numbers, with zany characters that interact with the audience. A great introduction for children of all ages to the magic of theatre, and a Metro tradition for nearly 30 years!

Fawlty Towers by John Cleese and Connie Booth
The beloved TV show is coming to Metro, with all your favourite characters – Basil, Sybil, Polly, Manuel, and many others! See three hilarious episodes from this award-winning BBC series, each one a guaranteed reservation for polished slapstick, slick humour, and utterly glorious silliness.

Pride and Prejudice adapted by Jon Jory
A refreshingly fast-paced new adaptation of Elizabeth Bennett and Mr. Darcy’s intricate dance of misunderstanding and confusion. Jane Austin fans rejoice!

The Graduate adapted by Terry Johnson
Benjamin is a young man adrift after university graduation attempting to find his place in an adult world. Based on the classic 1960’s film that introduced us to the iconic Mrs. Robinson.

Go Back for Murder by Agatha Christie
Soon to be married Carla learns a disturbing family secret – her mother died in prison after being convicted of poisoning her father – and she’s determined to delve into the past to clear her mother’s name. Multiple sets and flashbacks make this Christie one not to miss!

Most of these plays are adaptations of famous stories, and many offer challenging production elements for Metro, which is what drew the Play Selection Committee to them.

According to Committee chair Catherine Morrison, “Not only are we breaking out of our usual box sets, but we’ve also chosen challenging plays for our actors: The 39 Steps has four actors playing over 150 roles, Pride and Prejudice offers multiple roles for actors, and Go Back for Murder has the challenge of flashbacks, so actors get to play their characters 20 years prior. We look forward to the high calibre of productions next season, and we know our audiences, new and existing, will be impressed.”

Metro’s 2014-2015 season ticket packages will go on sale this spring. Purchasing multiple-show packages saves you money on ticket prices; stay tuned to the website for details.

About Metro Theatre

Metro Theatre (The Metropolitan Cooperative Theatre Society) is a registered non-profit cooperative society fueled by volunteers. Its mission is to promote and develop theatre arts on a non-professional level.

Metro Theatre was created in 1962, and has produced more than 480 shows (including nearly 50 musicals) over the past 50 years. Sometimes referred to as the “humble little theatre,” Metro ironically has over 300 seats and puts on seven shows a year, more than any other non-professional theatre company in North America (and many professional ones too).