The men and women of Harbour Theatre are preparing to bring seven unique shows to the stage of the Tom Rooney Playhouse next week for Udderfest 2015.
The festival kicks off at 7 p.m. on Wednesday, Aug. 5 with a performance of Hedges. The show, directed by Allison O’Toole and starring students from Charles Hays Secondary School, tells the story of competitive neighbours who are separated solely by a hedge but who are inevitably drawn into a canine-related conflict. The show will also be performed at 8:30 p.m. on Aug. 6 and at 3 p.m. on Aug. 8.
Immediately following Hedges on Wednesday night will be the Rudy Kelly-penned Adventures of Lyle McNish, which follows the “lovable, beleaguered local” as he makes his way through “a world he never made, encountering one strange character after another”. The show, which stars both Kelly and McNish, will also be performed at 8:30 p.m. on Aug. 8 and will be the final show of Udderfest 2015 at 5 p.m. on Aug. 9.
The next day includes the premier of Deadline at 7 p.m., a play which was written by Chris Armstrong, Michael Gurney and David Smook. The show centres on two odd-couple reporters who spend minimal effort to find a story for the Prince Rupert Daily View Chronicle and the editor who tries to motivate them to meet deadline. The show, directed by Lucy Pribas, will also be performed at 8:30 p.m. on Friday, Aug. 7 and 7 p.m. on Aug. 8.
The popular War of the Wits, which features a group of performers debating a series of silly topics for their team, returns at 9:30 p.m. on Thursday, Aug. 6. A second musical edition of War of Wits takes place at 10 p.m. on Friday, Aug. 7 and features the talents of Prince Rupert band Max 99.
Friday at 7 p.m. will be the debut of Interrogation, written by Rob Shearer, directed by Lyle McNish and starring Heather MacRae, Martina Perry, Chrys Thompson and Treena Decker. The show examines how everybody knows your name in a small town and people remembering the more notorious names more than others. The show will also be performed at 5 p.m. on Saturday and 3 p.m. on Sunday.
Saturday at 1 p.m., Treena Decker and the youth of the Harbour Theatre Kids Camp will bring Spellbound: The Secret of the Bonsai Forest to the Tom Rooney stage as the final play to premier. The classic tale of good versus evil, but with a twist, will also be performed on Sunday at 1 p.m.
Saturday night the performers of Hook, Line and Snicker, Prince Rupert’s improv troupe, will perform beginning at 10 p.m. for a night of theatre sports and the festival cast party.