Skip to content

Pre-Halloween thrills on Surrey stages

womanjpg
Oliver de la Harpe, left, and Conor Kavanagh in Royal Canadian Theatre Company's production of "The Woman in Black," at Surrey Arts Centre from Oct. 24-27.

Two Surrey-area theatre companies want to thrill audiences in the nights leading up to Halloween.

Royal Canadian Theatre Company brings The Woman in Black to Surrey Arts Centre's Studio Theatre starting Thursday, Oct. 24, while Pivot Theatre plans a one-night reading of John Patrick's The Magenta Moth on Saturday, Oct. 26 at Newton Cultural Centre.

Written and adapted by Stephen Malatratt from the novel by Susan Hill, The Woman in Black "promises to curdle your blood" in a spooky and dramatic play staged from Oct. 24 to 27, followed by another short run at Anvil Theatre in New Westminster.

The story sees Arthur Kipps hire a skeptical young actor to help him recount his terrifying story and rid himself of the fear that tortures him daily. At the funeral of an elderly recluse, Arthur sees a mysterious, ethereal, wraith-like creature creating an atmosphere of foreboding, ominousness and mystery wherever she goes.

The show is suitable for kids 12 years and older. Tickets are sold on tickets.surrey.ca, or call 604-501-5566.

"We are really excited about this show because of the unique way they're rehearsing, similar to European-style where creative designers are a part of the rehearsal process," noted Crystal Weltzin, general manager of the Royal Canadian company.

Directed by Nicole DesLauriers, the The Woman in Black cast includes Oliver de la Harpe, Conor Kavanagh, Sarah Maguire, Stephen Elcheshen and Katie Brooke.

Meantime, Pivot Theatre's annual pre-Halloween reading is "a tale of suspense and intrigue that will have you on the edge of your seat," featuring Tom Snape, Tammy Theis, Emma Greenhalgh, Shulamite Mlobela, Ainslee Dalzell, Emma Gelenyse and Teague Solemn.

The Magenta Moth tells the story of Dr. Polyantha Vashti Cassandra and her caregiver, Grace Hollis, who retreat to a remote mountain lodge so Cassandra can recover from a back injury. The two ladies are surprised by the sudden appearance of three teenage girls, who claim to be students from a nearby college who have lost their way on a hiking trip. Hospitable at first, Grace and Cassandra soon sense their visitors are not what they purport to be, and must use all of their wits to stay alive.

The show comes with a warning of "offensive language, extreme violence, descriptions of a graphic nature and religious extremism."

Sold in advance on the TicketOwl website via pivottheatre.ca, tickets range from $15 to $25.

Elsewhere in Surrey, the Arts Club on Tour production of the rom-com Sexy Laundry is at Surrey Arts Centre's Main Stage from Oct. 16-26, and Naked Stage Readers Theatre's Radioland '48 entertains at Newton Cultural Centre from Nov. 1-3.



Tom Zillich

About the Author: Tom Zillich

I cover entertainment, sports and news for Surrey Now-Leader and Black Press Media
Read more