Arts Club – Stanley Alliance Theatre
2750 Granville Street
March 21 – April 21, 2024
Tickets range from $36- $122
Tickets reserved at tickets.artsclub.com.
The Stanley Alliance Theatre is one of the absolute gems of Vancouver. One of the Arts Club’s three stunning venues, this 650-seat theatre opened in 1931. It was in 1998 when the Arts Club took over the beautiful theatre. Upon entering, you will immediately find a large concession and bar with a large array of treats, nibbles and beverages. The prices are quite reasonable.
Red Velvet is a powerful piece of theatre which takes place in London, England in 1833. Devotees of Shakespeare will certainly enjoy seeing this show from the other side of the curtain. It is the story Ira Aldridge (Armorer) preparing to take the stage as the first Black actor in Shakespeare’s Othello. The parliament and people are in debates over the abolition of slavery and the concerns of Aldridge’s reception as Othello are vast. It is a play within a play as the actor’s rehearse the show and find themselves in political debates throughout the rehearsal process. There is a language warning given the themes of the show.
Will Aldridge go on as Othello?
The set designer (Amir Ofek) has the opening of the show Gothically set with ominous illumination and a sense of eeriness looming about the stage. A scrim is lowered but not to quite the stage floor, leaving space to see the entrances and exits of the performers who are about to take the stage. There are lace curtains woven together which hang over the set. The beautiful design creates a lighting effect, causing the lights to dance
across the lace.
The costume designer (CS Fergusson-Vaux) has created period costumes, which are phenomenally done. There is a lovely flourish with all pieces that are believable, engaging but not distracting. The mixture of colours, textures and varied styles offer a nice mosaic of period mpieces. Accessories are finely used as well and compliment the costumes well. The actors are all strong. They present a natural flourish that
comes along with a period piece but remain grounded and genuine in their performances. Armorer has a commanding stage presence and offers great comedic timing at tough moments that certainly alleviate tension from the debates happening during the rehearsals. Though the theme of the show is quite heavy, the actors do a wonderful job of uplifting rigid moments with great comedic timing.
One of my favourite things about the Stanley Alliance Theatre is the way they use their stage so well. There are a couple of breathtaking scene changes with the use of the stage centre trap door and elevator. They were seamless moments and it was as if the actor disappeared like a ghost and the trap door was replaced without noticing. The classic footlights are used and transport you back to London’s Theatre Royal- they seem to glow with real flame but of course, do not. The sets are not overly complicated with scenery but they are beautiful and the space is executed well.
Red Velvet is directed by Omari Newton and he has done a brilliant job. I highly recommend coming to see the Arts Club production, which is presented by arrangement with Concord Theatricals on behalf of Samuel French, Inc.
