Review by Ivy Wigmore

Of all charming seaside villages, there can be few more charming than Victoria. When the Trans-Canada bypassed the then-thriving village, Victoria was automatically set apart and so it remains, just off the highway but clearly a special place. The Victoria Playhouse, built a century ago, first served as a community hall; the theatre, established in 1981, retains the
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Mamma Mia!

Review by Sean McQuaid 

Dubbed “the guiltiest pleasure of the summer” by its director Adam Brazier, Mamma Mia! is a jukebox musical stitched together from cheesy old pop songs. Not exactly a recipe for high art, nor emblematic of the Festival’s stated cultural aspirations. 

A little crowd-pleasing fromage on the Festival menu helps pay for said aspirations, though, and there’s
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Review by Ivy Wigmore

On April 10th, the PEISO celebrated the end of this season with “A walk with Brahms” under the direction of Mark Shapiro. A member of the orchestra said to me back in 2013 when he took the helm that it was “a bit of a miracle.” We’ve recently learned that Shapiro has signed on for a further five years as the orchestra’s musical director.

You may or may not have noticed
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Review by Ann Thurlow

The second time I went to The Little Kitchen, after I had ordered, I saw owner Danny Shum writing something in Chinese on a white board. I asked him what it was and he told me it was a menu item for his Chinese customers—North Americans wouldn’t like it. I persisted and he finally told me it was pork belly.

“Danny, my friend,” I said, “we’ve got to talk.” And I told him about
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All New People

Review by Sean McQuaid

Your stuffy stenographer being eternally, unrepentantly old, I have never been a particularly hip and happening hepcat. So when theatre producers talk about doing an edgy, adult show—which tends to signify some combination of sex, violence and/or profanity—my enthusiasm typically wanes. 

Hence my initial wariness regarding ACT’s production of All New
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Romeo and Juliet 

Review by Sean McQuaid 

Your incurable romantic—well, certainly an incurable something, anyway—has enjoyed William Shakespeare’s iconic 16th Century tragedy Romeo and Juliet since well-meaning educators first thrust it upon me decades ago. It may be flowery, melodramatic and occasionally implausible, but it boasts several unforgettable characters, a
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Review of PEI Symphony
by Ivy Wigmore

I don’t think I’ve ever seen Zion Church so full, nor a crowd so clearly happy to be there. On February 7th, the PEI Symphony Orchestra presented “Beethoven and Beyond,” under the direction of guest conductor Dinuk Wijeratne. The current resident conductor of Symphony Nova Scotia, Wijeratne has worked with the Gryphon Trio, Yo Yo Ma’s Silk Road Ensemble and
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Review by Ann Thurlow 

Yes, you might be saying (if you read the article about Terre Rouge), but what happened to John Pritchard? He went to Upstreet Brewery, that’s what. And now, along with your craft beer, you get tapas to whet your appetite for more beer or, in my case, even more delicious food.

Traditionally, tapas are offered in bars in Spain to encourage customers to order more
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