Sometimes, food writers are asked to design their perfect meal, pulling together ambiance from one restaurant, an appetizer from another, then drinks, entree, and finally desserts each from different restaurants.
It’s a fun enough thought experiment for a foodie, but as a performing arts fan, I can pick and choose and make my perfect season!
But what if I were only allowed to pick one show from each of the regular seasons here in town? What would I pick if I only had one ticket to each company?
Pacific Opera Victoria – Turn of the Screw October 22 – October 28, 2025
With a season that looks to be running the gamut from creepy and contemporary to classical favourites, the opera, my pick from the mainstage season would have to be the Turn of the Screw.
This psychological thriller has so much to recommend it, and October is the perfect month to break out the spooky, the hair-raising, and the jumpscaring!
Luckily, I just found my copy of the short story, so I’ll have time for a re-read before October!
Belfry Theatre – Burning Mom October 28 – November 23, 2025
Celebrating 50 years of creating theatre in Victoria, the Belfry has a big season ahead!
To me, the show that piqued my interest the most is Mieko Ouchi’s Burning Mom. What looks to be a story of truly profound grief is tied together with a roadtrip to Burning Man, which is arguably not the first place people think of a newly single (and grieving) parent’s choice to take her children.
I’ve read a few of Ouchi’s scripts and I’m very excited to see how the Belfry team brings this beautiful story to life!
Dance Victoria – Hung Dance: Birdy Nov 14+15, 2025
Dance Victoria brings some of the most exciting dance performances from all around the world. Birdy brings together so many elements that I appreciate: traditional and modern music, balancing traditional and modern storytelling elements, and an inherent tension in the performance.
The video looks spectacular and I’m looking forward to taking this in November!
CCPA – Blue Stockings Dec 11 – 14, 2025
CCPA’s student productions are a lot of fun and definitely worth a visit! This season is lined up with several shows I’m eager to see, but with short run dates you definitely have to plan to make it out before you miss them!
This year, top of my list is Blue Stockings, a show I think will be perfectly suited to an earnest group of young performers. Stories like this can be incredibly heartening in times of social upheaval and can encourage the audience to look for connections in the modern day from the stories of the past.
Victoria Symphony – The Planets: Symphony in Space January 24+25, 2026
Without a doubt, my pick for the Symphony is to go see Jeremy Dutcher, because if there is a safe bet on an amazing ticket to a show I’ll love, Dutcher is my number one choice. Seeing Dutcher was by far my most favourite arts experience of 2023, and I’ll never miss an opportunity to see him. With that being said, I think I’m going to branch out and pick another symphony show, because there is a whole spectacular season ahead.
I’ve got a few chosen for this year, and I am most excited for The Planets. The Symphony does an amazing job in programming their season, with more traditional selections, as well as fan favourites. What I appreciate about programming like The Planets is how modern scoring is given its place as incredible music! I can imagine what a fun night this will be, and I’m sure we’ll see some fans (and maybe some musicians too!) dressed to infinity and beyond!
St. Luke’s Players – Waiting in the Wings March 11-22, 2026
St. Luke’s excels at fun community theatre, and I can only imagine what they’ll do with a script by the indomitable Noel Coward! This seems like the perfect fun, frothy script that will make any theatre goer laugh!
Phoenix Theatre at University of Victoria – In My Day March 12-21, 2026
For me, this was neck and neck with A Sudden Violent Burst of Rain, but ultimately I chose In My Day as it has used local research based interviews to create a new show. This has the potential to shine a light on history not often thought about and often dismissed. In this, I look forward to an evening of incredibly powerful, moving theatre.
Ballet Victoria – Alice in Wonderland May 15 – 16, 2026
As a story, Alice in Wonderland lends itself exquisitely to the fantastic, to giving into imagination, both dark and delightful. It is a spectacular base to showcase world class dancers and incredible choreography! I am excited to see what Destrooper has in store for audiences with this production.
To Sum Up:
If you were to only pick one show from each company, you would already have a great season ahead. And there is so much more than just one show per season! And I’m not even counting all the one-offs, the shows that are not mainstages, all the companies that run on a different schedule, companies I adore such as (off the top of my head): Caravan World Rhythms, Hapax, Inconnu, Intrepid, Alectoria, Greater Victoria Shakespeare Festival, and Puente! And I’m not even mentioning the art galleries, festivals, films, music, and so much more that we have to choose from as well!
Truly, for a city our size, our arts calendar is jam packed! What’s on your list?
