Chilliwack Players’ Guild presents ‘A Bit of the Other’ in Rotary Studio Hall of the Chilliwack Cultural Centre June 27 to July 6.
The British Nights features cheeky British humour in a pub setting with lots of skits and songs, and the shows have a long and proud tradition in Chilliwack dating back more than two decades.
“This is my sixth production,” says director Graham Archer. “It’s a really fun show to work on, with light-hearted rehearsals.”
It’s always a congenial atmosphere with lots of laughter, and a sing-along for those inclined to belt it out, at the end of the show.
In fact, some of the crowd usually starts laughing as soon as they spot the pink coat worn by Joan Hogan on stage.
“It has become a tradition. It showed up in British Nights 25 years ago.” says Archer.
The pink coat wearer got a lot of laughs in the 1980s and 1990s when British Nights was an annual tradition.
“It’s been seen by so many audiences.”
There’s a decent sized cast of 24 in the production with musical director Judy Hill on piano.
Lots of familiar faces from British Nights gone by, including but not limited to: Christine Newsome, Brad Whittaker, Colleen Strahl, Janet Shields, John Pronger, Audrey Neufeld, Malcolm Mincher, Patti Lawn, Ralph Jones and Joan Hogan.
The expression ‘a bit of the other’ is usually a euphemism for sex, but in this case, they adopted the show title for this year, to refer to the sheer variety of entertainment they’re providing.
“We thought the name described the show we’d put on, with a bit of this, and a bit of that,” said Archer.
The venue gets turned into a British style pub, offering an intimate stage for performers.
“It’s one of the few shows we do as an actor, where we are permitted to relate directly to the audience. We’re constantly breaking that fourth wall, and it makes a real nice ambiance.
“This will be a throwback to when we did it in the Loft of the old Ag Rec. This will be a lot more comfortable.”
It’s going to be reserved seating at 18 tables for those 19+ in the cozy Rotary Studio Hall Theatre, which differs from previous shows in the Evergreen Hall. The lobby bar opens before the show at 6:30, then the bar opens at intermission, and after the show.
One night, July 4, is already sold out.
British Pub Nights, A Bit of the Other, 7:30 p.m. in the June 27-July 6, plus a Sunday matinee.
Tickets $25, 604-391-7469, www.chilliwackculturalcentre.com
