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Theatre, comedy, dance: whatever the art form, there’s something spiritually nourishing about seeing people sharing their creative talents really damn well. Here are our picks for arts events blooming all spring long.

Jade Circle: To March 17 @ Gateway Theatre

Presented in both Mandarin and English (with subtitles for both), this multidisciplinary new work examines language, identity, and history. Jasmine Chen mixes music and movement to tell the shifting story of how she reconnected with her late grandmother and embraced her mother tongue. 

An Intervention: March 8 to 17 @ Performance Works

Olivier Award-winning playwright Mike Bartlett wrote An Intervention in 2014, and somehow in the decade since, it’s never made it to Canadian shores. That changes with this premiere. As an examination of polemic politics, An Intervention asks whether it’s right to wade into a foreign war—and, in a dark mirror, whether it’s right to interfere in a friend’s conflict.  

If You Could See Me Now: March 14 to 16 @ Scotiabank Dance Centre

Choreographer Arno Schuitemaker brings a mesmerizing twist to nightlife. Starting from a low-key bop that wouldn’t be out of place in the club, Schuitemaker’s motion repeats—and evolves. From build-up to burst, the constant movement shows off the trancelike strength and focus of the dancers.

Hasan Minhaj: March 15 to 16 @ Queen Elizabeth Theatre

California’s satirical son brings three performances of his Off With His Head tour to Vancouver. With a mix of razor-sharp political commentary and personal storytelling, the award-winning comic shows why he’s one of the leading voices in American comedy.

XR Short Circuit Series: March 15 to 17 @ Q7 Studios

New Works, ever on the cutting edge of dance innovation, has been dabbling in extended reality since 2021. This year’s offering has workshops, soirees, and a panel, all in the name of expanding how augmented or virtual technology can be incorporated into performance and art.

Red Velvet: March 21 to April 21 @ Stanley Industrial Alliance Stage

You may not have heard of Ira Aldridge, one of the first Black actors to star in a major Shakespeare play in the 19th century. Red Velvet turns a sharp eye to Aldridge’s story, transporting the audience to London in 1833 to follow his artistry while Parliament debates abolition.

X (Dix): March 22 to 23 @ Vancouver Playhouse

Côté Danse’s interpretation of the Odyssey makes waves. Five dancers, backed by soundscapes from experimental musicians Son Lux, embark on an epic navigation through old narratives, following their inner compass. It’s the stuff myths are made of. 

OSMOSi: 422 Unprocessable Entity: April 4 to 5 @ Annex

Nancy Lee’s interdisciplinary performance packs a lot into a solo show. Based on delivery app subroutines, the show imagines a piece of code gaining sentience and trying to escape—reflecting on the intersections of labour, tech, and art. 

Bianca Del Rio: April 9 @ Orpheum Theatre 

The clown in the gown—or Don Rickles in a dress—returns to Vancouver with her latest tour, Dead Inside. The rotted drag queen has a heart…it’s just way, way down, beneath layers of finely honed insult comedy and pounds of industrial makeup. 

Sexy Laundry: April 11 to May 12 @ Granville Island Stage 

Michele Riml’s Canadian classic returns to the Arts Club stage. Silver anniversary-celebrants Alice and Henry embark on a steamy hotel stay to spice up their staid sex life. Hilarity and honesty ensues in this mid-marriage rom-com.

Over the Ridge: April 13 @ Massey Theatre 

2020’s Ridge, a historical musical from local folk mainstays The Fugitives, dived into the stories of Canadian soldiers in the First World War. Now, the show is back, expanded with contemporary dance to create a new, emotive stage experience—and premiering for one night only at New West’s Massey Theatre.

This is How We Got Here: April 13 to 28 @ Firehall Arts Centre

How does grief shape a family? That’s the question at the centre of This Is How We Got Here, a play focussed on what happens after a sudden death. Prepare to have your heart broken and put back together.

Family Room: April 19 to 20 @ Scotiabank Dance Centre 

Choreographed by Marissa Wong, Family Room turns a humble studio apartment into a metaphor for relationships. Household objects and furniture become sites of family connection and dischord, with different solo performances imbued with depth and pathos.  

Fat Joke: April 25 to May 5 @ Vancity Culture Lab 

Cheyenne Rouleau was told she couldn’t be sexy. So she got funny. Her solo show, Fat Joke, fuses stand-up and storytelling to put sizeism on blast. The rib-tickler debuts as part of The Cultch’s Femme Festival this spring.

I Know Your Secret: May 1 to 4 @ Roundhouse Performance Centre 

Some Assembly’s theatre creates a new, youth-driven play every year based on what young people are talking about. The company’s 24th season sees playwright Valerie Methot turn to social media. This thriller probes the veneer of digital relationships—and the messiness of real life.  

Homecoming: May 2 to 12 @ Historic Theatre

Urban Ink, the company behind musical-turned-movie Les Filles Du Roi, presents the world premiere of its latest production. Set in Canada and the Philippines, Homecoming weaves the stories of three generations of Filipina women into an ephemeral epic. 

Eunoia: May 8 to 11 @ Firehall Arts Centre 

You might know Eunoia as Christian Bok’s conceptual poetry collection. Here, choreographer Denise Fujiwara reimagines it as a multi-level stage show. Fusing dance, music, video, and costume, Eunoia reconfigures the book’s word-based constraints as opportunities for unconventional creativity. 

Ballet BC: FOR EVER: May 9 to 11 @ Queen Elizabeth Theatre

Artistic director Medhi Walerski is staying busy. The end of Ballet BC’s season features a night of premieres choreographed by the organization’s top creative mind, showing why the troupe is beloved worldwide.

Dancing on the Edge Festival: June 13 to 22 @ various locations 

The 36th edition of Dancing on the Edge proves that contemporary dance morphs and flows with the times. Expect dozens of huge works from internationally acclaimed artists and emerging talent alike.