Welcome!

32 years and counting! Axis Theatre Company, an award winning physical theatre company, based in Vancouver, British Columbia, is feeling fresh and frisky and looking forward to many artistic adventures now and in the future. Recognized as one of British Columbia’s important cultural institutions, this extraordinary company travels the world sharing its unique repertoire of plays for all ages.

On the road again…

It’s home sweet home for our talented actors, stage managers and technicians. Our 2007-2008 season is pretty well in the bag and after performing 200 times across British Columbia, Ontario and the US Midwest for over 56,000 youth and adult mainstage audiences, it’s a happy time knowing the shows went well and all returned safe and sound. Congrats to the cast and crew of THE EMPEROR’S NEW THREADS, THE NUMBER 14 and ROBINSON CRUSOE!

Not too much time to rest though, as our 2008-2009 season promises to be one of our busiest yet. On the performance side, we have three shows going out back to back to back in September/October before phasing in our newest TYA (theatre for young audiences) show KING ARTHUR’S KITCHEN in the new year.

THE EMPEROR’S NEW THREADS is heading out on its first national tour to Ontario, Manitoba (presented by our good friends at Manitoba Theatre for Young People), Alberta, over to Nova Scotia and New Brunswick and finally back to Ontario to finish up at Toronto’s wonderful Lorraine Kimsa Theatre for Young People in March ‘09.

THE NUMBER 14 is making what could be its final ride through British Columbia in the fall with a great tour that is anchored by a 3 week run (Oct 3 - 25, 2008) at Prince George’s Theatre Northwest.

ROBINSON CRUSOE, our classic TYA hit show, is returning for its first major tour of provincial elementary schools and community theatres in eight years.

We are thrilled to once again be hosting Nova Scotia’s internationally renowned Mermaid Theatre for a brief run of THE VERY HUNGRY CATERPILLAR AND OTHER ERIC CARLE FAVOURITES. Mermaid’s unique brand of black light theatre is particularly popular with younger audiences and has always been a sell out during their Vancouver runs. School peformances will run at the Waterfront Theatre on Granville Island from October 7 – 10. On Saturday, October 11th there will be two public performances at 10:00am and 1:00pm which will be presented in partnership with Carousel Theatre.

Busy enough? Well in early September we are also doing our first workshop of a new physical theatre production of DON QUIXOTE currently being adapted by Colin Heath and Peter Anderson. This is the first tiny step in a process that will see the play have its world premiere in the spring of 2010 in Vancouver at the Arts Club Theatre, Granville Island before moving on to Montreal for a run at the Centaur Theatre who are our co-producers . The play will be directed by Centaur Theatre’s Artistic Director Roy Surette.

We’re really excited to be introducing KING ARTHUR’S KITCHEN in early spring ’09 for touring to BC elementary schools and community theatres. We’ve commissioned local playwright Leslie Mildiner to take a look at the mythical life of King Arthur through the eyes of three kitchen staff preparing a feast in his castle. The play will be a fast paced laugh fest as the workers overcooked imaginations place themselves in key moments and situations of young Arthur’s rise to being one of Britain’s greatest kings.

The Leon and Thea Koerner Foundation
The Hamber Foundation