Here are 6 must-see plays opening in Vancouver in November

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November offers a rich bounty of theatre in Metro Vancouver. I count at least 33 separate opportunities for theatregoers this month, a substantial fall harvest. Along with festivals galore (Chutzpah!, Downtown Eastside Heart of the City, Transform, Stand, IndiFest), you can attend Remembrance Day shows, musicals for adults, classics for kids, holiday entertainments for the family, and a cornucopia of comedies and dramas. Here are six of my best bets:

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Tom Crean: Discovering Antarctica

When: Nov. 7-24
Where: PAL Studio Theatre, 581 Cardero St., 8th floor , 300
Tickets & Info: From $30 at westerngoldtheatre.org/on-stage/

This thrilling solo show, written and performed by Irish actor Aiden Dooley, has been touring for years and got raves from Dublin to Adelaide to New York and beyond. Dooley tells tales of Tom Crean’s heroism and endurance during his three harrowing expeditions to Antarctica with Scott and Shackleton. An intimate show for the cosy confines of the PAL Studio.

Billy Bishop Goes to War

When: Nov. 8-30
Where: Metro Theatre, 1370 Marine Dr. SW
Tickets & Info: $42-$52 at metrotheatre.com

John Maclachlan Gray’s two-person musical hasn’t dated at all since its 1978 premiere. A funny, moving, warts and all portrait of Canada’s most famous First World War pilot, it features a tour de force performance by one actor who plays Bishop and all the other roles, accompanied by a pianist who helps Bishop sing Gray’s excellent vintage-resembling songs. Damon Calderwood and Chris Robson have been performing the show for 20 years. Directed by Gerry Mackay.

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The Hobbit

When: Nov. 13-Dec. 21
Where: Pacific Theatre, 1440 W. 12th Ave.
Tickets & Info: From $20 at www.pacifictheatre.org

Kim Selody’s new adaptation of JRR Tolkien’s prequel to The Lord of the Rings is an unknown quantity compared to the other shows listed here. But theatre veteran Selody is very good at what he does, Pacific Theatre produces reliably smart, entertaining theatre, and Tolkien’s middle-earth books are works of genius. Tim Carlson and Peter Carlone play Bilbo and Thorin. Laura McLean directs.

Dolly Parton’s Smoky Mountain Christmas Carol

When: Nov. 14-Dec. 24
Where: Stanley Industrial Alliance Stage, 2750 Granville St.
Tickets & Info: From $39 at artsclub.com

The Arts Club presented this show in the fall of 2021, its first since the COVID outbreak, so a lot of people probably stayed home out of caution. It’s a terrific, warm-hearted holiday musical with music and lyrics by the divine Ms. P and a scintillating production from director Bobby Garcia. David Adams made a very fine Scrooge. Most of the original cast is back, with Adams replaced by Scott Bellis, one of our best actors.

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East Van Panto: Robin Hood

When: Nov. 20-Jan. 5
Where: York Theatre, 630 Commercial Dr.
Tickets & Info: From $59 at www.thecultch.com

Last year’s panto broke a string of middling productions of this annual holiday favourite. Playwrights Jivesh Parasram and Christine Quintana, with director Anita Rochon, re-enlivened the East Van Panto with a blessedly nutty tale of community and compassion. That team is back, along with musical genius Veda Hille, resetting the Robin Hood story in our own backyard. Prepare for big fun. 

Where the Wild Things Are

When: Nov. 22-Dec. 1
Where: Presentation House Theatre, 333 Chesterfield Ave., North Vancouver
Tickets & Info: $15-$35 at phtheatre.org

Another show that’s been around for decades, with over 1,000 performances across North America, this interactive Presentation House production of Maurice Sendak’s classic kid’s story is aimed at children age 3-7 and their favourite grown-ups. Directed by Kim Selody.

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