Sooke Harbour Players present dinner theatre
Pull up your boots and git your cowboy hat and ride on down to the old saloon for a rip-roaring evening of dinner theatre.
Sooke Harbour Players is staging Murder Rides Again on February 26 and 27 at the Sooke Legion. Murder mysteries have become a favourite for local audiences and the latest production will be no exception.
Directed by Bobbie-jo Peterson, Murder Rides Again may be just what the doctor ordered for these long February nights.
“It’s a mixture of John Wayne and Mae West characters,” said Peterson. “It takes place in Miss Liddy’s saloon and all she cares about is the chili cook-off. It’s really funny.”
Peterson said the actors are old hands on the stage as well as some new ones. They include Lisa McCormick, Christine McNeal, Owen Was-Little, Allen Engst, Pony Rainshadow, Elena Christian and Tim Pierce.
As with the other dinner theatre performances staged by the Sooke Harbour Players, Murder Rides Again follows the same format — dinner and theatre with the diners becoming part of the performance.
Peterson is relatively new to directing. Funee Fest was her directing debut.
“I love it, really love it,” said Peterson of directing. “I’m getting a lot of advice, help and everybody is working together in the show.”
What’s hardest for her? She said it was her own expectations.
“We just came down from Joseph, (Joseph and the Amazing Technicolour Dreamcoat) and living up to that is the hardest, I want to do everybody proud.”
She said she also has to remember that it’s fun, after all everyone is volunteering, and she says she has to remember not to take herself too seriously.
“They put up with me changing things every five minutes, it’s community theatre and everyone helps each other. Directing is a lot of hard work, you make sacrifices but its worth it,” said Peterson of the task.
She said her new role as president of Sooke Harbour Players has also been a learning experience but with the help of the company she is doing what is expected of her.
“People help, mentor and guide you.”
Other successful dinner theatre productions have included Die Claudius! and Death by Disco.
Murder Rides Again will be performed three times on Saturday, Feb. 26, Sunday, Feb. 27 and on March 5. The March 5 show taking place at the Sooke Harbour House is sold out. Tickets are still available for the performances at the Legion.
There will be no tickets sold at the door. Tickets are available at Shoppers Drug Mart, Salvatore’s Hair Salon, Bills Food and Feed or online at www.sookeharbourplayers.ca