Craigdarroch Castle - Our Home

OUR LONG JOURNEY HOME…

From 2016 to 2020 our educational program ran school field trips out of Craigdarroch Castle - it included a Shakespeare-centric tour of the castle and ended in an interactive Shakespeare workshop in the ballroom upstairs. Little did we know what a partnership this could be…

In 2019, due to the pandemic and state of the world, we struggled to find a permanent home to produce the Greater Victoria Shakespeare Festival on. We were supported by many great organizations, flitting between municipalities and growing connections. We are so grateful to those who hosted us on their land, and harbour love and respect for where we grew.

In 2023, we approached Craigdarroch Castle with a vision for the future.

Our first year, we ran Much Ado About Nothing (2024) on the Castle’s grounds. It was a huge success. We attracted over 1000 audience members to our production, and the buzz was non-stop. We became central to the community, and finally had room to grow.

Craigdarroch offers a beautiful backdrop for our productions, and provides a rich history of Victorian architecture and culture, accessible through guided tours of the grounds. The Castle has been incredible to work with, offering solutions and workarounds to create better theatre and experiences for our audiences. They are dedicated to supporting the arts, and strive to meet us where we’re at.

Craigdarroch Castle stands on the traditional territories of the lək̓ʷəŋən speaking people, also known as the Songhees and Esquimalt nations. The land consisted of large rocky outcroppings supporting drought tolerant plants such as ĆEṈ¸IȽĆ (Garry Oaks), pəpq̓i’yas (Snowberry) and qáthəłp (Ocean Spray). The name “Craigdarroch” is Scottish Gaelic and translates to “Rocky Oak place”. In our partnership, we are devoted to engaging with de-colonial narratives, and urge you to consider the longstanding history of the land we are fortunate to witness and aid in the conservation of. We are committed to becoming better allies wherever we can.

We are thrilled to announce our longterm partnership with Craigdarroch Castle: our new home.

For our second year, we ran Romeo & Juliet. Utilizing the grassy hill on the south lawn for anguished cries, and the monumental stone steps serving as pivotal narrative set pieces for dramatic monologues we told the tragic tale of our two young lovers.

For our third year, we are producing A Midsummer Night’s Dream, with a few more fun angles for audience to watch the action unfold. This year. we see two worlds collide; one of wealth and privilege and another full of powerful, natural magic. While the concept was inspired by environmental and social justice, our version fully embraces the raucous comedy in this play. This 90 minute romp is packed full of action, romance, music, magic and even puppets! Tickets are available now.

Check in later to see what’s next year.