"Arts Club conquers 18th century classic comedy… the play is built so beautifully, the farce unfolds with such clockwork precision, that the script shows no signs of its age" —Mark Leiren-Young, The Vancouver Sun [Read More]

"Memorable mix-ups, delicious ironies, and rare relationship blunders…She Stoops to Conquer is precious, precocious and pretty darn funny" —Roger Eberle, Review Vancouver [Read More]

"Crackles with wit and energy… deliciously funny and high-spirited" — Jessica O'Brien, Vancouver Weekly [Read More]

"Boisterously funny" —The Independent

"A marvel…a work of pure pleasure" —The Telegraph

"Terrifically funny" —Time Out London

"A great night of high English comedy" —The Telegraph
 

Audience Comments

"Highly entertaining with such a strong cast. The musical segues were the icing on the cake, masterfully sung/played with a tongue-in-cheek nod to the fugal/contrapuntal style of the era. Smiled from start to finish"
—Lorna, Coquitlam

"An excellent British farce, with a fun plot, great costumes, wonderful creative sets, and most of all a fantastic cast. Bravo to all these fine actors, that drew me in, and truly made me laugh. My fave, the mother"
—Wayne, Vancouver

"Extremely well-acted"
—Gerry, Vancouver

"I thought it was a superlative performance, a very enjoyable play. I thought the acting was well done, the costumes beautifully created and the setting inspired. There is a lot of dialogue in the play, but the actors do such a good job with the comedy that you are consistently entertained. I would definitely recommend this play as a must for people to see"
—Ann Marie, Port Coquitlam

"The set was great! I loved the way a few simple changes resulted in an entirely different location. The play was delightfully silly and great fun"
—Elizabeth, North Vancouver

"Well, with the flowery language and wording nuances, the play had some hoops to jump over, but with the boisterous, tasty acting and nice touches of favorable, and flavourable, directing, the play blossomed and won my wife and I over. "She Hoops to Conquer," so to speak. The words flowed quickly like river currents, and we were swept along, even if some eddies were misunderstood. The set, costuming, and music harmonized beautifully and symbiotically with the play. We appreciated the additional play's synopsis insert, but we would have liked a little more about the play's themes and purposes. The show's talk back discussion, as always, was a nice post show sweet dessert, even though it disappeared from the table a little too soon"
—Brian, Pitt Meadows

"The Arts Club scores again! This production was so much fun…. The cast was a delight (fun to see Norman Browning as Mr. H. as I saw him decades ago in the Club's first production); the sets were charming and the costumes absolutely exquisite. Restoration comedy is not my favourite genre but it was so well done I loved it! It's always super to stay for the talkback and Bill really seems to enjoy it"
—Donia, Delta

"I was thoroughly entertained with a cast of characters who were truly "characters." Subtle twitches, smirks and facial expressions to make anyone grin from ear to ear; hilarious antics and some fabulous dialogue made for a humorous and delightful evening of comedy. I was thrilled with the performance"
—Deborah

"Delightful play. It was funny and entertaining. The set and costumes were very well done"
—Monica, North Vancouver

"So charming. A real play. So well and so stylishly acted. An afternoon to savour"
—Paul, Vancouver

"Excellent acting and humorous plot. Very entertaining"
—Lorelei, South Surrey

"I had heard of "She Stoops to Conquer," but confess I had no idea what the plot was. The best way for me to describe it is a ye olde romantic comedy. I am a self professed fan of this genre and this production did not disappoint. The sets were simple, but well done. The scene changes were humorous and melodic. To detail my favourite parts would be to give away the really good stuff. Suffice it to say it is cleverly funny and was a most enjoyable way to spend a rainy Saturday afternoon"
—Lynna, Delta

"A fun and witty insight into the world of a 17th century family and community. An added bonus was being able to listen to and enjoy as well the director, Dean, as he filled everyone in on his experience with the play. Very insightful and fun as well"
—Tannis

"We thought it was wonderful! So much fun! Everything came together—the quality of each performance, the set, the costumes and the staging—to create a delightful afternoon of entertainment!"
—Sheena, Richmond

"A delightful interpretation of an already fun piece. The energy of all the cast, the gorgeous costumes, the whimsical touches and the fun musical interludes made it a really enjoyable afternoon of theatre. Well done!"
—Gaye, Port Coquitlam

"Funny! And excellent custom design"
—Carola

"One of the best performances we have ever seen anywhere. Every detail was meticulously handled. The addition of music was a lively touch. The sets and set changes were even part of the entertainment. The script was milked for every drop of humour and we were falling out of our seats laughing"
—Joan, Vancouver

Behind the Scenes

Coming soon

Artistic team

By Oliver Goldsmith
Starring Norman Browning, Chris Cochrane, Andrew Cownden, Josh Drebit, Jay Hindle, Leslie Jones, Paul Kloegman, Sebastian Kroon, Jennifer Mawhinney, Melissa Oei, Christine Quintana, Luc Roderique, John Voth, Christina Wells Campbell
Director Dean Paul Gibson
Set Designer David Roberts
Costume Designer Rebekka Sorensen
Lighting Designer Itai Erdal
Sound Designer Neil Weisensel
Stage Manager Angela Beaulieu
Assistant Stage Manager Ronaye Haynes

Downloads

Bill's Notes for SHE STOOPS TO CONQUER

House Programme