Bard on the Beach Shakespeare Festival Announces 38th Season Productions: 2027 Season Packs On Sale Now

SEPTEMBER 20, 2026,VANCOUVER, B.C./ / Traditional territory of the xʷməθkʷəy̓əm (Musqueam), Sḵwx̱wú7mesh (Squamish), and səlilwətaɬ (Tsleil-Waututh) Nations–Following an exhilarating 2026 Season, Bard on the Beach Shakespeare Festival will return to Sen̓áḵw/Vanier Park in Vancouver from June to September, 2027. The 2027 Season will include five productions that span romance, comedy, music, and imaginative new storytelling.

From the joyous and colourful A Midsummer Night’s Dream: The ‘70s Musical to a timeless and emotionally resonant Romeo and Juliet, audiences will experience two of Shakespeare’s most beloved stories playing in repertory on the BMO Mainstage. In the Douglas Campbell Theatre, the Canadian sensation Juliet: A Revenge Comedy is an irreverent feminist sequel to Romeo and Juliet that has delighted audiences across North America, while the world premiere of Jessica B. Hill’s Eddie and Will explores the complex relationship between William Shakespeare and his younger brother. Also in the Douglas Campbell Theatre, Vern Thiessen’s acclaimed Shakespeare’s Will gives voice to Shakespeare’s wife, Anne, as she reflects on her unconventional marriage.

“This past Season was an extraordinary one for Bard, and I was delighted to see audiences embrace the tremendous range of work we presented across our two stages,” said Christopher Gaze, Bard on the Beach Founding Artistic Director. “That enthusiasm has inspired us to bring more creativity to Bard in 2027. We are thrilled to present five productions, with three Shakespeare-inspired works in the Douglas Campbell Theatre. What is particularly exciting about these works is they give us the opportunity to introduce our audiences to fresh voices, bold ideas, and different ways of experiencing theatre.”

Added Gaze, “I cannot wait to welcome everyone back to Sen̓áḵw/Vanier Park for what promises to be a remarkable season. Together, these five productions invite audiences to see Shakespeare in new ways—through music, laughter, romance, and stories that connect his world with our own.”

ON STAGE AT BARD IN 2027

A Midsummer Night’s Dream: The ‘70s Musical
Adapted by Daryl Cloran and Kayvon Khoshkam

Love, mischief, and magic collide on the BMO Mainstage in Shakespeare’s most beloved comedy, reimagined in the ‘70s by the creators of Bard’s Beatles-infused hit As You Like It. Set in an enchanted forest where mischievous fairies toy with the hearts of four young lovers, A Midsummer Night’s Dream is brought into the vibrant world of the 1970s, where soul, rock, and the spirit of freedom create the perfect backdrop for Shakespeare’s celebration of love and transformation.

Featuring an unforgettable soundtrack of iconic hits from the decade, this joyful musical blends Shakespeare’s beloved comedy with the exuberance, colour, and optimism of the ‘70s. This production received rave reviews when it premiered at Citadel Theatre in Edmonton in 2025.

Romeo and Juliet

On the BMO Mainstage, Bard presents a new production of Shakespeare’s most enduring tragedy. Romeo and Juliet embraces the elegance of a traditional setting while speaking directly to contemporary audiences. Two star-crossed lovers defy a bitter family feud to be together, but their secret marriage sets in motion a chain of events that will change both families forever.

Elegant design, Elizabethan silhouettes, and a timeless sense of place allow Shakespeare’s exquisite language and deeply human characters to take centre stage. Both intimate and epic, this Romeo and Juliet reveals the emotional immediacy of a story that has captivated audiences for more than four centuries.

Juliet: A Revenge Comedy Created by Pippa Mackie and Ryan Gladstone
A Monster Theatre Production

What if Juliet refused to die? Trapped in an endless cycle of reliving her tragic ending, Juliet finally breaks free in search of the truth behind her fate. Along the way, she assembles a fearless team of Shakespeare’s most famous heroines to investigate why so many of them are destined for tragedy. Can they rewrite their stories, or are they doomed to repeat them forever?

A wildly inventive blend of sharp comedy, feminist satire, and Shakespearean mayhem, Juliet: A Revenge Comedy has become a sensation across Canada and throughout North America. Following its acclaimed tour, Bard is thrilled to welcome the production to Sen̓áḵw/Vanier Park for an extended engagement.

Eddie and Will By Jessica B. Hill
In Association with The Necessary Angel Theatre Company, Toronto

Following the success of The Dark Lady, one of the standout productions of Bard’s 2025 Season, playwright Jessica B. Hill returns with a world premiere of a captivating new work. Drawing inspiration from historical fact while weaving an imaginative fictional narrative, Eddie and Will explores the relationship between William Shakespeare and his younger brother, Edmund (“Eddie”). Set in London at the height of Shakespeare’s success, the play follows Eddie, a struggling young actor, as he seeks refuge with his celebrated brother. As old wounds, family secrets, and competing ambitions surface, the brothers are forced to confront the bonds that unite them and the choices that have driven them apart—and what it means for Eddie to live in the shadow of genius.

 

Shakespeare’s Will By Vern Thiessen

Written by award-winning Canadian playwright Vern Thiessen, Shakespeare’s Will is a powerful one-woman play that gives voice to Anne, the wife of William Shakespeare. Holding her husband’s unread will on the afternoon of his funeral, Anne reflects on their unconventional 26-year marriage, William’s long absences in London, and the life she built apart from him. From her free-spirited youth to her transformation into a fiercely independent mother, Anne recounts a life shaped by isolation and the devastating loss of their son, Hamnet. Shakespeare’s Will offers an intimate, funny, and deeply human portrait of the woman behind one of history’s most celebrated figures and asks what it means to be remembered—and forgotten.

Bard on the Beach gratefully acknowledges the 2027 returning corporate sponsors and donors who support and sustain the Festival and its programs, including Mainstage Sponsor BMO and Production Sponsors Lawson Lundell, Odlum Brown, and Polygon Homes.

 

Beyond the Festival, Bard Education offers thousands of participants dynamic, engaging opportunities to explore Shakespeare with programs throughout the region for youth, adults, and schools all year round.

2027 Bard Season Packs are now on sale and include one voucher for each production. Season Launch Packs start at $212 and are only available at this price until October 4, 2026. Visit www.bardonthebeach.org for full details and to purchase online now.

 

About Bard on the Beach Shakespeare Festival
Bard on the Beach is one of Canada’s largest not-for-profit, professional Shakespeare festivals. Established in 1990, Bard’s mission is to create transformational experiences through exceptional theatre, training, and education opportunities that inspire, resonate, and promote the exchange of ideas. As well as its annual summer Festival, Bard offers year-round education and training programs for youth, adults, and theatre professionals in its administrative home at the BMO Theatre Centre in Olympic Village as well as in schools and community facilities throughout the Lower Mainland of British Columbia.

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