There’s nothing like the experience of going to the theatre and watching a live play, and at UVic, you can easily do that. The Phoenix Theatre is where the theatre department and the Student Alternative Theatre Company (SATCo) put on the plays that they produce each semester. SATCo produces student-written plays and has students running everything behind the scenes, making it an entirely student-run production. They put on two to three plays each semester that usually run between 30 and 45 minutes. The theatre department tends to put on longer shows with the Phoenix Theatre, with their mainstage productions being closer to two-hour performances. All these shows are carefully produced and well-performed, so if you’re looking for a great show, here are the upcoming performances to check out at the Phoenix Theatre.
A Sudden Violent Burst of Rain
This is the first mainstage that the Phoenix Theatre is putting on this semester, and it’s being directed by MFA student Sophia Treanor. A Sudden Violent Burst of Rain was written by Sami Ibrahim, and it first premiered in 2022 at the Edinburgh Fringe Festival, later debuting at London’s Gate Theatre. The story follows a young immigrant named Elif on her journey as a mother, determined to gain citizenship for her child. She struggles in her travels to the capital city and ends up encountering the unforgivable bureaucracy system, highlighting the struggles one goes through during the immigration process. With this hauntingly real topic, Ibrahim mixes the realness with myth to invite audiences into the story. It’s a daunting story that is scarily prevalent to ongoing social issues regarding ICE in the US, making it worthy of listening to now more than ever. Performances are running from Feb. 12-21, so be sure to get your tickets before you miss it!
The Greatest Riff in the World
Written by UVic student Dani Snyder-Blok, The Greatest Riff in the World follows Scotty Doseno and her band of punk rockers who accidentally summon a demon during their bad practice. The demon is threatening to destroy rock music, and with the upcoming School Rock Off Competition, the band can’t let that happen. Scotty and her band will be unveiling hidden secrets, making unexpected friends, and mending the band’s bond over the course of this play. This will be SATCo’s second play of the spring semester and will take the stage on March 18, 19, and 20. If you’re into punk rock, be sure to stop by the Phoenix Theatre to check out this play.
In My Day
Roy Surette is directing The Phoenix’s second mainstage, In My Day, which was written by Rick Waines. This story is set during the HIV/AIDS crisis and aims to celebrate the ways diverse communities came together and to celebrate their resilience. It mixes humour and joy to tell the story of those who lived in fear due to the stigma at the time. Waines was inspired to create this play from a community-based research project at UVic—the oral history research project. This project’s purpose was to gather stories from HIV survivors to highlight the voices of those who are typically underrepresented or overlooked. Waines has put on several plays during his career and is aiming to accurately tell the story of what it was like to live through the first 15 years of the AIDS pandemic. In My Day will be performed from March 12-21, so that gives you plenty of time to look into the oral history research project and get your hands on some tickets!
These are the upcoming plays for this spring semester, but the Phoenix Theatre and SATCo put on a range of plays each year. Check out their website and SATCo’s page for the full list of what performances have recently been put on, and to keep your eye out for what will take the stage in fall 2026!