Murder by Misadventure at Metro Theatre

Metro Theatre is a small, community-driven theatre company in South Vancouver. It has put on shows featuring local artists for over half a century.

Showing at the theatre from April 8th to 24th in 2022 is Murder by Misadventure. For details about the play continue reading or visit the Metro Theatre‘s website.

Metro Theatre in South Vancouver

Metro Theatre isn’t one of the biggest Theatres in Vancouver. It seats around 300 people and puts on mostly smaller productions. It’s a community theatre venue similar to (but smaller than) places like the Massey Theatre in New Westminster, Gateway Theatre in Richmond and Centennial Theatre in North Vancouver.

You won’t see large touring Broadway productions here. What you will see, however, is a variety of great shows with local actors and/or writers and directors. We’ve been to a few plays at the theatre and really enjoyed them.

Community theatre can be lots of fun and really good! And they can feature famous plays too. Productions at Metro Theatre in past recent seasons have included Steel Magnolias, an Alice in Wonderland pantomime, Jane Austen’s Persuasion and Cinderella, among many others.

Along with the main auditorium the building has the Metro Theatre Lounge which is really nice, licensed and seats over 60 people. There you can enjoy a drink before or after a show, plus maybe have a chat with a member of the cast or crew.

That kind of community atmosphere is what Metro Theatre is all about. There are many volunteers who put their time into helping run the venue and put on performances. The theatre company itself is a non-profit organization.

Inside the Metro Theatre

Location and Prices

The Metro Theatre Centre’s address is 1370 SW Marine Drive in South Vancouver. It’s in an industrial area close to the Arthur Laing Bridge on the other side of the Fraser River from Richmond.

Shows at the theatre usually take place on Thursdays to Sundays each week, with some weekend matinees and no performances on Mondays or Tuesdays. There are sometimes Wednesday performances, but not for every show. Tickets typically cost around $35 to $45 for adults and about $5 less for seniors and children.

For those who want to help support the theatre further you can become a VIP Member. The membership costs $20 per year and includes benefits such as discounts on tickets as well as the ability to attend special events like Directors Talks. It also allows you to have a say at the Metro’s Annual General Meeting.

2022 Shows

Shows at Metro Theatre in the spring of 2022 include Nunsense and Murder by Misadventure.

Murder by Misadventure

At Metro Theatre in April of 2022 is the play Murder by Misadventure. It shows on April 8th to 10th, 14th to 17th and 21st to 24th. Tickets start at $34, or $25 for the preview night on April 8th.

The play is about a pair of award-winning writers. They have worked well together for many years, but now can’t stand each other. The production has just four actors – the two writers, the wife of one, and the inspector. The play is a murder mystery, not a comedy.

We’ve seen the play and thoroughly enjoyed it. The acting was generally very good, and the story was quite clever. Typical of good murder mysteries, there are unexpected twists and turns! The story will keep you guessing! We really liked the show and recommend it. It was entertaining, well presented and kept us thinking.

To learn more and to book your tickets, see the see the Metro Theatre‘s website.

Nunsense

Showing earlier in the spring of 2022 was Nunsense. It was a comedic tale of five nuns trying to put on a fundraising event. The show ran from March 11th to 27th with performances from Wednesday to Sunday. The Sunday shows were at 2:00 pm and all the other ones were at 8:00 pm.

Nunsense is an energetic and irreverent show. It pokes fun at Catholicism and religion. There are musical numbers, dancing, plenty of physical humour and more.

The story begins with a little audience participation that demonstrates the quick wit of the performers. Then Mother Superior explains the zany back-story with lots of laughs. The play continues with various skits performed by the lovable characters involving singing, dancing and storytelling, all as part of their crazy talent show fundraiser.

We attended the play and really enjoyed it. The dancing, singing and acting was all excellent. The play was presented in association with Boone Dog Productions.

For more information and to buy tickets click Nunsense in 2022.

NUNSENSE Nuns at Metro Theatre — Nuns from the Play NUNSENSE

About the Theatre

Metro Theatre is a small theatre, but a nice little one. Most of the seats are on the main floor which slopes down, like most theatre auditoriums do, but not with a steep slope. If you’re short, you might want to use a booster cushion, especially if someone tall sits in front of you. The seats are cushioned and comfortable.

Upstairs there is a balcony with an additional couple of rows of seating. Also upstairs is the lounge which is lovely. It’s attractively decorated with old photos of Metro Theatre actors and past plays.

The lounge is where you can buy snacks and alcoholic beverages. When we went most snack-type concession items cost $3, a glass of wine was $9 and beers cost between about $5 and $8. Alcohol can only be consumed upstairs, in the lounge, and no food or beverages are permitted in the theatre itself.

Vancouver's Metro Theatre — Metro Theatre on Marine Drive

History of Metro Theatre

The Metro Theatre Centre was originally a cinema all the way back in the 1930s before falling into disuse by the 60s. That’s when the city gave multiple local theatre companies a grant to combine forces to create a new live theatre centre.

Soon after it got off the ground the Metro became an independent company and the venue was quite successful in the following years until the government took away its annual grant in the late 70s. While it initially looked like the centre might shutter its doors, private funding sprang up to save it and the Metro continued to produce theatre.

Since then the Metro has continued to operate as its own entity without city or provincial support. It relies instead on the support of those in the community and its many volunteers who commit their time to help the theatre run.

Tips and Advice

Below are some suggestions and extra information to help you make the most out of your experience at Metro Theatre.

TIP #1: Arrive early as the theatre’s parking lot fills up. There is also a pay parking lot below the viaduct/bridge, but you have to pay via your phone as there is no credit card machine. There is also a fair bit of on-street parking in the area. Unless you arrive early, however, you might have to walk a ways.

TIP #2: Enjoy a drink in the Metro Theatre Lounge. This way, you are supporting live theatre and relaxing in a unique setting that you won’t get in a nearby restaurant.

TIP #3: The seats are quite tall and each row is only very slightly lower than the one behind it. People who are shorter in stature might have a challenge seeing over the seat in front of them. At the back of the theatre, you can find free “booster” cushions to prop you up so you can see better. Children aren’t the only ones that use them.

TIP #4: The theatre is in an industrial area surrounded by on-ramps, off-ramps and other roadway infrastructure (because it’s where SW Marine Drive connects with the Arthur Laing Bridge). There are few food and drink options in the immediate neighbourhood. If you plan to go out for dinner, go early somewhere else. If you want drinks before your play, enjoy them in the theatre’s lounge which usually opens about an hour before show time.