Western Gold Theatre

Western Gold Theatre is a Vancouver theatre company where all the performers are mature actors. Their shows usually take place at PAL Studio Theatre.

In November 2022 their fall season production was Seventeen. The above photo shows a scene from that play.

In the spring of 2023 their show is Opening Night. Immediately below you’ll find details about the Opening Night show which takes place on the St. Patrick’s Day Weekend in 2023. And further below you’ll find information about Western Gold Theatre in general as well as details about Seventeen which we saw last year and loved!

OPENING NIGHT IN 2023

Opening Night shows at the PAL Studio Theatre on March 17th to 19th in 2023. The theatre is located at 300-581 Cardero Street which is in Coal Harbour near the Westin Bayshore Hotel.

The play is about a theatre company on the opening night of a new play where all sorts of things go wrong. The play within the play is terrible, but the play you’ll see is brilliant! The story is both clever and very funny.

Western Gold is a unique theatre company with a special mandate: all the performers are established senior theatre actors aged 55 plus. From what we’ve seen in the past, the acting is very good! The show we saw last year was terrific!

For tickets and full details about this season’s production, visit the westerngoldtheatre.org website.

Western Gold Theatre

Founded in 1994 by Joy Coghill O.C. in response to the dearth of roles for veteran professional artists in the Vancouver area, today Western Gold Theatre is the only professional theatre company in Western Canada solely devoted to providing work for and supporting senior (aged 55+) artists.

The company is committed to producing plays of the highest quality and relevance to audiences of all ages. They present theatre classics as well as newly commissioned Canadian and other works that reflect and illuminate the rich experience of our senior community.

All productions share a common element, one that guides their artistic choices – the all-important theme of how each of us embraces and/or confronts our lives and the passage of time. And, as part of their mandate, Western Gold also mentors emerging younger professional artists as they ‘share the boards’ with veteran actors and other artists.

The company presents both readings, plays in development and fully-realized productions on stage at PAL.

For specific performance dates and times, see Western Gold’s website.

About the PAL Studio Theatre

PAL Studio Theatre is an intimate theatre space located on the top floor of an eight story building at the foot of Georgia Street in downtown Vancouver. Accessed by an elevator, the theatre has a small lounge area, refreshment bar and outside courtyard patio with amazing views of Burrard Inlet and the North Shore mountains. The theatre auditorium seats 100-150 people.

Tips and Advice

Below are some suggestions to help you make the most out of your experience at the show.

TIP #1: Street parking in the area is for 2 hours max, which gives you just enough time. There is also a parkade on the other side of the street from the theatre.

TIP #2: Pal Studio Theatre is right by the Coal Harbour Seawall which is a lovely area to walk around. The H2 Kitchen & Bar is also right close by at the Westin Bayshore Hotel. It’s a nice place for a bite to eat either before or after the show.

The Play Seventeen

We saw the play Seventeen in 2022 and it was great!

Seventeen was written by playwright/author Matthew Whittet about teenagers, adolescence, and a coming of age. It was launched in Whittet’s home country of Australia before hitting the stage in the UK. And, for a couple of weeks in November, 2022, it saw its North American premiere at Vancouver’s PAL Studio Theatre.

About the Play

Seventeen tells the story of one pivotal night in the lives of a group of teenaged friends who get together in a playground park to celebrate their last days as high school students before graduating. They’re on the threshold of whatever the rest of their lives might bring.

As they bandy barbs, reminiscences and jokes back and forth, listen and sing to their favourite artists, and drink too much booze – secrets, insecurities, and fears all come to light. That the actors playing the roles of teenagers are seniors adds layers to the experience of watching them process this pivotal time in their lives.

Note: The play contains swearing and some suggestive language. (It’s actually quite effective hearing senior actors talking and acting like modern-day 17-year-olds. To fit their roles, the actors were advised on language and mannerisms by a group of teenagers!)

Seventeen Play by Matthew Whittet