Bard on the Beach Plays | Vancouver's Best Places

Bard on the Beach is famous for Shakespearean theatre. Plays in Vancouver in 2024 include Twelfth Night, Hamlet, The Comedy of Errors and Measure for Measure.

The shows this year run from mid-June until late September.

In this article we’ll tell you about our experiences at Twelfth Night and Hamlet. We saw Twelfth Night on June 19th and it was fabulous! We also saw Hamlet on June 23rd and it was great too! Further down the article there are brief descriptions about the other two plays showing this year as well. We haven’t seen them yet, but expect them to equally good.

For tickets and the theatre company’s official website, visit bardonthebeach.org. To learn lots about Twelfth Night and Hamlet, and a bit about the other 2024 productions, continue reading.

This article includes information about the following Bard on the Beach shows:

Twelfth Night | Hamlet | The Comedy of Errors | Measure for Measure

Twelfth Night at Bard on the Beach in 2024

Twelfth Night is the headline show for the 2024 Bard on the Beach Shakespearean Festival. It was also the first play to take the stage this season. The show is definitely a fun one! The play is one of Shakespeare’s comedies and this year’s Bard on the Beach production leans heavily into trying to make the show as funny as possible.

Twelfth Night began on June 11th and runs until September 21st. We highly recommend it! If you like theatre and want to experience a Shakespearean play that’s extra fun, light and entertaining, this is an exceptional one to see!

The 2024 Production of Twelfth Night

The play is set in the fictional realm of Illyria. In this production the set looks like it’s part of a circus and a couple of the minor characters dress up like circus performers. It’s a fun Bard on the Beach twist on the classic tale.

One of the biggest features of this production is the musical numbers. That might not be something people expect when they hear “Shakespeare,” but there are over six songs in the show and a bit of dancing as well (although the dancing is mostly done for comedic effect).

What’s particularly impressive is that a lot of the music is played by the actors themselves live on stage! There’s a piano, drum kit and both an acoustic and electric guitar. Some of the actors sing, play and act all at the same time.

There is also definitely a high number of fun moments in the show. There’s fourth-wall breaking*, interactions with the audience and even a duel between two characters brandishing ping pong paddles! There are definitely a number of laugh-out-loud moments.

The actors do a pretty good job of conveying the meaning of their lines through their delivery (and using some plain English occasionally). That said, Shakespearean text can be hard to understand sometimes, and the plots can be complicated. It can be a good idea to read up on what the general storyline of the play is before going to the show. Unless, of course, you’re well-versed in Shakespeare already!

(*) Note: Fourth wall breaking is when actors acknowledge and interact with the audience and/or leave the stage and go out into the audience area.

For tickets and the theatre company’s official website, visit bardonthebeach.org.

Twelfth Night Plot Summary

Below is a short plot summary of the Twelfth Night. If you want to remain unspoiled, skip this section. Further below that there are details about the other three Bard on the Beach shows for the 2024 season (including Hamlet).

The play begins with an off-screen shipwreck on the coast of Illyria, which separates twins Viola and Sebastian. Both of them believe the other is dead. Viola pretends to be a man named Cesario in order to become a servant for the Duke Orsino, who is infatuated with the countess Olivia. Olivia, however, refuses to meet with any suitors. She’s in mourning over the recent death of her brother.

Orsino gets the disguised Viola to be his intermediary and profess his love for Olivia to her. This plan backfires when Olivia falls in love with “Cesario,” creating a love triangle as Viola has fallen in love with Orsino.

Meanwhile, Sebastian eventually makes his way to the kingdom. He’s accompanied by Antonia, a former friend of Orsino who’s banished from Illyria. Hijinks ensue when Olivia thinks Sebastian is “Cesario” and takes him away to get married. In the end, Viola and Sebastian reunite, Viola’s disguise is revealed, and she and Orsino declare their love for each other.

Additional subplots take place throughout the show as well. They focus primarily on Sir Toby, Olivia’s drunk uncle, and Sir Andrew, a young foolish knight who is in Illyria to try (in vain) to win Olivia’s favour. There’s also the character of the “fool,” who bounces between all the different plots and serves as a sort of narrator at points. There are a few other characters as well, for the most part either attendants to Olivia or members of Orsino’s entourage.

Bard on the Beach plays in 2024 — Bard on the Beach Plays in 2024 (Photos by Emily Cooper)

Hamlet at Bard on the Beach in 2024

Hamlet is arguably Shakespeare’s most famous play, and it’s the second main stage production in 2024. The show opened on June 13th and runs until September 20th.

This production of Hamlet is set in modern times. The characters use various pieces of modern technology like cameras and laptops and earbuds. The stage’s backdrop is a row of bookshelves which the characters interact with sometimes.

Hamlet is a very long text. The entire play performed exactly as written would take around four hours! The script for this show is edited down a bit because of that. Some scenes are shorter, some are re-arranged with bits placed elsewhere in the show, and some are cut out entirely. The show still contains all the famous bits and clocks in at a much more reasonable two and a half hours (including intermission).

The play is a tragedy, but there are elements of comedy too. The first act especially leans into the comedic elements of the text more. After the intermission the show becomes darker and more dramatic. Similar to Twelfth Night there are a couple musical numbers as well, with some of the cast showing off their singing and dancing skills.

Another fun thing to note is that a lot of the actors from Twelfth Night are also in Hamlet! If you go to both shows expect to see some familiar faces.

Hamlet Plot Summary

Below is a plot summary for Hamlet. Skip this section to remain unspoiled and learn about the other two 2024 Bard on the Beach shows.

The play begins with the celebration of the wedding of King Claudius and Queen Gertrude. Prince Hamlet is quite upset as his mother (Gertrude) married his uncle (Claudius) just a couple months after his father’s (the old king) death. Hamlet receives a visit from the ghost of his father who tells him he was murdered by Claudius, and that Hamlet must avenge him.

Hamlet begins to act like he’s insane, worrying the other members of the court. His relationship with his girlfriend Ophelia crumbles due to this and the pressure put on her by her father (Polonius) to cut ties with Hamlet. Hamlet gets visiting musicians to stage a show that fictionally re-enacts his father’s murder. He notes how guilty Claudius appears while watching the show.

Everything falls apart from there. Claudius tries to get Hamlet killed, Hamlet kills Polonius thinking he’s Claudius, and Ophelia legitimately goes insane and commits suicide. The show ends with a duel between Hamlet and Ophelia’s brother Laertes, where both of them as well as Gertrude and Claudius all die.

Visit the official Bard on the Beach website to book tickets to the shows.

Other 2024 Bard on the Beach Plays

There are two other shows taking place at Bard on the Beach in 2024, on the secondary stage. The two plays are The Comedy of Errors and Measure for Measure.

The Comedy of Errors at Bard on the Beach

Like Twelfth Night, The Comedy of Errors includes hijinks caused by mistaken identities between twins. This play, though, includes two separate pairs of twins who get all mixed up with each other!

This production is designed to be the most immersive of all of the Bard on the Beach shows this year. There is a “Greek marketplace” featuring real artisan vendors set up around the venue. Audience members are also encouraged to wear their own togas to the performance. You don’t have to dress in costume, but if you do you won’t be alone (and you’ll probably have extra fun too).

The Comedy of Errors runs from July 2nd to September 21st.

Measure for Measure at Bard on the Beach

Measure for Measure is one of Shakespeare’s comedies. However, it’s also known as one of his “problem plays” due to how it’s a bit more ambiguous in its theming and tone compared to other comedies.

The production is set in Verona. Conflict arises when the party-loving Duke Vincentio leaves town and gives power to the evil Lord Angelo while he’s gone. Angelo enforces the city’s morality laws much more strictly and wants to put to death a man for the crime of publicly dancing with his fiancée.

Bard on the Beach’s Measure for Measure runs from July 4th to September 20th.