Theatre Archives | Otaku No Culture

Keeping the Theatrical Spark Alive, An Interview with Ira Cooper, Artistic Director of Spec Theatre

A lively chat with Spec Theatre’s Ira Cooper on collaboration, community, and The Strange Hour—a 19+ brunch variety show uniting wrestlers, burlesque, comics, and more. Victoria’s shrinking venues meet DIY spirit, and the result is electric.

Ira Cooper and The Strange Hour Ira Cooper is the artistic director and founder of Spec Theatre, a small but mighty independent collective that’s relatively new to the local city scene. But for this individual, who spent the past decade honing his craft far and wide, what he offers with The Strange Hour live-action theatrical variety show is a safe space for talents from various sub-disciplines to interact with audiences, and show them why their craft matters.

When asked about how he likes to describe himself, he says he’s a self-described white settler with Jewish and Eastern European roots. After a hearty chuckle, he revealed he wanted to craft a company grounded in humour, collaboration, and community connection. As a local Fringe theatre artist, he knows what’s important. He’s also said that his appreciation developed even when he was a wee lad—ever since his mother first enrolled him in acting classes at five.

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Halloween 2025: Get Your Scares In For Live Theatre in Victoria, BC!

Discover Halloween 2025 in Victoria BC with live theatre, immersive shows, and Rocky Horror — spooky, funny, and interactive performances.

Spooky Theatre Victoria Halloween 2025 Halloween 2025 in Victoria, BC is shaping up to be terrifyingly good. There are live theatre and performance events that promise chills, laughs, and plenty of surprises. This year’s lineup spans immersive cabaret, dance tributes to classic monsters, sketch comedy, and even site-specific shows. From werewolves to phantoms, and from haunting elegance to campy chaos, there’s something for every spooky season fan.

And as for Rocky… Janet! Dr. Scott! Janet! Brad! We mustn’t forget that. For anyone wishing to have their show listed, please feel free to register for an account and comment!

BEETLEJUICE JR!

Oct 24–26, 2025, 7:00 PM
Belmont Secondary
3041 Langford Lake Rd

“It’s showtime!” Get ready for a delightfully dark and wildly entertaining ride with Beetlejuice Jr. A musical comedy packed with heart, humour, and a whole lot of haunting fun. This junior adaptation of the Broadway hit brings the outrageous world of the afterlife to the stage in a high-energy production that’s perfect for all ages.

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Getting Behind the Scenes on 31 Iguana’s Spectacular High Moon, An Interview

The best thing about 31 Iguana’s High Moon is that everyone is excited in taking a bite to revive Victoria, BC’s Halloween Scene!

To buy advance tickets, please visit https://31-iguanas.tickit.ca/

The Giggling Iguana is back and is now known as 31 Iguanas. It’s a wonderful merger with Outpost 31 as the creative minds behind these two local theatre companies aim to bring more pop culture into the scene. Their first production was Welcome to Croglin at the Victoria Fringe Festival, and now they’re organizing site-specific works, like High Moon: A Werewolf Western!

In the past, Ian Case‘s Halloween-themed productions at Craigdarroch Castle were very well received. He knew how to deliver atmosphere. They helped make productions like The Fall of the House of Usher and Dracula: The Blood is the Life sing. Also, when the weather cooperated, spooky moments like witnessing the narrator emerge from the fog were unforgettable. But his work is not limited to just putting on local productions. He’s also performed, represented and managed other acts. After receiving a job offer at the University of Victoria’s Farquhar Auditorium, he shifted gears.

David Elendune is equally prolific as a writer and producer and is well known on the island and off. His works are often a part of the Victoria Fringe Festival and most of his plays are available to license online for other groups to perform. Good Night Uncle Joe is a play that, he says that refuses to die. He said, “It pops up often. Even my take on Winnie the Pooh was produced and staged in the States.”

When I met up with the two, I asked how they first made contact and decide to collaberate?

DE: Janet Munsil is to blame. Years ago, I took a playwriting course when Ian ran Intrepid Theatre. I wrote a Sherlock Holmes pastiche called Bucket Full of Bees, which eventually became Sherlock Holmes and the Curse of Moriarty. Janet suggested Ian read it, and we had to meet.

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Escape From Victoria: An Unforgettable Fringe Festival Hit!

Fringe parody Escape from Victoria delivers big laughs with puppets, local references, and John Carpenter-inspired chaos in a wild, must-see show.

Escape from Victoria Fringe Theatre parody show poster One reason I love Fringe theatre so much is because of how artists express big, ambitious ideas on a shoestring budget. That spirit is exactly what makes Escape from Victoria so hilarious. The name alone evokes memories of John Carpenter’s Escape from New York and Escape from LA. After a successful run in Ontario as Escape from Toronto, this show has been performed with a few tweaks tailored for each city. I suppose this show’s collective name is simply Escape from Canada. For my performance, there was plenty to marvel—and gawk—at!

Local references are a highlight. In Victoria, it’s the original Hudson’s Bay Building (now the Victoria Public Market). Instead of simply admiring these sites, the play brings their history vividly to life—sometimes with biting commentary, especially concerning this landmark of the city’s history. I haven’t seen the other versions, so I don’t know if this company was intentionally targeted.

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Asking Ty/Hinox Wesley 20 Questions at the Victoria Fringe Festival

Experience 20 Questions at Victoria Fringe: two paranormal investigators, a mischievous Reaper, and secrets that’ll haunt you long after the show ends.

20 Questions feels less like a challenge to the Reaper and more like an exploration of why certain relationships matter. Anyone familiar with The Midnight Game may recognize some of its inspiration, but playwright Ty/Hinox Wesley seems to lean heavily on the Japanese game Hyakumonogatari Kaidankai. In that tradition, participants extinguish one of a hundred candles after telling a spooky story, with the last remaining candleholder facing a far graver consequence. Here, each question functions like a candle: early answers reveal small truths, but as the count nears the last, the stakes become existential.

Only the last person asked faces the ultimate danger if they lie, creating a natural crescendo. Audience and participants alike sense the tension, and the structure excels at revealing secrets—both about the characters’ relationships and their inner lives. Who volunteers first? Who cracks under pressure? These moments blend psychological suspense with subtle comedy, exploring trust, honesty, and unspoken bonds.

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From Workshop to Stardust: Space Queen’s Journey Unveiled at Victoria Fringe Festival

Aaron Nickol’s Space Queen blends sci-fi, drag, and Indigenous storytelling into a retro-futurist vision of queer survival and resistance. Workshopped at Victoria Fringe, it’s already brimming with promise as it prepares to expand into a full production next year.

Aaron Nickol’s Space Queen is being workshopped at Victoria’s Fringe Festival as part of Intrepid Theatre Society’s Indigenous Artist Program. It carries the tone of the movie Logan’s Run, imagining a future where queer existence is outlawed and underground resistance gains strength. For those forced to hide who they are, even finding a job becomes a quiet act of rebellion.

Nickol builds his world through spoken word and projected video of the computer system that shapes daily life. The current workshop feels partial—there are no costume changes to distinguish characters, and the lack of visual shifts leaves some moments flat—yet it establishes a strong foundation. This show probes queer survival and the radical power of claiming space. The Indigenous themes resonate alongside short films and graphic novels exploring how these cultures historically embraced alternate gender roles, including two-spirit identities.

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