Ensemble Theatre Festival 2026
July 8 to 18
Photo Credit: Chelsey Stuyt
The Ensemble Theatre Festival returns to full production this summer with Bloodlines, running July 8–18 at the Jericho Arts Centre. The festival will feature two new productions, The hilarious and unhinged dark comedy Peerless by Jiehae Park, directed by Keltie Forsyth, and the iconic A Streetcar Named Desire by Tennessee Williams, directed by Chris Lam.
This year’s festival will also include special performances by singer-songwriter and actor, Violet Grace, and Fistful of Crime!, a one of a kind, laugh-out-loud improv show.
Tickets for Peerless and A Streetcar Named Desire are $35 per show. Brunchtime performances are $20. Tickets to the preview nights are pay-what-you-can.
Photo Credit: Chelsey Stuyt
SHOWTIMES
July 8, 7:30 pm (Preview)
July 10, 7:30 pm (Opening)
July 14, 7:30 pm
July 15, 7:30 pm
July 17, 7:30 pm
July 19, 2 pm (Closing)
Peerless
Directed by Keltie Forsyth
Hilarious. Magnetic. Unhinged.
A darkly comic, razor-edged reimagining of Macbeth, Peerless follows twin sisters M and L as they spiral through the absurd, high-pressure theatre of elite college admissions. What begins as ambition curdles into obsession, with every choice landing somewhere between strategy and disaster. Fast, viciously funny, and relentlessly watchable!
In a moment when debates around affirmative action and “merit” continue to be reshaped and weaponised in public discourse, Peerless cuts through with a bracing clarity: the stories we tell about fairness are not neutral: they’re constructed, repeated, and believed until they feel like fact. The play skewers those narratives with a comedian’s precision and a thriller’s momentum, exposing how quickly “meritocracy” becomes myth-making.
Entertainment at its sharpest: ruthless, funny, and impossible to look away from.
Photo Credit: Chelsey Stuyt
SHOWTIMES
July 9, 7:30 pm (Preview)
July 11, 7:30 pm (Opening)
July 12, 2:00 pm
July 14, 3:00 pm
July 16, 7:30 pm
July 18, 7:30 pm (Closing)
A Streetcar Named Desire
Directed by Chris Lam
Iconic. Essential. Electric.
A cornerstone of American theatre, A Streetcar Named Desire traces the unraveling of Blanche DuBois as she arrives in New Orleans to take shelter with her sister Stella and brother-in-law Stanley. Clashing realities, desire, and delusion collide in this emotionally charged drama, revealing the fragility of identity and the harshness of truth in a changing world.
In turbulent and uncertain times, this iconic play could not be more prescient as we witness a family moving towards new identities and fighting for their vision of the American Dream. Tennessee Williams’ play is a portrait of a woman caught between the demons of her past and prospect of a new life.
We invite you to witness the haunting fragility and urgency of this Pulitzer Prize winning play.
Brunchtime Performances
Begin your day with two brunchtime performances throughout the 2026 Ensemble Theatre Festival. This series offers a glimpse into the vibrant and creative performing arts scene in Vancouver. Together, with the productions, discover new ways of storytelling and fresh perspectives.
Violet Grace
July 12, 11:00 am
Violet Grace is a singer-songwriter/actor based in Toronto. In early 2026, she was featured on Eden FM’s “It’s You”, which received press coverage in Music Life Magazine as well as garnering over 10,000 Spotify streams since its release. Violet studied classical piano as a child under Madoka Murata, and went on to study Film at York University, returning to her passion in music. In 2025, she performed at Jade Music Festival in Vancouver, opening for the band Shallow Levee and was invited to make her international debut at Jade Music Festival in Taipei, Taiwan in April 2026.
She has had indie radio play and coverage from Wham Bam East Van, Pancouver and Vancouver on Ink, and will also be featured on Season 3 of Song Circle premiering on YES TV.
Fistful of Crime Improv!
July 19, 11:00 am
Dive headfirst into the seedy underworld of triads, violence, and all the dumplings you can eat in Fistful of Crime!
In this one-of-a-kind improv show, you'll experience the hallmark gangster cinema from 80s and 90s Hong Kong, reimagined and remixed on-the-spot by Vancouver's premiere East Asian improv group, Fistful of Kicks. Each show is equal parts drama and comedy, exploring characters caught between the criminal world and polite society, stretched thin between their gang allegiances and their family bonds. All created entirely on the spot based on a single word from the audience! If you're a seasoned HK cinema aficionado, or have no idea what any of those words you just read meant, you'll have a killer time at this show. Embrace your inner gangster at Fistful of Crime!