Blue Bridge Repertory Theatre
Blue Bridge Repertory Theatre (BBRT) is a Victoria, BC-based professional theatre company, that was established in 2008.
Led by veteran producer and director Brian Richmond, the founders of BBRT were convinced that the city of Victoria would support a new professional theatre that could offer its residents and visitors the opportunity to view world class productions of the great plays from the past while offering early career professional theatre artists the opportunity to work alongside some of Canada's most respected directors, designers, and actors.
Located a short distance from the bridge after which it is named, Blue Bridge Repertory Theatre’s three play summer season initially took place in the beautifully restored McPherson Playhouse. First opened in 1914 as the Pantages Theatre, the playhouse was re-named after Thomas Shanks McPherson bequeathed the theatre and funding for its reconstruction to the people of Victoria. Considered by audiences, critics, and theatre artists to be one of most beautiful and acoustically friendly theatres in Canada, the “Mac” offers audiences a level of intimacy enjoyed only in the best historic theatres in the West End of London and Broadway.
Production History
In BBRT's inaugural year, three plays were produced in the historic McPherson Playhouse; As You Like It, Death of a Salesman and The Fantasticks. All were well received by the community, generating acclaim by audiences and critics alike.
In 2009, Blue Bridge received the Victoria Theatre Critics Spotlight Award for Best Professional Production, Death of a Salesman and Best Actor, David Ferry (Willy Loman, Death of a Salesman).
In 2010, Jacob Richmond was named Favourite Actor in Monday Magazine’s M Awards for his role as Biff Loman in Death of a Salesman.
Blue Bridge moved to a downtown office location in the spring at 920 Johnson Street.
During the 2010 Encore Season, Blue Bridge made another leap forward with critically-acclaimed productions of Loot, A Streetcar Named Desire, and Hank Williams – the Show He Never Gave.
A Streetcar Named Desire picked up four Critics Choice Spotlight awards, including Best Overall Production (Professional), Best Direction (Brian Richmond), Best Performance in a Professional Production (Thea Gill as Blanche Dubois) and Best Lighting Design (Kerem Cetinel).
In 2011, Blue Bridge won Best Professional Production for Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf? as part of the Critics Choice Spotlight awards. The play was also awarded Best Performer in a Professional Production (Meg Tilly) and Best Director (Brian Richmond).
In 2012 Blue Bridge moved its office downtown to its current location at 3 Fan Tan Alley.
