Vancouver’s latest round of food and fun is dishing up themes like murder mysteries, gothic grimoires and Hong Kong noir cinema.
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Chefs and actors know about the mid-week slow down. The Monday to Thursday period can really impact attendance and customer bottom lines.
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To help combat the slump, a local theatre company and restaurant are combining their talents to pull in people with themed food events on weekdays. The Gastown Witch Trials, running Aug. 5, 12, 19 and Sept. 2, 9 and 16 at the Water Street Cafe, is one such event combining original theatre with a three-course meal for two, priced at $149 per pair of tickets (alcohol not included).
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Given that price for two is usually one diner’s three-course meal, it’s not surprising that shows sell out.
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Unlike dinner theatre favourites like Tony and Tina’s Wedding, the latest round of food and fun expands its content. Comedic zaniness remains popular, but themes are expanding into murder mysteries, gothic grimoires and Hong Kong noir cinema.
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Vancouver Dinner Theatre sibling co-founders Alina and Connor Sobolik saw the potential for original scripts paired with specialty menus in 2024. Their company has produced eight shows in collaboration with the Water Street Cafe. The Gastown Witch Trials, laced with local news and historic characters such as Gassy Jack Deighton alongside supernatural shenanigans, is their ninth production.
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“We’ve been running parties and DJ events for years, but we wanted to do showcase Connor’s writing talents,” said Alina. “From going to dinner theatre, we knew restaurants are great staging grounds. We wanted to put on a full play with costumes, talented local actors and a high-end meal.”
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Dinner theatre often showcases interactive experiences such as Secret City’s The Perfect Bite, inspired by Netflix’s hit Glass Onion, A Knives Out Mystery or The Wedding Party dinner theatre escape room. Even Tony and Tina’s Wedding draws audience members into the drama.
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The Soboliks, instead, choose to let the audience eat, watch and be left alone.
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“It’s immersive, not interactive, with the actors singing and reciting around you but not engaging,” said Connor. “Think of it as you are part of the set.”
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The same goes for the servers who deliver “a West Coast feast inspired by mystery, forest herbs, moonlight and old-world magic” including everything from Black Forest Arancini to The Witch’s Spell dessert as the play runs. The Soboliks say staff deliver the dishes throughout the performance so that it’s not a “show time/eat time” presentation.
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Actor Maraya Franca has acted in other Vancouver Dinner Theatre productions. Her most recent role was in the Dinner With the Ripper and she’ll be auditioning for this year’s Halloween show. She says the company has a great formula.
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“The Jack the Ripper show did a really great job of blending history and imagined situations and then I did the Valentine’s show, which was Titanic-themed,” said Franca. “There is an obvious tongue-in-cheek element, but Connor is so talented at writing plays that it’s really entertaining too.”
