The Cultch closes out its 25/26 season with an unforgettable party, June 10–28, at the York Theatre. Sophie’s Surprise 29th is circus, comedy and chaos featuring lead performers from world-renowned companies like Cirque du Soleil, La Clique, and The 7 Fingers. Sophie’s Surprise 29th will reel audiences in with death-defying circus and cabaret feats, combined with a nostalgic 90s house soundtrack.
Unlike any other circus, Three Legged Productions’ acts are disguised as a surprise birthday party.
“Come and join the party, but remember, don’t tell Sophie!” they say. Sophie’s Surprise 29th made its debut in 2022, the same year Three Legged Productions was formed, and was an immediate success. Following the London premiere, the show was picked up for a headline slot at Edinburgh Fringe. The company has since performed there for several consecutive years, and at other renowned venues like Underbelly Boulevard Soho and Montréal Complètement Cirque. On stage June 10-28, 2026 at the York Theatre, 639 Commercial Drive, Sophie’s Surprise 29th is Three Legged Productions’ first time performing in Vancouver, allowing The Cultch audiences the chance to see the show before it goes on a Canadian tour later in 2026.
As the current season ends, audiences can anticipate The Cultch’s 26/27 Season that will feature 15 shows with an emphasis on Vancouver-based creatives, beginning with an intense tech-careerist thriller, JOB, put on by The Search Party. The previously postponed The Horse of Jenin follows, at the York Theatre actor and comedian Alaa Shehada combines storytelling, mask, and stand-up comedy in this captivating exploration of a boy in Occupied Palestine who, like every child in the world, just wants to play and have fun.
The Cultch are Rumble Theatre also returns to The Cultch this season, in collaboration with ITSAZOO Productions, for the razor-sharp psychopharmacological play The Effect. Pi Theatre brings Joey Lespérance’s deeply personal Michel(le), while Urban Ink stages suspenseful Indigenous storytelling in Wolf Cull, and Veda Hille and Amiel Gladstone with the musical world premiere For Frances when it’s raining.
photo: Emily Cooper
Of course, the season would not be complete without the hyper-local holiday favourite, Theatre Replacement’s East Van Panto: Hercules – full of humour and heart, East Van Panto brings its unique take on Greek mythology. Once again the legendary Veda Hille is on music, Chelsea Haberlin returns as director, and Pedro Chamale and Marcus Youssef are co-writers for the second consecutive year.
Several other Canadian works are part of the season, Montréal’s Tentacle Tribe is making a reappearance at the Historic Theatre with Dirt, a raw fusion of contemporary and hip hop dance exploring the relationship between humanity and nature. Following up is Geordie Theatre’s Jordan, a family-friendly heroic tale putting a spotlight on First Nations healthcare justice. Rogers V. Rogers, by Crow’s Theatre in Toronto, brings critically-acclaimed, Succession-like drama to the stage. In February 2027, puppeteer Ronnie Burkett’s makes a much welcome return to Vancouver with The Daisy Theatre: Back In Bloom.
The Cultch is excited to bring in more world-class talent from abroad as well. Knitting Peace, a massive audiovisual circus by Sweden’s Cirkus Cirkör and Hamlet, adapted to highlight actors with Down syndrome, by Perú’s Teatro La Plaza, are being presented at the Vancouver Playhouse in partnership with DanceHouse and the PuSh International Performing Arts Festival respectively.
Kicking off the 26/27 Warrior Festival, is Emma Frankland’s No Apologies, a radical blend of theatre, grunge, autobiography, and alternative history, No Apologies encapsulates coming-of-age in the nineties. Also joining Warrior Festival is Here Here: Songs We Sing for Home, at the Historic Theatre in March, Here Here brings together eight local writers with a bespoke band of Vancouver musicians to connect with the people, places, and things that make up home.
With 15 unique shows across three stages; The Historic Theatre, York Theatre and Vancouver Playhouse, the 2026/27 Cultch season is packed with something for everyone. Visit thecultch.com for tickets and details of Sophie’s Surprise 29th as well as the line-up for the upcoming 26/27 season.