Bard in the Valley

A warm July evening, a camping chair, a picnic, maybe the dog, and somebody in doublet and hose shouting about Hotspur from the bandshell. That is Bard in the Valley, and it has been a Langley City summer fixture for a decade and a half.

Five things to know

1. The Douglas Park shows are by donation. The company’s model is simple: the ticketed run at Township 7 Winery pays for the free run in the park. There is always by-donation seating at Douglas Park, but seats are limited, so reserve online ahead of time even for a free ticket. The company says it has played to more than 35,000 people since it started.

2. It is a two-season company now. Alongside the outdoor summer Shakespeare there is a winter play indoors, usually something built on Shakespeare rather than by him. In early 2026 that was Macbeth; the summer show was Henry IV, a combined version of Parts 1 and 2, which ran at Township 7 from June 25 to July 12 and then in Douglas Park from July 17 to 26. Recent years on the past-productions list include The Merry Wives of Windsor (2025), The Winter’s Tale and Twelfth Night (2024), and in 2021 the three-actor Complete Works of William Shakespeare (Abridged), picked that year because a small cast was all that could rehearse under pandemic rules.

3. The 2027 season is already posted. The Complete Works of William Shakespeare (Abridged, Revised, Again), directed by Delaney Gilmour, January 21 to February 7, 2027 at Creekside Hall, $35. As You Like It, directed by Melanie White, at Township 7 June 24 to July 11 ($39) and Douglas Park July 14 to 18 (by donation). Give Few Thy Voice, a devised world premiere about Shakespeare’s women telling their own stories, directed by Vanessa Lazare, July 21 to 25 at Douglas Park, by donation. There is also a one-night improvised show, Spontaneous Shakespeare, at Township 7 in summer 2027; the site shows two different dates for it, so check before you go. A three-show season ticket is $85 and comes with first pick of performances.

4. Bring the right kit. The FAQ’s suggested list for summer: a blanket or sweater, a picnic, hat and sunscreen, your comfiest camping chair (high backs must not block the people behind), and “a friendly dog”. Folding chairs are provided too. Every venue has a concession with local beer, wine, cider and popcorn. Tickets can be swapped to another date up to four days out but are not refunded.

5. Teenagers can do a camp. Every July, 16 young performers aged 12 to 17 audition, rehearse for two weeks and put on public performances; in 2026 it was Something Rotten! JR., rehearsed at H.D. Stafford Middle School and performed in Douglas Park. The 2026 fee was $480, and the charity funds scholarships for families who need them.

Where it came from

The company’s first season was the summer of 2010, when founder Allan Thain, a Rotarian, directed A Midsummer Night’s Dream; As You Like It followed. By its third summer it was already playing Douglas Park and the Township’s Willoughby Park under the motto “One Goal – One Passion – Shakespeare For Everyone”. Thain died suddenly in December 2013, and the company’s About page carries a tribute to him. These days more than 50 volunteers a season do everything from building sets to running the concession.

Getting involved

Auditions happen twice a year, in February for the summer show and in September for the winter one, with headshots and résumés to [email protected]. Directors can pitch proposals for the 2028 seasons. Volunteers are wanted for sets, costumes, stage management, front of house, parking, lights and sound; the sign-up form is on the Get Involved page.

Nearby

For indoor community theatre year-round, see Langley Little Theatre in Brookswood. Fort Langley’s Chief Sepass Theatre hosts the PLAY Society musicals, and Theatre in the Country on Glover Road does dinner theatre in Langley City.

Get there

Tap a pin for the address and directions; every lot below has one-tap directions and a copy-address button.

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