Christopher Gaze is Sharing What It Takes to Build a Theatre Festival That Lasts

About This Episode:

Christopher Gaze is the founder and artistic director of Bard on the Beach, Vancouver's beloved outdoor Shakespeare festival now in its 37th season. In this conversation, Christopher talks with Phil about how a $35,000 co-op startup in 1990 grew into one of Canada's largest theatre companies, drawing 80,000 people a season to a pair of tented stages in Vanier Park overlooking English Bay and the mountains beyond.

This episode explores:

How Bard on the Beach began in 1990 with $35,000, a Canada Council Explorations Grant, and a company of 27 co-op members

The influence of mentor Douglas Campbell: his force field in the audition room, his wilderness years, and why his name is on Bard's second stage

Programming a season: from Douglas casually suggesting Twelfth Night over the phone to today's collaborative circle of senior theatre practitioners

Goblin Oedipus, Antigone, and how Christopher was famously wrong about Goblin Macbeth (it sold out before opening night)

And much more!

Guest: 🎭 Christopher Gaze

Christopher Gaze is best known as the Founder and Artistic Director of Bard on the Beach Shakespeare Festival, which celebrates its thirty-seventh season in 2026. He hosts the Vancouver Symphony Orchestra’s popular Tea & Trumpets series and also their annual Traditional Christmas concerts.

Connect with Christopher Gaze:

📸 Instagram: @gazechristopher