by Alex McLean, co-artistic director, Zuppa Theatre Co.
The crew at Hello Dartmouth asked me to say a little about Pop-Up Love Party – a show that we at Zuppa Theatre will be presenting for four nights only at Battery Park Beer Bar & Eatery on Ochterloney Street (February 16-19). It has thrilled audiences across Canada and the U.K., and I’m happy to finally bring it to Dartmouth, where a few of us in the company grew up. It’s a totally unique theatrical experience, pared with a 7-course snack menu by an internationally acclaimed chef. We’ve done the show as far away as Whitehorse and Northern England, and I can safely say it’s something you won’t forget.
Pop-Up Love Party is a contemporary adaptation of Plato’s Symposium, an ancient Greek philosophical dialogue about the nature of love. The word symposium literally means ‘drinking party,’ which is why it takes place in bars. We encourage you to enjoy remarkable food, great drinks from Battery Park, and watch as three actors try to use their theatrical powers to bring Plato’s old ideas vividly to life in a contemporary context. Each of the seven main sections of the 2500-year-old text is paired with a snack, created by Dartmouth-born, Michelin-starred chef Daniel Burns and prepared by Dennis Johnston, of the acclaimed Fid Kitchen. Most recently, the show was selected as part of the 2016 Magnetic North Festival – Canada’s national festival of English theatre.
Zuppa Theatre has been playfully pushing the boundaries of theatre for nearly 20 years. This time we set out to make a show that captured the feeling of a great conversation over drinks, and Pop-Up Love Party is what we came up with. It’s a show for five senses: you can sit at a table with a group of friends, eat and drink, all while contemplating the true nature of love. North Brewing has even made a special beer for the show – a milk stout aged on cherry wood and blackberries – available at the bar throughout the run.
We’ll be fresh back from doing the show in B.C., and look forward to raising a glass with you at Battery Park.
-A.M.
Pop-Up Love Party
Battery Park Beer Bar and Eatery, 62 Ochterloney St.
February 16-19th, 2017
Shows from 9-11pm
Doors open at 8:30 PM.
Latecomers cannot be admitted.
Tickets available at http://www.tickethalifax.com/events/40627943/pop-up-love-party
For more info, contact Zuppa Theatre at info@zuppatheatre.com
or call 902-489-9872