As we celebrate the Belfry’s 50^th season, it’s worth remembering that this theatre— this gleaming gem on the Canadian arts scene—was created from scratch by people like you—!

Bruce Housser—the first President of the Belfry Board—recalls the theatre’s wobbly baby steps: “The riotous confusion of the under-funded, under-rehearsed opening was exhilarating. Board members arrived at 6 p.m. to watch the final—and only—dress rehearsal. We all brought hammers, drills, screwdrivers, and pliers, and helped make the final set adjustments—sometimes staying until three or four in the morning.”

The knowledge keeper of all things Belfry is our patron saint, Paddy Stewart. We asked him what the impetus was for starting the Belfry. What made it a necessity in 1975—?

 According to Paddy, there were two concurrent reasons:

• Don Shipley had the idea of creating a musical event using the songs of Irving Berlin—which resulted in Puttin’ on the Ritz—in what was then known as the Springridge Cultural Centre,
  
• more importantly: no one in Victoria was producing Canadian plays.

And so, in 1976, Joanna Glass became the first Canadian playwright on the stage of the newly renamed Belfry Theatre, with her double-bill, Canadian Gothic and American Modern.

Every step along the way, the Belfry has needed—and gratefully received—the support of people like you: people who value the arts—who want to make a difference—who love the intimacy of this theatre, and value stories that reveal new worlds.

Little did our supporters 50 years ago know that they were planting seeds that would grow and mature into a theatre renowned across the country as a stalwart proponent of Canadian plays, producing new work by such acclaimed authors as Joan MacLeod, Morris Panych, and Hannah Moscovitch.

For your dedication to the Belfry—whether through a donation, a subscription, or the purchase of a single ticket—we thank you—along with every patron, donor, sponsor, volunteer, and Board member. We appreciate your support—!

Fifty years on, Bruce and Barbara Housser still support the Belfry—as do many other “inaugural supporters.” At the same time, we can boast that 50% of our individual ticket buyers last season were attending the Belfry for the first-time—! That augurs well for the future of theatre—and the next 50 years of the Belfry—!

With our sincerest thanks for your patronage and past support,

Cover Photo – Luisa Jojic (Maureen McTeer) and Nathan Howe (Joe Clark) in 1979 by Michael Healey / Photo by David Cooper / Glynis Leyshon- Director / Pam Johnson- Set Designer / Carole Klemm – Associate Set Designer / Charlotte Dean- Costume Designer / Kevin Lamotte- Lighting Designer / Keith Houghton- Projection Designer