About
Kick At The Dark
Kick At The Dark is an award-winning emerging theatre co-operative based in Kjipuktuk/Halifax that presents locally-focussed, innovative, and entertaining productions that speak to our community and our moment. Formed in 2015, we have developed a strong track record of balancing exciting world premieres with powerful new productions of established scripts. We aim to nurture artists, to amplify under-heard voices, and model a just, equitable world. We prize work that ignites the imagination, delights the intellect, and touches the heart.
OUR VISION
We create theatre that matters.
OUR MISSION
To challenge and move audiences by
creating productions of meaningful
works of theatre that are innovative,
entertaining and thought-provoking.
OUR HISTORY
Kick At The Dark Theatre was formed in 2015 as a company dedicated to presenting theatrical, socially-conscious performance in Halifax, NS. Our inaugural production of Morris Panych’s The Story of A Sinking Man, starring Andrew Chandler, went on to win the Atlantic Fringe Festival’s “Best Performer” award and the 2016 Robert Merritt Award for "Outstanding Production by a New or Emerging Company". The company continued its strong track record in 2016 with a remount of The Story of a Sinking Man, a production of Seminar by Theresa Rebeck (nominated for a Robert Merritt Award in 2017), and the creation of David Sedaris’ Uncomfortable Christmas, which was remounted in 2017. With the addition of Katerina Bakolias and Jamie Bradley as board members, Kick At The Dark Theatre became a co-operative, officially, in 2018.
Our work has continued, with staged readings of 'Til Death Do Us Part by Bakolias, and Before the Leaves Turn by Bradley, along with 2019 productions of Scoop by Julie Vandervoort, Giant Killer Shark: The Musical by Sam Sutherland (Fringe Hit), and Every Brilliant Thing by Duncan Macmillan with Jonny Donahoe (Merritt Award nominee).
Kick At The Dark continues to create opportunities for emerging, local artists and unheard voices through our play development partnerships and actor training initiatives.
Past Productions and Projects:
The Story of a Sinking Man by Morris Panych – September 2015, Remounted 2016
Merritt Award Winner - Outstanding Production by a New or Emerging Company
Atlantic Fringe Festival “Best” Award: Andrew Chandler
Seminar by Theresa Rebeck – May 2016
Nominated for a Merritt Award for Outstanding Production by a New or Emerging Company
David Sedaris’ Uncomfortable Christmas – December 2016, Remounted 2017 to sold-out houses
Named by Local Xpress one of top 10 theatre productions of 2016
'Til Death Do Us Part by Katerina Bakolias – May 2018
Two public readings presented at the Eastern Front Theatre 2018 Stages Festival
Kick At The Dark’s Summer Acting Bootcamp – summer 2018
An 8-week training camp for 8 actors, under the direction of Andrew Chandler
Before the Leaves Turn: A Remembrance Day Performance by Jamie Bradley – November 11, 2018
Presented at The Canadian Museum of Immigration at Pier 21
Scoop by Julie Vandervoort – May 2019
Presented at the Eastern Front Theatre 2019 Stages Festival
Giant Killer Shark: The Musical by Sam Sutherland – August - September 2019
Performed at the 2019 Halifax Fringe Festival
Winner of the "Fringe Hit" award
Every Brilliant Thing by Duncan Macmillan with Jonny Donahoe – November 2019
Performed at the Bus Stop Theatre
Nominated for Merritt Award - Outstanding Production by a New or Emerging Company
'Til Death Do Us Part by Katerina Bakolias – May 2022
World Premiere at Neptune Theatre's Scotiabank Stage
Recipient of the 2020 Neptune Open Stages Award
Andrew Chandler – Board Member
Andrew Chandler is the founding artistic director of Kick at the Dark Theatre, and has appeared on stages across Canada. In Nova Scotia, he has performed with Neptune Theatre, Two Planks and a Passion Theatre, Ship’s Company Theatre, Festival Antigonish, Shakespeare by the Sea, and a host of independent companies. His solo turns in Kick At The Dark’s productions of The Story of a Sinking Man and Every Brilliant Thing led each show to be nominated for Merritt Awards for Outstanding Production by a New or Emerging Company (with Sinking Man winning this award). As a director, he has directed each of Kick At The Dark Theatre’s productions from The Story of a Sinking Man to Giant Killer Shark, and was chosen for Neptune Theatre’s Chrysalis Project, where he assistant directed the smash hit pantomime Cinderella, and the striking contemporary drama Lo, or Dear Mr. Wells. He has co-written several shows, including Going Down with Ann Doyle, Stay At Home Dead with Ajar Theatre, and the musical So... What About Love? with Garry Williams and Amy Reitsma. He is currently the Artistic Director of Chester Playhouse.
Meet The team
Katerina Bakolias – Board Member
Katerina Bakolias is a queer, Greek-Canadian, award-winning actor, playwright, and screenwriter. She is currently working with industry professionals at the Whistler Film Festival Screenwriting Lab on her first feature film script, Salvage, and recently enjoyed the premiere of her first play, ’Til Death Do Us Part, on the Neptune Theatre Studio Stage in May 2022. Past productions include: Peter Pan (Neptune Theatre), Zomblet (The Villain’s Theatre), & Seminar (Kick at the Dark Theatre). Katerina was awarded the RBC Chrysalis Emerging Artist Award in 2020 by Neptune Theatre and Theatre Nova Scotia.
Jamie Bradley – Board member
Jamie Bradley is a native Haligonian, whose writing career includes CBC Radio/TV dramas and commentary, fringe festivals, and over thirty dinner theatre scripts. He’s written large productions such as Jamboree, the inaugural musical of Summerside’s Harbourfront Theatre; and Titanic: The Fated Voyage, which commemorated the centenary of the disaster.
Jamie’s First World War play, Before the Leaves Turn, toured N.B./N.S. in 2016 and had a public reading on the 100th Anniversary of the armistice on Remembrance Day, 2018; Pictou: Our Town, Our Stories was produced at the DeCoste Centre in 2017 and 2018; and Jukie & Her Dad premiered at the Saint John Theatre Company in June, 2018.
The world premiere of Jamie’s musical, KAMP was co-produced by Halifax’s Eastern Front Theatre and Neptune Theatre in autumn of 2018. It was nominated for ten Theatre Nova Scotia 2019 Robert Merritt Awards and won five, including Outstanding Production.
His newest musical, an historical farce entitled Parlour Tricks, created with composer Scott Owen, is a part of Eastern Front Theatre’s online 2020 STAGES: Behind the Curtain Series.
Stage acting credits include Great Harbour (Hogtown Collective); Seminar and David Sedaris’ Uncomfortable Christmas (Kick At The Dark Theatre); and Reader Be Thou Also Ready (Live Bait). Television acting credits include series, such as Forgive Me, Pure, Lizzie Borden, and as a puppeteer/voice artist on CBC-TV’s The Mighty Jungle and You and Me. Yes, Jamie was one of the original hosts of Street Cents.
Jamie is also an artist and designed the Kick At The Dark and KAMP wordmarks, and conceived the musical’s poster. As well, he designed and built the cardboard puppets for KATD’s Giant Killer Shark.