(This article is sponsored byBard on the Beach.)

Bard on the Beach’s carnival Twelfth Night is only in town for three more weeks!

Set in a topsy-turvy carnival world where “music is the food of love,” director Diana Donnelly’s Twelfth Night is a playful and daring celebration of love, laughter, and self-discovery, with original music by acclaimed Vancouver singer-songwriter Veda Hille.

Hille’s signature folk/punk compositions are the backdrop to Shakespeare’s classic comedy, which follows Viola, a young woman who washes ashore off the coast of Illyria after a shipwreck. Separated from her twin brother Sebastian and believing him to be dead, Viola disguises herself as a young man named Cesario to find work with the Duke Orsino. Orsino sends Cesario to woo the beautiful Countess Olivia on his behalf. Instead, Olivia falls in love with Cesario—and Viola is in love with Orsino! What ensues is a whimsical and heartfelt story of mistaken identity, unexpected love, and hilarious hijinks.

“Twelfth Night remains interesting because it doesn’t tell us who to be or how to love. It just dares us to love,” says Donnelly. “It reminds us to put down our phones, laugh at each other’s dumb jokes, and love each other wildly. Because this moment is all we have.”

Twelfth Night runs to September 21, 2024 on the BMO Mainstage in Sen̓áḵw/Vanier Park. Tickets and information can be found at bardonthebeach.org.