Launch Pad’s hilarious pine-beetle song is one of the highlights of SKAM’s Bike Ride

Credit: Darshan Stevens

Let’s Go Ride Bikes!

Bike Ride a journey into Victoria’s indie theatre scene

There are few things in this world better than good outdoor theatre in great weather—so a show where people ride bikes along the Galloping Goose trail to catch performances by nine different local theatre companies should be a sure-fire success, right? I’m happy to report that is indeed the case with Theatre SKAM’s latest initiative.

Bike Ride starts at Cecilia Ravine Park, which is on the Goose at Burnside Road. Folks can grab a ticket, decorate their bikes and, if the weather’s as warm and sunny as it was on Sunday, munch on a Freezie or drink lemonade. The park acts as a central hub for people to gather and then depart on one of three different tours that will take them to two or three 10-minute performances along the trail.

A group production like this is difficult to review, as everyone’s experience will be different depending on the shows they catch or even the tourmates they happen to have (we were lucky enough to have a group of people with fully decorated bikes, including a guy wearing a large tinfoil fish hat who had mounted a set of antlers to his bicycle) but it’s a safe bet that pretty much anyone would have a good time at Bike Ride. Although I enjoyed all seven of the mini-plays we saw, highlights included Launch Pad’s hilarious pine beetle song (complete with visual aids), SNAFU Dance Theatre’s bizarre infomercial-style performance and Fifth and Rose’s Canoe du Soleil. All companies used their venues quite well, whether they be a trail overpass, a quiet spot next to a creek or a deck overlooking the gorge.

While the tours only last about 30 minutes or so, I’d recommend budgeting about three hours in total if you want to catch all of the shows. The long-range forecast says this weekend will be just as sun-filled as the last, so make plans to hop on your bike (or rent one by donation at the venue) and check out some quirky offerings from Victoria’s theatre community—not to mention one of the city’s crown jewels of outdoor recreation.

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Bike Ride
5:30-8:30pm Friday, May 29
3:30-8:30pm Sat.-Sun., May 30-31
Cecilia Ravine Park,  475 Burnside Road East
Tickets $15 • 250-FUN-SKAM                   
skam.ca