Ferkins3264128
a wonderful show and a great theater. the vvp offers summers shows we will definitely be scheduling for next summer.
U400NYbobs
Very pretty small theatre (holds 400). We have attended this Christmas show 7 years in a row, mainly at Stratford Festival Theatre and once in Sarnia. It's a favourite holday show of ours. The Victoria Playhouse is quite intimate with orchestra and balcony seatings. The set was festively decorated and the show was wonderful. The one drawback of the theatre is the relatively small stage area which limits movement of the performers. Acoustics and lighting are very good.
LynD803
Be sure to get tickets now for Starbright 2014. D2's summer offerings were great and their Christmas extravaganza is always wonderful. I do agree with NamutKwu that the washroom issue is annoying but a small price to pay for excellent theatre at an excellent price. We have paid much more for tickets in Toronto and enjoyed the experience less. As a Petrolian, I am very proud of the rebuilt theatre, housed in the same place as our Town Hall. The 1989 fire devastated the building but it is like the phoenix - risen from ashes to great beauty. Add the enthusiasm and expertise of David Hogan and David Rogers and magic happens every time the curtain goes up.
BluePointer
Victoria Playhouse has just taken its final bow on their summer series called "Bursting with Laughter and Song" with the production of 'Broadway Heroes'. This is professional theatre at its best! We always take in a few shows each summer -sometimes all of them! - and some of the other offerings throughout the year. The venue cannot be better than the Victoria Playhouse, a 400-seat, intimate theatre setting where every seat is a good seat.We always feel welcome when we go there, as staff greet and direct you as needed. The usual entry stairs were blocked off this summer, and the ramp was used, so great accessibility for everyone. Refreshments are available during intermission, including alcohol, or there is self-serve coffee for a dollar. The large reception area has been refurbished, so everything is bright and comfortable.The artistic directors have noted that this has been their most successful season for the last number of years. No wonder! Great choice of shows, and by the theme of this years' package, it means we want to go to the theatre to laugh and sing! Tickets are so easy to get, over the phone or online. And we receive them by mail before we know it! Tickets to the theatre are our favourite Christmas present from the kids. Plus, it usually gives us an excuse to visit with family for a lunch and the theatre outing.
NamutKwu
This is a Theatre located in a restored (after a dreadful fire) old community opera house. One downside, it has a lot of stairs to climb to the theatre rom the lobby and the washrooms are down in basement along with local municipal offices. Like many smaller theatres this one relies heavily on bus tour traffic and apparently bus tour folks like musicals about Patsy Kline and Elvis and so forth. This need to draw bus tours means that in terms of real performances, there seem to be fewer each year. We attended two plays in Summer 2014 both extremely funny and both brilliantly acted. So it is a lovely venue with some fine performances and an enormous number of stairs to climb to get anywhere. Oh, there is a very busy elevator but many struggle the stairs to the washrooms as the elevator is punishingly slow. Last performance we attended the astounding cast appeared in the lobby all sweaty and exhausted but--a brilliant idea! Cheers to hard working casts.
LAtraveler36542
This playhouse produces excellent and enjoyable programs. Every seat in the house is a good one. I love their productions and have been entertained by them all.
DiscerningAdvisor
Summer means visits to the Victoria Playhouse for performances. The theatre is a valued local cultural institution that delivers a range of entertainment to a packed and appreciative house. Victorian charm in the heart of an old oil town!
Traveller155021
Have wanted to attend for a couple years now and regret not doing so earlier. The musical "Canada Sings" included 12 fantastic multi-talented singers and musicians. Playhouse centrally located in beautiful town with many restored Victorian era buildings. Local art fair on grounds of playhouse too. Wheelchair ramps, elevator inside to second floor but not to balcony area. Is not a drawback though. Very intimate setting as you are not far from the stage area in any seat. Staff are fantastic too! Wife fell on bottom stair, staff rushed in with ice packs, wheelchair and never left her side. Exchanged our seats so we could have an aisle seat for her raised ankle and ice pack. David Hogan and Laurissa Ellsworth as well as Megan and all volunteer staff checked with us many times. BTW, not a bad seat in the house. Will definitely return and recommend.
K9111CNlindac
A friend and I went to see the Beatles. Lots of friendly volunteers, even an elevator man to take us up to the second floor. Very clean, nice atmosphere and the Beatles had us rockin on in the aisles. A lovely place, with great entertainment.
121mikek
On a warm Friday evening, we sit comfortably in Petrolia’s attractive Victoria Hall, enjoying Neil Simon’s popular play, The Odd Couple. It's a classic Simon play, well performed and received by the audience. This is a Canadian National Historic Site, originally a fire hall, municipal office, police hall, jail and opera house, completed in 1889 for $35 000, designed in the Queen Anne style by Ontario's foremost architect, George Durand. There are photo albums and oil memorabilia inside. Stained glass windows in the entrance are by celebrated artist Christopher Wallis, commissioned to mark the 150th anniversary of Fairbank Oil in 2011. And from this cursory evening’s glance of “Canada's Victorian Oil Town,” we are inspired to visit again Saturday. Saturday morning, we employ a walking tour brochure obtained in Victoria Hall. We ease through Victoria Park, originally purchased by John H. Fairbank for $8,200 and later sold for the same amount to the town fathers to be used as a market square. We saunter along Petrolia Line, the main street of this town of 5,500 checking out quaint shops and museums.We thoroughly enjoyed the town & its theatre.
WayneH28
Just attended the 'Starbright Christmas' musical Nov.29-13 and previously the 'Hollywood Sings' musical and both were excellent with several of the same awesome singers. Very professional productions and entertainers. Friendly staff & many are volunteers who are rightly proud of this gem.
132MichelleC132
I have been to the playhouse several times. Like any theatre, some of the shows are wonderful some are less than. However, the venue is lovely and the staff, both volunteer and paid are remarkable. I would recommend an excursion there anytime.
417tracyw
We come here to see the shows in the summer. We always sit in the front row in the balcony. We like the birds eye view on the stage. The place is really clean and classy. The building is beautiful and most of the shows are so much fun to watch. Get the odd show that we are not impressed with but you can't like them all. I'm thankful to have such a nice playhouse right here in my own town. It's exciting when you get a popular celebrity coming here. We come here often.
terrsall
This small town in southern Ontario has a lot going in it's favor. A rich oil history, very nice people and a great playhouse! The playhouse is the big draw and for good reason,it's located in a beautiful old building with new seating and a great lineup of plays,plus excellent actor's and actresses. We saw "The Odd Couple" and it was well done,very professional. You can tell the people who work there love what they do and it shows. In talking to some of the town people we felt their sense of pride in the playhouse and the city. We live about four hours away but we will not hesitate to come back to this wonderful playhouse in Petrolia!.
BridgetD710
We have just come home from seeing a comedy at the Victoria Playhouse in Petrolia. It was a well known Neil Simon classic "The Odd Couple",When one thinks of a small town theatre one also thinks of semi-amatuer of not amatuer performers and performances.The tone and quality of the actors and the professionalism of supporting members was superb.We were struck by how well everything was done and one thing really caught our attention and that was the set changes, new. inovative and fun.We really enjoyed out day and especially the play put on by a wonderful company. We will be returning many times I am sure.