Saddle up this October as Victoria’s top alternative theatre company brings Williams Lake the new play, Cariboo Buckaroo.
Victoria writer-actor Matthew Payne and his Theatre SKAM troupe will hit Williams Lake on Saturday, Oct. 15 and Sunday, Oct. 16 during a month-long ride through B.C.’s Central Interior. Written and performed by Payne, the show follows the trail of an 1860s cattle drive as it makes its way north to the goldfields. En route the vaqueros driving this beef train encounter plenty of hardship, a little magic and surprise, and plenty of beans. Payne, a graduate of Quesnel Secondary School, is SKAM’s artistic producer, writer and performer.
“I took a look at the Cariboo-Chilcotin history I was never taught and found some of the most exciting stories you’ll ever hear,” Payne says.
SKAM developed the piece in the summer of 2009, making stops at community halls, First Nations historical sites, and private guest ranches throughout the Interior. The company’s managing producer Allison Bottomley explains: “We’re very excited about expanding the touring of this show. Being able to share the play with the smaller communities of B.C.’s Central Interior has been on our wish list since we first created the show two summers ago.”
Cariboo Buckaroo will run at the Williams Lake Studio Theatre for three performances: Saturday, Oct. 15 at 7 p.m. and on Sunday, Oct. 16 at 2 and 7 p.m. Tickets, available at the door, are $15 for adults and $5 for children eight to 14.