“When I am overwhelmed with feeling, my body sort of convulses — like I’m getting kicked in the heart. It’s a form of release, an opening. That happened again and again while I was experiencing The Magic Hour and I’m grateful for it.”
Premiered on August 3, 2022
Created and Conceived by Kim Collier
Written by Kendra Fanconi
The Magic Hour is an immersive, walk-through, theatrical experience; a light-charged story of finding beauty in small moments and possibility within domestic isolation.
Created and conceived by award-winning theatre director Kim Collier with playwright Kendra Fanconi, the individual experience invites you to embark on a solo room-by-room exploration of familiar, yet-transformed spaces at Presentation House Theatre.
The destination of this curious and magical journey is a reflection on an unprecedented year – and a step forward into a brave new world.
Guided through scenes by rich audio, video, lighting and stagecraft, and created in collaboration with Vancouver’s Innovation Lighting and Presentation House Theatre, Kim describes the piece as “A lovesong for the possibility of change in even the most static of situations”.
The Magic Hour explores the routes of the imagination; the physical world meets the digital world, blending art, design, music and text in a multi-layer mixed-media feast for the senses.
“Take this in.
And take this time, for yourself.
That is what the theatre is for.
You are the audience, and you are allowed to be selfish.
Take it all for yourself, we invite you.”
– The Magic Hour by Kim Collier and Kendra Fanconi
Created in early 2021, and originally intended to premiere in late April, The Magic Hour was developed with the global pandemic in mind, both creatively and practically. After a year of cultural sacrifices, return to the theatre safely, and be enveloped by this electrical storm of a show. Timed individual entry slots and isolated rooms support public health measures, while also creating a personalized experience, unique for each person that walks-through. The Magic Hour is a show for you and made with you – just you, and only you.
While the show is specifically designed for an individual audience member, a tandem experience can be booked within your household bubble but may impact certain elements of the installation experience.
The Magic Hour would not have been possible without the generous production support of Arts Club Theatre Company, Great Northern Way Scene Shop, Studio 58/Langara College, Peter Baron, Rachel Ditor, Stan Douglas and the generosity of Electric Company Theatre’s individual donors. Thank you.
The Magic Hour is proudly presented by
Read The Magic Hour Programme here.
Or check out our QR code for The Magic Hour Programme:
Audience Advisory: HAZE EFFECTS, FLASHING LIGHTS, and COVID-19 related content. Audiences must be able to walk up and down MULTIPLE STAIRCASES and some rooms may be HOT or contain SCENT.
Accessibility Note: The Magic Hour is a walk-through event that includes three short flights of stairs. As such, it may not be accessible to individuals who use mobility devices. Audio and recorded spoken word feature heavily in the show and are not captioned within the experience. Visual elements are often not described. To discuss opportunities for access to the content, please contact sindy@electriccompanytheatre.com
The Magic Hour would not have been possible without the generous production support of:
Arts Club Theatre Company, Great Northern Way Scene Shop, Studio 58, Langara College, Greenthumb Theatre, Peter Baron, Rachel Ditor, Stan Douglas, and the generosity of Electric Company Theatre’s individual donors. Thank you.
“When I am overwhelmed with feeling, my body sort of convulses — like I’m getting kicked in the heart. It’s a form of release, an opening. That happened again and again while I was experiencing The Magic Hour and I’m grateful for it.”
"By the end of the show, I felt alert to surprise and possibility. I was enchanted and delighted. Which, I suppose, is what magic is."
"The Magic Hour is a time for thinking big."
“No matter how big your problems may seem, The Magic Hour takes the wide view, reminding just how marvellously puny we all are within the universe and how, just as a weed pushes through the cracks of a sidewalk, life always finds a way.”