Performance dates: Nov. 13–19, 2026
Performance location: Douglas College Studio Theatre (N4140), Douglas College, New Westminster Campus
The triumphs and tribulations of navigating relationships are explored over two millennia, from the Roman occupation of Britain in 79 AD to the 1990s, in Loveplay by Moira Buffini.
Directed by Thrasso Petras, Loveplay depicts 10 different sets of characters in 10 scenes as they negotiate intimacy, sex and desire throughout the last 2,000 years in England. The play showcases the vulnerable pursuit of relationships and their conclusions, from heartfelt romantic endings to coping with violent outcomes.
Although the times change, the experiences of the characters reflect the timeless need for intimate connection through similar feelings and actions repeated in various contexts.
“Customs change over time, but the negotiation of intimacy doesn’t change very much,” says Thrasso Petras, Director. “The play shows that regardless of how much time passes, we don’t seem to be learning from our past.”
The transactional nature of relationships is highlighted in different situations throughout the play, from the literal transactions that come with sex work to the subtle ways two lovers offer their deepest selves to each other. Each intimate exchange comes with high stakes: the characters all risk getting hurt in the hope of gaining affection.
“There is an inherent risk we take every time we put ourselves out there,” says Thrasso Petras, Director. “This play examines the act of engaging in relationships, and all the awkward, ugly, transactional and profound outcomes.”
The cast features James Atkin, Lily Cummings, Hans Rana, Aurora Rockey, Diego Marcelo Huamaní Raymundo and Reanna Vermar.
Presented by the departments of Theatre and Stagecraft & Event Technology, Loveplay opens Nov. 13 at 7:30pm at the New Westminster Campus’s Douglas College Studio Theatre. For tickets and more information, visit douglascollege.ca/arts-events.
Content warning: This production contains depiction and discussion of sexual assault, sexist language, profanity/strong language, simulated nudity, depictions of smoking and use of haze and flashing lights.
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Contact
Maryam Labani
Communications Advisor
labanimotlaghm@douglascollege.ca
About Douglas College
Douglas College is the largest college in B.C., combining the academic foundations of a university and the employer-ready skills of a college to graduate resilient global citizens who adapt, innovate and lead in a changing world.
Douglas College respectfully acknowledges that our campuses are located on the unceded traditional and ancestral lands of the Coast Salish Peoples, including the territories of the q̓íc̓əy̓ (Katzie), qʼʷa:n̓ƛʼən̓ (Kwantlen), kʷikʷəƛ̓əm (Kwikwetlem), xʷməθkʷəy̓əm (Musqueam), qiqéyt (Qayqayt), Skwxwú7mesh (Squamish), scəw̓aθən (Tsawwassen) and səlilwətaɬ (Tsleil-Waututh) Peoples.