WCT 2026/27 Season: Welcoming Artistic Director Kelli Fox

Western Canada Theatre (WCT), a professional theatre company based in Kamloops, British Columbia, has announced its 2026/27 season. This upcoming cycle marks the organization’s 51st season and represents the first full season under the leadership of Artistic Director Kelli Fox.

The 2026/27 programming includes a diverse range of productions, featuring musicals, plays, drama, and adaptations. The announced lineup includes Little Shop of Horrors, Where the Wild Things Are, Wake, Son of a Preacherman, Lion, Witch, Wardrobe, and Guilt. The season also incorporates Indigenous plays and Canadian plays, with contributions from artists such as Rachel Mutombo, Ins Choi, Diane Flacks, and Ernestine.

New Leadership and Strategic Vision

Kelli Fox was announced as the new artistic director in the summer of 2025 and assumed the role full-time in the fall of 2025, following a directing commitment in Toronto. She succeeded James MacDonald, who had left the position vacant the previous year.

Fox is a veteran of Canadian theatre with experience as both an actor and director. She studied at Studio 58 in Vancouver and previously worked with the Shaw Festival in Ontario under Artistic Director Christopher Newton. Her vision for WCT involves using Kamloops’ geographic position to bridge the regional theatre divide in Canada.

B.C. Often feels left out of the national conversation. But Kamloops is perfectly situated to connect east and west. I want to bring artists in from Alberta, further east, and also bring voices up from the Lower Mainland—to really get B.C. Engaged nationally.

Kelli Fox

The 2026/27 season follows WCT’s 50th anniversary celebration during the 2025/26 cycle. In a January 4, 2026, interview with Castanet Kamloops, Fox expressed positivity regarding the 2025/26 season, noting that while the reception of Women of the Fur Trade was not as strong as hoped, the production of Anne of Green Gables received great feedback.

Changes for the 2026/27 Season

While the company will maintain traditional events, Fox has indicated that the 2026/27 season will introduce noticeable differences. One specific development being considered is the creation of a mini-series of family-friendly shows to be staged at the Pavilion Theatre.

The company’s offerings for the 51st season span several formats and target audiences, including:

• Theatre for Young Audiences and family plays
• Solo shows
• Professional productions at the Sagebrush Theatre and Pavilion Theatre
• Theatre education initiatives

The organization continues to operate out of its box office located at 1025 Lorne Street in Kamloops, serving the Thompson-Nicola region of British Columbia.