Critics' picks: A Chorus of Disapproval; Laketown Shakedowns; Kaleidoscope Theatre's family festival

THEATRE

What: A Chorus of Disapproval
Where: Langham Court Theatre, 805 Langham Ct.
When: June 8 through June 23 Tickets: $17-$23 at langhamtheatre.ca, by phone at 250-384-2142 or in person at the theatre box office.
Why: Langham Court is closing out its 89th season with Alan Ayckbourn’s play within a play about a British amateur theatre company attempting to stage a version of The Beggar’s Opera — with disastrous results. With direction from Wendy Merk, A Chorus of Disapproval employs a large cast and sizable production team to tell the story of young widower Guy Jones (played here by Evan Roberts), whose many liaisons with his female castmates put both productions in jeopardy.

MUSIC

What: Laketown Shakedowns
Where: Laketown Ranch, 648-8811 Youbou Rd., Lake Cowichan
When: Friday and Saturday
Tickets: $15-$52.50 daily, $67 for a weekend pass
Why: The second of three Laketown Shakedowns coincides with the Cowichan Valley’s Lake Days celebration, a move that should give this outdoor camping and music festival an added kick. Situated on the sprawling Laketown Ranch property near Youbou, the two-day event features headliners Trooper and Deep Sea Gypsies, among others, with dancefloor flavours courtesy of local DJs Anger and Primitive. The third and final chapter of this inaugural series concludes Aug. 31-Sept. 2 with a lineup that includes The Funk Hunters, Shred Kelly and others.

THEATRE

What: Kaleidoscope Theatre’s Family Theatre Festival
Where: The Belfry Theatre, 1291 Gladstone Ave.
When: June 9 and 10, 11 a.m. to 5 p.m.
Tickets: $15 for adults and $10 for children, through tickets.belfry.bc.ca
Why: Kaleidoscope Theatre — the top company in the city for theatre geared at young audiences — enters its sixth year of producing the Family Theatre Festival with an expanded roster of events, including three days of programming over two weekends at a pair of locations. The festival gets underway this weekend with four performances at The Belfry Theatre, including the world première of Roderick Glanville’s When the Sun Crosses the Line. The event continues June 16 at the Belmont Secondary School Theatre (3041 Langford Lake Rd.) with another full day of programming, the first expansion of its kind for the popular festival.