Skip to content

“A wickedly sensuous world”

The Black Rider at Theatre Inconnu
31047397_web1_20221121-MMag-TheatreInconnu-Theatre_1

Theatre Inconnu is excited to announce this December’s holiday season offering of the musical The Black Rider: The Casting of the Magic Bullets, by Tom Waits and William S. Burroughs.

Eight years ago, Theatre Inconnu mounted the Tom Waits musical Alice. Since then, the company has been eager to bring the wonderfully eclectic music of this master back to Victoria once again. This time, Waits’ tunes are supported by the deliciously poetic script of the great beat poet William S. Burroughs. Theatre Network aptly describes The Black Rider as “a wickedly sensuous world where nothing is what it seems; the devil sings, the animals laugh…a bizarre and macabre musical.”

Working with local celebrated artists—musical director Brooke Maxwell, choreographer Sylvia Hosie and costume designer Linda MacNaughton—Theatre Inconnu’s artistic director Clayton Jevne will guide a cast of local talented performers (headed by Rosemary Jeffery, fresh off her hit sold-out solo show Lady Day) in bringing this fascinating work to local audiences.

The story is a timeless tale based upon the German folk tale Der Freischütz (also made into an opera by Carl Maria von Weber). A young man makes a pact with the dark side in order to secure his heart’s desire; and to do that, he must become a great hunter; and the fastest route to that goal, of course, is to obtain some very special bullets (well, you get the picture…). While not boasting seasonal merry jingle bells, Theatre Inconnu does guarantee an exciting musical and theatrical treat for mature audiences.

The Black Rider: The Casting of the Magic Bullets runs November 30 to December 18 at Paul Phillips Hall (1923 Fernwood Road). Learn more and purchase tickets ($10/$14) at

theatreinconnu.com.