“ONCE, IN A HOUSE ON EGYPT STREET, there lived a rabbit who was made almost entirely of china.” So begins The Miraculous Journey of Edward Tulane. That elegantly attired rabbit was a seventh birthday present to Abilene Tulane from her grandmother, Pellegrina. Every morning, Abilene, who is now ten, dresses Edward in one of his extraordinary handmade silk suits and hats and winds his gold pocket watch. She sits him at the dinner table each evening, and she tucks him into his own bed each night.
“I love you, Edward,” she tells him before going to sleep. Edward never says anything in response, even though Abilene half expects him to, since of course he cannot speak. Nor does he particularly feel anything in response, since most of his thoughts and feelings center on himself. He never ceases to be amazed at his own fineness, considering himself to be “an exceptional specimen”; he is not much interested in what people have to say, including the devoted Abilene.
On Abilene’s eleventh birthday, her parents tell her the family will soon sail to London on the Queen Mary. That night Pellegrina tells Abilene and Edward a bedtime story about the terrible fate of a princess who loved no one. Edward, who prefers not to think unpleasant thoughts, is unmoved.
On the deck of the ocean liner, Edward receives admiring attention from many of the other passengers. However, two young brothers grab Edward off his deck chair, strip him of his clothing, and begin to play catch with him. When Abilene tries desperately to stop them, Edward goes overboard, into the ocean.
So commences Edward Tulane’s odyssey, from the bottom of the sea to rescue by a kind fisherman, and through a succession of caretakers. Though yearning for his old life on Egypt Street, Edward begins to experience life, love, and loss.
Meet the Cast and Creative Team
Mark Hellman
The Man
Mark Hellman began his professional career in 1981 with Kaleidoscope’s Story Theatre Company, touring for 3 years from coast to coast and from the Yukon to the USA. Since then he has worked as an actor, puppeteer, musician, director, independent producer and educator while living in Montreal, Winnipeg, and Armstrong BC, returning to Victoria in 1998. Mark has worked with The Belfry (The Life Inside, Ethan Claymore, Tortoise Boy), Theatre SKAM (Smalltown: a Pickup Musical), and the Other Guys Theatre Co (Moodyville Tales, Good Timber, Flotsam & Jetsam), and his one-man show Pete Seeger’s The Incompleat Folksinger (originally produced by the Other Guys, 2015) continues to tour around BC and across Canada. He is delighted to come full circle with this opportunity to once again work for Kaleidoscope! markhellman.ca
Finn Letourneau
The Woman / Music Director
Finn is a musician and performing artist based out of Victoria, BC. She loves to weave music and theatre together, to create a magical realm! Previous credits include Luisa in Puente Theatre’s Fado, and Philoten in Pericles with GVSF. She is excited to take part in this wacky story!
Darian Ngai
The Musician
Darian Ngai is a recent graduate of the Company C Studio Ensemble program at the Canadian College of Performing Arts. This is his first Kaleidoscope production and couldn’t be more excited to share this story! Recent Credits Include: Cinderella (TUTS), Cabaret, Wintertime, The Old Curiosity Shop, Beauty and the Beast, Under Milkwood, Mary Poppins (CCPA).
Sarah Redmond
The Traveller
Sarah May Redmond is very happy to be a part of this miraculous journey! She began her own journey into a career in the theatre with Kaleidoscope 21 years ago, in Gulliver’s Travels. Since then she has worked with theatre companies all over BC, from the Arts Club and Bard on the Beach where she lives in Vancouver to the beloved Caravan Farm Theatre in Armstrong and Theatre NorthWest in her hometown of Prince George. She has toured the country with Kaleidoscope, Runaway Moon, Axis, Green Thumb, and shameless hussy productions.
Roderick Glanville
Director
Roderick is excited to be heading into year nine as artistic director for Kaleidoscope. He began his career working on the east coast of Canada with The Stephenville Festival and Mermaid Theatre. Over the years touring the country he was grateful for the opportunities to create with many fine artists and companies. Eventually he landed in Victoria where he met founding artistic director Elizabeth Gorrie and from that point his creative life remained on the west coast. Some favourite roles include Edgar for Bard on The Beach’s production of King Lear, Captain Hook, Mercutio, and Salieri in Amadeus for Kaleidoscope. Recent directing highlights include The Little Prince for Chemainus Theatre Festival and Pinocchio and When the Sun Crosses the Line for Kaleidoscope. He is very excited to be bringing miraculous story to our growing audiences of all ages.
Anthony Liam Kearns
Stage Manager
Anthony Liam Kearns is honoured to be part of Kaleidoscope’s production of The Miraculous Journey of Edward Tulane in the role of Stage Manager. Previous endeavours include playing with plastic in SLIME (The Only Animal), futzing with gizmos in tinkers (The Only Animal), playing tricks in Raven Meets the Monkey King (Axis), getting married in The Bollywood Wedding (South Asian Arts), riding The Number 14 (Axis), avoiding death in Killer Joe (ITSAZOO), and morphing into a human train for Munscha Mia (Carousel). Outside the theatre realm, Anthony (or Liam, as he is also called) particularly likes baking vegan delicacies, getting lost in second-hand bookstores, spending the entire day outdoors geocaching, and tending to his little patch of a garden with his partner.
Barbara Clerihue
Set Design
Following a career in the Navy, Barbara followed her passion for theatre and received a BFA in Theatre Design from the University of Victoria in 2017. In addition to her design work, she has stage and site-managed numerous productions in Victoria. Previous design credits include Born Yesterday (Blue Bridge), 9 to 5 (VOS), Les Liaisons Dangereuses, The Inspector, Wild Honey, Summer and Smoke (Phoenix), When the Sun Crosses the Line, Pinocchio, Peter Pan, The Secret Garden, The Little Prince, The Rocky Horror Show, Little Shop of Horrors, Munch-ercise, (Kaleidoscope) and A Murder is Announced, Twelve Pound Note, Separate Tables (St. Luke’s Players). Upcoming projects include set design for the VOS production of Rent and Langham’s 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee. Hugs to family and thanks to Matt for putting up with…everything!
Hannah Beth Stenberg
Costume Design
Hannah is a British-born creative graduating from the London College of Fashion in Womenswear Fashion Design in 2009. After graduating, she spent time working within the fashion industry in New York City before returning to London as Production Co-ordinator for designer, Markus Lupfer. She met and married her Canadian husband, Oliver and they moved to Montreal in 2012. There, Hannah continued working briefly within Fashion as well as co-founding with her husband and mother-in- law their handmade natural soaps and lifestyle company, Carriage 44. Hannah and her family moved to Victoria in Spring 2017 and started working alongside Kaleidoscope with costume design and wardrobe co-ordination. Shows include Pinocchio, When The Sun Crosses The Line and The Miraculous Journey of Edward Tulane.
Adam Wilkinson
Lighting Consultant
Adam is delighted to be collaborating with friends old and new on this journey of the heart. Adam’s work in theatre spans more than three decades, lighting for Kaleidoscope Theatre for Young People, Chemainus Theatre, Belfry Theatre, Touchstone Theatre, Great Canadian Theatre Company, Pacific Opera Victoria, Victoria Operatic Society, Canadian College of Performing Arts, and Ballet Victoria to name a few. Adam lives in Victoria and is grateful to be gainfully employed as Head of Lighting for the Royal and McPherson Theatres Society.
For The Miraculous Journey of Edward Tulane:
Director Roderick Glanville
Stage Manager Anthony Liam Kearns
Set Designer Barbara Clerihue
Head Carpenter Dan Costain
Production Manager George Scott
Costume Design Hannah Beth Stenberg
Puppet Designer Pamela Stringer
Music Director Finn Letourneau
Composer Kyle Sorrell
Running Crew Members of IATSE local 168
