Chilliwack — One of the most widely produced and loved plays in Canadian theatre flies right into Chilliwack as ACE Productions brings the exciting adventures of Canada’s greatest pilot World War 1, Billy Bishop, to the Chilliwack Cultural Centre. On November 21, the Governor General’s Award-winning musical documenting the heroic exploits of the Canadian flying ace in Billy Bishop Goes to War will have you white-knuckling your way through this thrilling show.
From feats of daring down into the trenches, to flying up to the skies, through the halls of Buckingham Palace, to inside the human spirit, Billy Bishop Goes to War highlights the struggle of reconciling the ecstasy of flying with the horrors of war. Bishop was the number one Canadian flying ace of the First World War, and not only did he do extremely well, he also survived. Living came with all kinds of ironies, much more than dying in the war did.
Nearing the end of his life, an aged Bishop recounts the triumphs and horrors of World War 1, “the war to end all wars”. Through raucous stories, haunting memories, and vibrant song, Bishop traces his journey from Royal Military College troublemaker to the top flying ace of the British Empire. Officially credited with 72 victorious flying missions, Bishop’s missions made him the top Canadian ace in the First World War, and one of the few Canadian pilots to win the Victoria Cross for his daring early morning solo attack on a German Aerodrome. His story is a vibrant one and will keep the audience captivated from beginning to end.
This intimate and powerful story highlights the human cost of war on a scale the world had never seen before, and is an experience not to be missed!
Billy Bishop Goes to War is generously sponsored by: Prime Signs, Fortins Home Hardware, Aromatica Fine Teas, Fraserwest Law Group LLP, The Chilliwack Progress, the British Columbia Arts Council, the City of Chilliwack, the Province of British Columbia and the Department of Canadian Heritage.
Billy Bishop Goes to War is coming to the Chilliwack Cultural Centre on November 21, 2021, at 7:30 pm. Tickets are $35 for adults, $32 for seniors and $30 for youths, and can be purchased at the Centre Box Office, online at www.chilliwackculturalcentre.ca, or by calling 604-391-SHOW(7469).
