August 16, 2026    

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There’s an old saying that you should never judge a book by its cover. The Movie Star, written by James Barclay, takes that idea and gives it a very entertaining, and surprisingly moving, spin.

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At first glance, this is a comedy about a famous actor behaving badly. Cole Gray is a mega movie star whose drunken social-media post, run-ins with paparazzi and general inability to stay out of trouble threaten his dream of becoming the next James Bond. His manager, Josh Rightman, comes up with a rather unconventional solution: Cole needs to spend 500 hours doing community service at a homeless shelter run by Josh’s estranged sister, Grace.

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What follows is funny, occasionally outrageous and genuinely touching.

 

What grabbed me wasn’t just the comedy or the idea of a movie star behaving badly, it was the story underneath it all. It’s about people who have been labelled by their mistakes and the possibility of seeing something better in them.

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James Barclay gives us a great character in Movie Star Cole Gray, played with plenty of energy and humour by Barclay himself. Christi Arellano brings warmth and heart to Grace, while Andrew Kenny, Ashley Kim, Reid Anderson and Tom Kavadias each add something memorable as Josh, Lily, Seth and Eli.

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Directed by Tracy Labrosse, the production has a great balance of laughs and heartfelt moments. I found myself laughing one minute and deeply caring about these characters the next.

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This play is ultimately a reminder that people are usually more complicated than the labels we give them. A very enjoyable night at the theatre.

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- Vancouver Stage 

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The Movie Star is on stage at Waterfront Theatre on Granville Island until August 23rd, 2026.

Find tickets and info here

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