JAKE’S GIFT
Nov 11 – 17, 2019

by Marketing & Publicity Manager
Moving, poignant, exceptionally funny and timeless.” – Karen Jeffery, Sunset Theatre

Produced by Juno Productions

Multi-award-winning Jake’s Gift returns to Presentation House Theatre with a special Remembrance Day performance on Monday, November 11 at 2:00 pm.  Described by playwright, Julia Mackey as a “love letter of thanks to all our veterans”, this beloved Canadian drama continues at our theatre to Nov 17.

Surprisingly funny, Jake’s Gift tells the story of a Canadian World War II veteran’s reluctant return to Normandy, France, to find the grave of the brother who never came home. While visiting the shores of Juno Beach, Jake encounters Isabelle, a precocious 10-year-old from the local village. Isabelle’s inquisitive nature and charm challenge the old soldier to confront some long-ignored ghosts. At its heart, Jake’s Gift is about the legacy of remembrance personalizes the story behind one soldier’s grave.

Now in its 13th year of national and international touring, Jake’s Gift has appeared in more than 250 communities across Canada. International stop include the US, the UK and Normandy, France. In June 2019, Mackey and director Dirk van Stralen returned to Normandy with Jake’s Gift as part of the official 75th Anniversary of D-Day Festival. They performed in venues on Juno Beach, in the exact location where Canadian Troops landed on D-Day, June 6, 1944.

Written and performed by Julia Mackey

Directed by Dirk Van Stralen

“We’re thrilled to be back in North Vancouver throughout Remembrance Day week to honour our veterans, and the memory of all those young men and women who never got to come home,” says Mackey.

What they’re saying about Jake’s Gift:

Original photo by Julia Mackey. Graphic design by Dirk Van Stralen.

“It’s hard to say which is better – her script about a reluctant veteran’s return to Juno Beach or her twin performances as a 10-year-old girl and 80-year-old man – both of which, in 60 minutes, speak more to the heart about Canada’s role in WWII than would a six-hour NFB documentary.”

– John Threlfall, Monday Magazine, Victoria

“I am a veteran of the 2nd world war, and this play and its performance made a greater impact on me than all the memorial services I have ever attended.”
– Antony Holland, actor & founder of Studio 58, Vancouver

Important: Due to the intimate nature of this performance, latecomers will not be admitted. Please plan to arrive before your scheduled show time to avoid disappointment.

Generously sponsored by

Photo by Tim Matheson
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