Have you ever felt alone?

I have. Maybe on the road, away from family. Working long hours. Or the isolation of recent pandemics. But I’ve never experienced anything quite like what happened to my friend, Lance.

This is not fiction. This is the true story of Aquakultre (Lance Sampson), a Halifax musician and Polaris Prize-nominated artist who discovered the transformative impact of music and the power of his own voice, in prison.

Lance would sing through the vents, his voice carrying to the others in solitary confinement. They would call back, requesting songs, sometimes staying up all night, finding solace and connection in shared melodies.

This remarkable story is just one of the innovative and challenging theatrical experiences that the team at 2b theatre company are bringing to life.

We believe in the power of theatre to build community, exploring the complexity of the human experience, exploring the darkened corners, bringing connection and light.

With so much conflict, and with so many real challenges facing us, it sometimes feels hard to know where to begin. Sitting in a darkened theatre, audiences form community. Our shows build bridges. They challenge perspectives, and awaken our shared humanity. Artistically seasoned, and new audiences alike deserve experiences that push the boundaries of contemporary theatre aesthetics and share stories that matter.

2b is dedicated to creating, producing, and touring original work nationally and internationally. With a flexible development cycle that generally spans three to four years and includes multiple workshops, we commit substantial time and resources to the development of each project to allow the shows to achieve their highest artistic potential.

Spotlight on Our Groundbreaking Productions

Red Like Fruit by Hannah Moscovitch (Recently Premiered)

This new work, which premiered in Halifax this past April, interrogates the many contradictions and complexities of complicity, consent, patriarchy and traumatic memory in the post #MeToo era. It kicks off a national tour in Toronto, May 2025.

The Aquakultre Project (In Process)

This new Music-theatre creation tells the true story of Lance Sampson, and his great-great-grandfather Daniel P. Sampson – the last man to be hanged at the Halifax courthouse in 1935. It features original genre-bending music, spoken word poetry, and theatrical storytelling that creates a theatrical bridge between two prison cells, between two Sampsons – in 2013 and 1935 – two Black men singing through the vents and sharing stories across generations.

Old Stock: A Refugee Love Story (Currently Touring)

Our Klezmer-folk music-theatre hybrid is 2b’s biggest-ever touring hit, having been performed more than 400 times in 41 cities around the world, winning critical acclaim and awards the world-over. Old Stock has been invited to China in 2025.

These productions exemplify our commitment to being part of the evolution of contemporary theatre aesthetics and our role as an incubator, central to a thriving national theatre community.

Your support makes these innovative, challenging productions possible. Together with other community members, you can help us reach our $30,000 goal to sustain and grow this vital work.

Your Role: Be a Catalyst for Innovative Theatre

Your support is crucial in bringing these groundbreaking works to life and fostering the next wave of boundary-pushing theatre. Whether supporting an emerging artist, launching a new production, or bringing innovative shows to new audiences, your contribution stimulates the mind and awakens the spirit of our audiences across Canada and around the world.

This holiday season, your support ensures more transformative moments where theatre breaks through isolation and builds human connection.

As our thank you, you’ll receive exclusive access to the full version of Gallows Song from our upcoming show with Aquakultre – a musical testament to art’s ability to transcend walls and touch hearts. Preview our journey with Aquakultre below.

 

 

Please use the button below to make your gift online. Your support ensures these vital stories continue to touch hearts and minds across the globe.

 

 

Thank you for considering a gift. Your support fuels experiences that challenge, inspire, and connect us all. Your gift ensures powerful stories like Lance’s continue to touch hearts and minds across the globe.

 

With gratitude,

 

Christian Barry
artistic director

P.S. Your gift today helps ensure transformative stories can continue to break through isolation and build human connection – just like a song of hope echoing through the vents of solitary confinement.