hapax theatre is a not-for-profit organization based in Victoria, BC. The company was formed in 2014 by Heather Jarvie and Chad Laidlaw and opened its first show, A Beautiful View by Daniel MacIvor, in March of that year.
hapax theatre respectfully acknowledges that we live, create, and perform on the traditional territories of the Lekwungen People, today known as the Songhees and Esquimalt Nations.
Heather Jarvie (she/her)
Artistic Director / Co-Founder
Heather has an extensive background in music, theatre, and dance and has been an avid contributor to the Victoria Theatre scene for many years. Selected highlights of her performance experiences include Hello, Dolly!, La Traviata, The Mystery of Edwin Drood, Nevermore, Children of Eden, The Crucible, Woyzeck, A Beautiful View, The Magic Flute, and Dog Sees God. Heather’s directing highlights include Harvey, Company, Nevermore (2019 Pick Of The Fringe Winner), The Boy In The Chrysalis (2018 Pick Of The Fringe Winner), A Beautiful View, In On It, Be Still, and the world-premiere of new Canadian play Castle On The Farm.
Heather was the Guest Producer of the 29th annual Victoria Fringe Festival and then immediately moved into the Artist-In-Residence position with Pacific Opera Victoria where she was the Assistant Director on Otello, Mary’s Wedding, The Barber of Seville, A Midsummer Night’s Dream, and La Voix Humaine. Leaving her residency at Pacific Opera Victoria, Heather became the Artist-In-Residence for the Icelandic Opera where she was the Assistant Director on the award-winning production of Eugene Onegin.
contact: heather@hapaxtheatre.com
Chad Laidlaw (he/him)
Production Manager / Co-Founder
Chad has been working in theatre and the performing arts since he was a child, first playing violin and trumpet before moving on to theatre as his primary artistic outlet, primarily as a stage manager, lighting designer, and sound designer. Selected design credits include 1959 Pink Thunderbird Convertible, A Party to Murder, Harvey, A Beautiful View, Escape From Happiness, 84, Charing Cross Road, Constellations, Company, Be Still.
Chad has previously been both a Front of House Manager and Venue Technician for the Victoria Fringe Festival. He previously was Box Office Manager for Langham Court Theatre, and Production Assistant at the Canadian College of Performing Arts.
Chad holds a BA in Linguistics (University of Victoria) and MA in Medieval Icelandic Studies (University of Iceland).
contact: chad@hapaxtheatre.com
Melissa Taylor (she/her)
Associate Artist
Melissa was born and raised in Lekwungen Territory (Victoria, B.C), where she currently resides and works as a playwright, actor and director. In Victoria, her work has been produced by Theatre SKAM’s SKAMpede, Impulse Theatre and hapax theatre. In Toronto, she has worked as an actor and a playwright with various professional and independent theatres, such as Hart House Theatre, New Market National Play Festival, Driftwood Theatre, and the False Claims Collective. She completed her MFA in Playwriting at the University of Victoria, with her thesis project being a one-woman show based off of Thomas Hardy’s Tess of the d’Urbervilles, told through a subverted and empowered female narrative.
contact: melissa@hapaxtheatre.com
hapax theatre 