Secret Ingredients

About this event

Richmond artist Keely Rois O’Brien created Secret Ingredients, a theatrical cake tasting at Gateway Theatre that explores the quirks, nuances, joy and heartache of human relationships. The public can submit difficult messages they cannot say aloud through an online form; O’Brien turns one submission into a subversive cake, translating embarrassment into dark chocolate, annoyance into citrus and grief into tart cherry.

Performances are at 7:30 pm on Wednesday, October 14; Thursday, October 15; and Friday, October 16, and at 1:30 pm on Saturday, October 17, 2026. General admission is $35.

Gateway Theatre lists the October 17 performance at 1:30 p.m. in Studio B, with an approximate 70-minute run time and a recommended age of 13+. This performance is sold out; join the organizer’s waitlist for any opening.

The show runs approximately 70 minutes without an intermission. Eating the cake is optional. Cakes are vegan but may contain nuts, gluten or traces of dairy/eggs; takeaway is available for people keeping masks on. Pre-show audio information is available for blind and partially sighted visitors. There are 50 seats per performance. Student/arts-worker rush tickets are $25 on the performance day by phone or at the door with qualifying proof. Access2 and Richmond Access Card holders can bring a companion free with a paid ticket; groups of10+ can ask for a discount. Public cake-delivery requests are limited to Richmond addresses and may exceed availability. Student rush tickets require valid secondary or post-secondary student ID. Arts-worker rush tickets require prior acceptance into Gateway’s Arts Worker Program. The production mentions a parent’s life-threatening illness and psychiatric hospitalization. It was developed through Theatre Replacement’s COLLIDER residency with Canada Council for the Arts support. Performance-day dining-partner savings of 10–15% may apply to food and non-alcoholic drinks. Enquiries: 604-270-1812.