Halifax • Staff • 2026-06-15
Set against the shadow of Toronto’s infamous 1981 bathhouse raids (known to police as Operation Soap) the play 333 tells the story of three fictional men who are caught up in them: Honey, an aging queen with secrets to hide, Darren, a closeted married man, and Eddy, a long-suffering bathhouse employee and recent immigrant to Canada.
Three men, three experiences, three reactions. What will happen to these individuals discovered in room 333 during one of the largest mass arrests in Canadian history? With sharp wit, theatrical designs, and an unapologetic queerness, 333 challenges audiences to reflect on how far we’ve come in Canada—and how far we still have to go.
Click the image for a full size poster.
Written by PEI-based theatre artist Jay Whitehead and directed by Halifax’s GaRRy Williams, 333 dives headfirst into themes of desire, secrecy, community, legacy, and the politics of public morality.
“Touring this piece feels especially meaningful right now,” says producer, writer, and actor Jay Whitehead. “It’s about reclaiming space, confronting history, and celebrating queer resilience in all its complexity.”
Bringing 333 to audiences across Atlantic Canada was been made possible through a combination of public funding, sponsorships, and grassroots community support. Alongside contributions from The Canada Council for the Arts, Innovation PEI, Heritage Canada, PEERS Alliance, The ArQuives, and Red Island Cider.
Earlier this year, the production launched an ambitious fundraising campaign that invited supporters to directly invest in queer storytelling and independent touring theatre. Donations arrived from across Atlantic Canada and throughout the country in amounts ranging from $5 to $1,000, allowing the team to move forward with the tour. Here's Wayves' article about the fundraiser.
The overwhelming response reflected a shared belief in the importance of supporting new Canadian theatre that speaks to queer history, resilience, and community—particularly at a moment when these stories continue to matter deeply both on and off stage.
333 features artistic contributions by an award-winning team of theatre makers including director GaRRy Williams, set and lighting design by New Brunswick’s Ian McFarlane, sound design by Aaron Collier, costume design by Diego Cavedon-Dias, fight direction by Dylan Brentwood, and stage management by PEI’s Oliver Chaffey. In addition to Whitehead in the role of Honey, the cast includes Halifax’ Diego Guerrero as Eddy, and Alberta’s John Tasker as Darren.
The show contains mature themes and full-frontal nudity.
Dates
- Charlottetown PEI: June 18-20
- Sackville NB: June 25
- Parrsboro NS: June 27 -- part of the Parrsboro Pride Theatre Festival - see the Wayves article here.
- Halifax NS: July 1 - 4
