Gruesome Playground Injuries: A dark comedy coming to South Surrey stage<\/p>\n
Published 11:30 am Thursday, June 18, 2026<\/p>\n
A darkly humorous and deeply human story about love, friendship and the connections that shape our lives is coming to South Surrey for four shows during the last week of June.<\/p>\n
Peninsula Productions is taking audiences through a series of vignettes with Gruesome Playground Injuries.<\/p>\n
Written by Rajiv Joseph, Gruesome Playground Injuries will be centre stage at Peninsula Productions\u2019 Black Box Theatre from June 25-28, marking a directorial debut for Harrison MacDonald.<\/p>\n
The play follows Doug, played by Jesse Irving, and Kayleen, played by Maddy Hillis, who first meet as eight-year-olds in a school nurse\u2019s office before audiences reconnect with them through a series of encounters spanning three decades.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe story is told through a series of vignettes that capture these two characters at different stages of their lives,\u201d explains MacDonald.<\/p>\n
While the title may sound intense, MacDonald says the production ultimately showcases a tender exploration of human connection.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe theme of unrequited love is very universal, very understood by everybody,\u201d he notes.<\/p>\n
MacDonald says that when he tells people who may not be as familiar with the original piece what the play is about, he explains it \u201cis a bit of an enemies-to-lovers story in a lot of respects, in the sense that the two characters in some ways start off at odds.\u201d<\/p>\n
MacDonald says the play was originally staged in 2009 and has developed into a favourite among emerging theatre artists due to its intimate two-person cast, minimal set and emotionally rich material.<\/p>\n
For MacDonald, who has primarily worked as an actor, directing the production offered an opportunity to step into a new creative role.<\/p>\n
He shares that rehearsals have been an intimate and collaborative process with Irving and Hillis, allowing the trio to work through the emotional beats of the play together.<\/p>\n
\u201cRehearsals have been going well and I\u2019m excited for audiences to see it because it\u2019s been a really lovely process to work with these two actors and I think the work that they\u2019ve put in is really going to register on stage,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n
MacDonald explained that working alongside Irving, a longtime friend, helped ease his transition into directing, while Hillis quickly proved to be a rewarding collaborator after being brought into the production by Irving.<\/p>\n
Beyond the show\u2019s humour and romance, MacDonald hopes audiences leave reflecting on the importance found in genuine human connection.<\/p>\n
\u201cI want audiences to be reminded of how delicate and scarce true connection can be between people,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n
\u201cI hope that people, when they watch it, they see a bit of themselves in these two characters and maybe have a pang of nostalgia at certain points. I hope people can find a way to identify with these two characters because we see them in such vulnerable states over the course of so many years and it really creates sort of a beautiful collage by the end of the show.\u201d<\/p>\n
MacDonald also praised Peninsula Productions and producer Janet Ellis for supporting professional-quality community theatre.<\/p>\n
\u201cPeninsula is offering space to a variety of people and putting on genuine, raw and captivating shows.\u201d<\/p>\n
Gruesome Playground Injuries runs June 25-28 at the Black Box Theatre in the South Surrey Recreation and Arts Centre. Evening performances are at 7 p.m. on Thursday and Friday, followed by 2 p.m. matinees on Saturday and Sunday.<\/p>\n