DaPoPo Presents 333

Queer Canadian History Comes to Life On Stage in the Play 333 by Jay Whitehead

A bold, provocative, and hopeful theatrical experience hits the road

Following a reading tour in the winter of 2025, and after receiving support from The Canada Council for the Arts, Innovation PEI, PEERS Alliance, and many generous community members, 333 is set to tour across Atlantic Canada in collaboration with DaPoPo Theatre, bringing its electrifying blend of sex, scandal, and sensitivity to audiences throughout the Atlantic region of Canada.

The tour winds down with a 4-night run in Halifax at The Bus Stop Theatre opening on Canada Day and running through July 4.

Written by PEI-based theatre artist Jay Whitehead and directed by Halifax’ GaRRy Williams, 333 dives headfirst into themes of desire, secrecy, community, legacy, and the politics of public morality.

Set against the shadow of Toronto’s infamous bathhouse raids—known as Operation Soap—333 unfolds by telling the story of three fictional men who find themselves caught up in the 1981 raids: 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.

“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.”

Jay Whithead, Garry Williams, Oliver Chaffey, Jeffrey Bazett-Jones, John Tasker, Aaron Collier, Ian MacFarlane, and Diego Guerrero. (Not pictured: Fight Director Dylan Brentwood, Costume Designer Diego Cavedon Dias.)

The production 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 tour kicks off at The Arts Guild in Charlottetown June 18 - 20, then moves on for one-night-only showings in Sackville, NB (June 25) and at the Ship’s Company Theatre in Parrsboro, Nova Scotia (June 27). The tour winds down with a 4-night run in Halifax at The Bus Stop Theatre opening on Canada Day and running through July 4. Please note that the show contains mature themes and full-frontal nudity.

Tickets for all 4 venues can be found at the following link: https://linktr.ee/whiteheadjj

Media Contact: Jay Whitehead whiteheadjj@gmail.com

403-360-9840