Captain George Vancouver and British Columbia's first play

In June, 1790, in the midst of politically charged debates in Britain over the tiny trading port of Nootka Sound, on the west coast of what is now cal led Vancouver Island, a play opened in London that performed events both in the colony and at home--as the country prepared for war with Spain. In thi s article, I trace the historical and theatrical context of the staging of Nootka Sound; Or, Britain Prepar'd at the Theatre Royal, Covent Garden. Cre atively using the possible attendance of George Vancouver at the opening pe rformance. I consider attendance of George Vancouver at the opening perform ance, I consider the ambivalent role this production played in the hegemoni c operations of Empire in the late eighteenth century. Appearing centrally within the imperial dramatic apparatus, it nonetheless contained considerab le doubt and dissent, even anti-colonial assertion. In its direct engagemen t with both the locale and the politics of the west coast, I make a case fo r calling Nootka Sou nd: Or, Britain Prepar'd British Columbia's first play .