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PREVIEW
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CAT promises holiday cheer with next show
11/05/08
BY MARK WEBER
Red Deer Express
It could very well be the longest-titled dinner theatre production Central Alberta Theatre has ever staged.
But it certainly promises plenty of laughs and holiday fun.
The Farndale Avenue Housing Estate Townswomen’s Guild Dramatic Society’s Production of a Christmas Carol opens Nov. 14 at the Black Knight Inn.
Dinner is at 6 p.m. with curtain at 8 p.m.
“It’s all comedy with moments of extreme silliness,” says director Sue Humphrey, who has been part of the CAT family for several years but hasn’t directed a dinner theatre until now.
As to the story, the Society ladies are gearing up for the opening night of the classic Charles Dickens Christmas tale.
They’ve set up a stage in their English village community hall, typed up their own scripts and made a few homey touches.
Mrs. Reece (Vicki Dykes) tries to keep the audience occupied while waiting for the rest of the cast, who happen to be stuck in traffic.
Then there’s the bad tempered prima donna Thelma (Caryl Deans), the eager beginner Felicity (Nicole Leal-Deacon) and Mercedes (Lorraine Stuart) who can hardly move thanks to a supermarket accident involving 27 shopping carts and a tin of corned beef.
But the women and their stage manager Gordon (Jay Chahley) push forward, each tackling several of the roles in A Christmas Carol.
Alas, everything that could go wrong pretty much does.
Actors deliver lines in the wrong order, hit the stage either in wrong character or costume, set pieces collide, props fly about – you name it.
“They are trying to do the play, but their own personalities keep popping out.
“The play is quite simple, but it’s all about timing,” she also explains of the story, which was written by David McGillvray and Walter Zerlin Jr.
“We also have a fantastic cast who have really thrown themselves into this.”
That includes tackling the English accent for members of the cast who aren’t British.
Ultimately, it’s been a delightful experience and Humphrey is confident audiences will find much to enjoy as the story unfolds, reflecting the charms of subtle British humour.
“I enjoy first reading a play and visualizing it, and getting a concept for it. Then sharing it with the actors – it’s all fascinating to me.”
The Farndale Avenue Housing Estate Townswomen’s Guild Dramatic Society’s Production of a Christmas Carol runs through Dec. 14.
For tickets, call 403-755-6626 or visit www.bkticketcentre.ca.
Next up for CAT’s dinner theatre series is And the Lights Went Out which opens Jan. 9.
mweber@reddeer.greatwest.ca 403-309-5459
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