1 December 2015
By Bryan T. Smyth
bryan@TheCork.ie
The greatest Christmas classic of all time, ‘A Christmas Carol’, comes to life this December in a sparkling production at the Cork Arts Theatre. Dickens’ tale of the power of the Christmas spirit to soften even the hardest of hearts has been adapted and directed by renowned Cork director, Marion Wyatt and will run from Tuesday 15th to Saturday 19th December.
With a cast of over 20 actors including children and adults, Marion has woven a lovely version of this Yuletide story that includes all of the unforgettable characters – the Cratchits, the Fezziwigs, the Spirits of Christmas Past, Present and Yet-to-Come – and, of course, the mean-spirited Scrooge himself.
Taking on the role of the miser who has a major change of heart is Eoin Hally, who has trod the boards of theatres in Cork for many years. Eoin described the role as, “one of those roles that every actor yearns to play at least once in his career” and stated, “This is a very special adaptation of ‘A Christmas Carol’ that will appeal to audiences of all ages”.
Marion said of the production, “We set out from the very start to re-create the Dickensian atmosphere as closely as possible for this production. It will hopefully transport audiences back to a simpler time to enjoy a truly traditional Christmas. The show obviously tells the tale of Scrooge’s redemption but also includes some beautiful choral singing of well-known Christmas carols. And we encourage everyone who attends to join in with the songs”.
The production has assembled a beautiful array of period costumes to further enhance the traditional atmosphere and has even commissioned some new musical pieces to make this a very memorable Christmas treat for all the family.
There are a variety of show times available to suit everyone with morning shows at 11am for schools, an early evening show on the Friday at 6pm, a matinee on the Saturday at 2.30pm and evening shows with complimentary mulled wine and mince pies at 8pm from Tuesday to Saturday. And there’s even a Christmas sing-along after the evening shows so that you can make a real night of it. The show runs for just over an hour so you still have time to fit in your Christmas shopping or get the little ones home to bed after an exciting time at the theatre!
The 8pm show on Saturday 19th is a Gala Performance with all of the proceeds going to support ‘Cork Penny Dinners’ so that you can have a wonderful night out and support a great cause at the same time.
Tickets for all shows are €12 for adults, €10 concessions, €5 for children (under 12) and there’s a group rate for adults of €10 per person for 10 or more people. The show is suitable for children 8 years of age and older.
The morning shows are sold out already and early booking is advised for all other times. Call the Cork Arts Theatre box office on 021 4505624 to book. Full details can be found on www.corkartstheatre.com
