Playwright and director Hal Theriault’s adaptation of Charles Dickens’ tale, A Christmas Carol, was a timely and traditional offering last weekend that rekindled the Christmas spirit for audiences, actors and crew.
Brian Isles’ exceptional portrayal as the inveterate miser Scrooge captured the audience’s attention, never relinquishing his hold until well after the final curtain.
“Brian was unbelievable as he had the audience eating out of his hand throughout the entire performance,” said Rupert Haley.
Isles said he strived to portray Scrooge as Dickens would have wanted it.
“To be believable, you have to capture the audience to bring out the magic,” Isles said.
Don Carter said he loved the play as the story is one of his favourites and being asked to take on the role of Bob Cratchet was a great honour.
“The play created a great Christmas memory for me because my two sons, Tyler and Stephen, were in it with me,” Carter said.
Holly Mount, who portrayed the Ghost of Christmas Past, said the production was a team effort and a learning experience for even the more seasoned actors.
Wardrobe committee members Nancy Conrad and Julia Moore said hearing the applause made their efforts worthwhile.
The commitment of actors and crew as they devoted many volunteer hours in preparation for the performances was nothing short of remarkable, said Paul Saulnier, chair of the Digby Area Theatre Society.
The crew was faced with a difficult and challenging job as they worked on the costumes, sets, lighting and sound to make sure everything ran smoothly, said director Theriault.
“With sound and lighting, it’s all about timing,” he said.
Theriault expressed his appreciation for the huge response from the enthusiastic audiences, saying it was not only gratifying but overwhelming as they got right into the play.
“The entire cast was remarkable as everyone worked hard to give our loyal audiences the best they had.”
“It was heart warming to see a full house in the theatre both nights—a wonderful way to kick off the Christmas season,” Saulnier said.
