A Christmas Carol delight
Drama group ensures festive spirit is alive and well with a classic
Months of hard work and preparation, rehearsals, costume fittings and set designing culminated in a five-day run of the Blairgowrie Players’ production of A Christmas Carol in Blairgowrie Town Hall last week.
Hundreds of people of all ages enjoyed the show.
Written by Nick Moore, the production included all the traditional ingredients of a panto - corny jokes, audience participation, dances, songs, local references and slapstick courtesy of Clara and Bob Cratchit — and there was no humbug in the hall at the end of the night, just a heart-warming, feel-good ending to a salutory tale warning of the perils of worshipping money.
“There is nothing in the world so irresistibly contagious as laughter and good humour” wrote Charles Dickens in his classic festive tale, A Christmas Carol.
And the Blairgowrie Players reminded audiences in the Town Hall of this last week with their entertaining panto production of the story.
Producers of the show had promised there would be laughs and they certainly delivered as months of hard work and preparation, rehearsals, costume fittings and set designing culminated in a fiveday run of the show which was seen by hundreds of people of all ages in the area.
Written by Nick Moore, the production included all the traditional ingredients of a panto - corny jokes, audience participation, dances, songs, local references and slapstick courtesy of Clara and Bob Cratchit - and there was no humbug in the hall at the end of the night, just a heart-warming, feel-good ending to a salutory tale warning of the perils of worshipping money.
The cast of 30, including many youngsters and a number of newcomers to the Players, all did well, with some stand-out performances from Shaun Topen-Cooper as Clara Cratchit and Eilidh Duncan as Tiny Tim in particular and of course Graham Reid as Ebenezer Scrooge himself.
The costumes and sets were colourful and the music lively and entertaining with everything from Abba’s Money Money Money and Food Glorious Food from Oliver! to Yes Sir, I Can Boogie and Scroogie Love - everything you need to cheer you up on a dreary winter’s night.
Chairman of the Blairgowrie Players Graham Reid, thanked everyone involved in producing A Christmas Carol.
He said: “Pam Howat, or director, has had her work cut out for her organising all the different elements that go to make up our annual panto but as usual there's an army of willing helpers who appear like magic to ensure a successful show.
“I would like to say a big thank you to them and to all our sponsors and advertisers who have helped with this production.
“I hope that all the members of the cast who have joined us for the first - and hopefully not the last - time enjoyed themselves.
“And on behalf of the Players I would like to wish everyone a very happy Christmas and a peaceful new year.”
The Players will next be in action in February in the Scottish Community Drama Association Festival of One Act Plays.
CAST LIST
Ebenezer Scrooge - Graham Reid; Bob Cratchit - Robert Oakes, Mrs Clara Cratchit - Shaun Topen-Cooper, Tiny Tim - Eilidh Duncan, Ghost of Christmas Past - Morag Cameron, Ghost of Christmas Present - Jaime Kettles, Ghost of Christmas Future - Josy Carnegie, Scrooge’s nephew Fred - Abbie Carr, Delivery man - Cieran Low, Mrs Pride - Pam Mackenzie, Mrs Joy - Lesley Fernando, Ghost of Jacob Marley - Maureen Gilchrist, Jack Cratchit - Jake Hilditch, Lizzie Cratchit - Sophie Hilditch, Abby Cratchit - Elyssa Stewart, Ana Cratchit - Eva Wilson, Scrooge’s school friend David - Ramsay Gregor-Jenney, Scrooge’s school friend Elliot - Logan Pillinger, Young Scrooge Morag Taylor, Younger Scrooge - Ryan Donnelly, Scrooge’s sister Fran - Lauren Blair-Morrison, Thomas Cieran Low, Charlotte - Karys-Tina McHattie, the Scroogettes - Gill Oakes, Ruth Reid and Kay McNab, Miss Money 1862 - Morag Taylor, Miss Money 1864 - KarysTina McHattie, Edith - Toni Stewart