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Yorkshire version of Dickens' classic
CHRISTMAS has come early to the Stephen Joseph Theatre with a little help from local school children.
A Yorkshire version of the Charles Dickens classic A Christmas Carol, adapted and directed by Chris Monks, opened at the theatre this week and will run until January 9 courtesy of the Stephen Joseph Theatre Company.
Ebenezer Scrooge cares for nothing and nobody. His only love is money. Then, one Christmas Eve, Scrooge is visited by three ghostly spirits, and he begins a life changing journey of redemption.
Chris Monks’ specially adapted version of this classic and much-loved story sees Scrooge as a Yorkshire man.
Chris said: “I’ve decided Scrooge grew up in Ryedale and went to London as a young man. I’d read that Dickens regularly visited friends in Malton and he based Scrooge’s counting house on a solicitor’s office in the town. This started me wondering what the story would be like if Scrooge was a Yorkshire man? What if Scrooge had become wealthy in London, but when he journeyed back into his past he found himself in a North Yorkshire landscape?”
A Christmas Carol stars Janine Birkett, Claude Close, Liam Gerrard, Maeve Larkin, Kraig Thornber and Keith Woodason.
The production will also feature 16 local children from across Scarborough working alongside the professional cast.
The children, who are all aged between 10 and 14 auditioned for the roles back in May before taking part in a Summer School working with a team of professionals including Chris Monks.
Chris said: “I wanted to involve young local performers in the show and so we’ve two talented teams of eight school students from across the Borough. Many of the characters in the tale are children or young adults such as Tiny Tim or Scrooge as a boy. Therefore I wanted to give an authentic feel by, for instance, having a fourteen year old apprentice Ebenezer arguing with a fourteen year old Belle about their futures, rather than two adults pretending to be adolescents. These young actors have got a tough job on their hands, but they’ll have the help of our professional cast and the creative team, and hopefully improve their acting, movement and singing skills while they’re with us.”
Tickets cost 12 for adults and 6 for children. A Family Ticket (2 adults, 2 children) costs 30. For further information or to book please call the Box Office on(01723) 370541.
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Weather for Driffield
Sunday 05 February 2012
Today
Sunny spells
Temperature: -1 C to 3 C
Wind Speed: 9 mph
Wind direction: West
Tomorrow
Cloudy
Temperature: 1 C to 7 C
Wind Speed: 12 mph
Wind direction: North
