Oak Bay High drama students donned their petticoats and breeches in preparation to perform A Christmas Carol at the Dave Dunnet Community Theatre this week.
For the second year, students will perform the classic Charles Dickens story of Ebenezer Scrooge’s journey through the past, present and future at Christmas time – journeying to find the Christmas spirit he had lost long ago.
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Drama teacher Tim Bradshaw said last year’s performance was a smash success.
“We didn’t plan on doing [A Christmas Carol] a second year in a row, but it was very successful and our principal was so pleased with it she said, ‘you simply have to do it again.’”
But Oak Bay students – both theatrically and musically talented – put their own twist on the classic Yuletide story, singing and performing new music, including a fiddle duel and a song for audience participation.
“It’s been a little revamped,” Bradshaw said. “It’s got some original music written by a University of Victoria composition student. It’s got our kids performing these pieces live on stage – no canned music.”
Bradshaw said students have been rehearsing two to three times a week leading up to the official performances.
“It’s quite a large production. It’s tough to do a classic well, but here at Oak Bay we try to do everything as professionally as possible.”
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A Christmas Carol is on stage at the Dave Dunnet theatre, at Oak Bay High, on Dec. 18 and Dec. 19, with doors opening at 6:30 p.m. and the show starting at 7 p.m. Tickets can be purchased at the door or online at oakbay.sd61.bc.ca. Student tickets cost $2, adults get in for $5.
nina.grossman@blackpress.ca
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