Cambrian Players Debut 74th Season with A Christmas Carol

Story by Sidney Ulakovic, Photo by Thomas McDonald

Is the Christmas season really here until you hear Ebenezer Scrooge mutter “Bah humbug?” To debut their 74th season this winter, Cambrian Players has announced they will be performing A Christmas Carol: Every Man Has the Power to Do Good, an adaptation of the original Dickens story by Canadian playwright James Hutchinson. For director Thomas McDonald, the play will mark his third directorial credit with Cambrian. 

“This version really struck a chord, because it explores Scrooge’s relationships in a stronger way,” McDonald says, adding that audiences can expect a deeper exploration of Scrooge’s early life to better understand his motivations. 

The show will be performed by a cast of 25 actors; as of mid-October, the casting had yet to be revealed, aside from the lead role of Scrooge, which will be played by Gabe Ferrazzo. Ferrazzo has been involved with Cambrian in some capacity for over 50 years, whether building sets, acting, or directing. “It’s been incredibly enlightening for me,” says Ferrazzo of playing the lead role. He has played many iconic roles over the years, but says that Scrooge is the only character he has been able to lose himself in. “You reach a certain age where there’s more behind you than in front of you,” he says. “This is Scrooge at his most vulnerable, facing the things he’s done and realizing that he messed up his life and now he just wants some sort of redemption.”

While this adaptation expands on the play’s existing relationships, audiences can still expect to see a fairly traditional version of A Christmas Carol set in its customary time period and painted in Christmas colours. “The other great thing about this, aside from being a really interesting version of the story, is it allows us to do a multi-generational show,” McDonald says. “Our youngest performer is 11, all the way up to folks in their 70s.” McDonald and the cast look forward to the audience—children, seniors, and everyone who falls in between—being able to see themselves reflected in the characters onstage in this spin on a classic Christmas tale. 

A Christmas Carol opens on November 29 and runs until December 3, returning after a quick break to show once more from December 6 to 9. Tickets are available at cambrianplayers.eventbrite.ca. Proceeds from the “Pay What You May” showing on November 30 will go towards renovations to make Cambrian Theatre accessible for their 75th season.