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Century Church Theatre presents The Farndale Avenue Housing Estate Townswomen’s Guild Dramatic Society’s Production of A Christmas Carol

September 14, 2023   ·   0 Comments

By Constance Scrafield

Opening next Sunday, Sept. 10, as a matinee and running over the weekends to Sept. 24, “This is a very different kind of show,” came the assurance from Norman Stell, director of the play. 

He continued, “A show of another dramatic society putting on a show and not really getting it all right.”

Traditionally, a Townswomen Guild is another name for Women’s Institute, for this play is one of a series of Farndale Avenue plays, all coming from the Edinburgh Festival Fringe in Scotland and written by David McGillivray and Walter Zerlin Jr. 

Only one man has roles to play in this production of the Townswomen Guild production of A Christmas Carol, “and he’s been drafted,” we were told, “presumably to make up the numbers.”

This is really a play within a play, as the explanation, he commented but, “that doesn’t go the way others are expecting it to. It’s very funny and the opportunity the cast has for making it right calls for all sorts of humanist situations.” 

The ladies are playing all the parts. Each is playing three or four, while the one man is playing female as well as male roles.

“Every character in A Christmas Carol are going to be there,” Mr. Stell promised. “In act two, there’s one moment when we play charades with the audience.”

There are songs and, sing-alongs, lots of interaction with the audience. 

The show has some good laughs planned was the promise, not only at the ladies but perhaps at Charles Dickens himself.

Said Mr. Stell, “People should come and see if he actually does turn in his grave.”

The Farndale Avenue Housing Estate Townswomen’s Guild Dramatic Society’s Production of A Christmas Carol is on at Century Church Theatre over the weekends from Sept. 10 to 24. For tickets, call the Box Office 519-855-4586, and details are at www.centurychurchtheatre.com

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