Dickens' A Christmas Carol

BY CHARLES DICKENS ADAPTED FOR THE STAGE AND DIRECTED BY JEREMY WEBB

NEW EXHIBITION!

November 5, 2022 to January 29, 2023

The Canadiam Museum of Immigration at Pier 21 is pleased to host

This lively exhibition at the Canadian Museum of Immigration at Pier 21 helps children discover the importance and diversity of celebrations in Canada.

Kids Celebrate! invites children ages 5 to 12 to learn about the many celebrations practiced in their own communities and beyond.

A travelling exhibition developed by the Canadian Museum of History.

To advertise in Neptune Theatre house programs, contact: Leslie MacDonald 902-429-7300 Ext. 249 lmacdonald@neptunetheatre.com

@NeptuneTheatre

Neptune Theatre is located on sacred land that has been the site of human activity since time immemorial. We are in Mi’kma’ki, the ancestral and unceded territory of the Mi’kmaq People, and we acknowledge them as the past, present and future caretakers of this land.

As artists, we are grateful to work and build community here. As stewards of culture, we commit to continuing to improve our relations with Indigenous people and upholding values of collaboration and inclusivity in all that we do.

We strongly recommend that masks be worn in our venues. As our theatres place the audience so close to the action on stage, masking helps protect not only audience members but also the actors, who cannot wear masks when performing. By keeping them safe, we all can help prevent COVID-related performance cancellations.

Any videotaping or other video or audio recording of this production is strictly prohibited. The use of cameras, cellular phones, paging devices and all other recording devices is strictly prohibited in the theatre. Please ensure all cellular phones and watch alarms are turned off. Neptune Theatre is a scent-free environment.

Neptune Theatre is a member of the Professional Association of Canadian Theatres and engages, under the terms of the Canadian Theatre Agreement, professional Artists who are members of Canadian Actors’ Equity Association. Neptune Theatre engages professional technicians represented by IATSE Local 680.

Neptune Theatre acknowledges the support of our government partners:

By Charles Dickens

Featuring Rhys Bevan-John and Simon Henderson

Adapted for the stage and directed by Jeremy Webb

Please note: this show contains fog, haze, and flashing lights. This show is approximately 90 minutes, including an intermission.

CAST

CREATIVE

Rhys Bevan-John Actor Simon Henderson Puppeteer

Jeremy Webb Director/Writer Scott Macmillan Composer Jessica Lewis Stage Manager/Lighting Designer

A MESSAGE FROM NEPTUNE THEATRE

There is no doubt that we have been through a few years unlike any other. Thank you for joining us and sticking with us.

Despite the challenges presented by the global pandemic, we find ourselves back, doing what we love: presenting live theatre. Jeremy Webb’s adaptation of Dickens’ A Christmas Carol is a holiday tradition for many, and we are hap py to be able to stage this production for its 19th year, alongside the much anticipated ELF - The Musical on the Fountain Hall stage

As we diligently work to rebuild the theatre, community support is critical; without it, we could not attempt to mount our season of theatre or plan for the future. Our goal is to continue to contribute to the vibrancy and wellbeing of our city, the arts community, and the province for many years to come. A sincere thank you to the many patrons who have supported Neptune this past year. There is still time to donate to Neptune theatre before the end of the tax year. You can donate online at neptunetheatre.com/donate or call 902-429-7070.

On behalf of Neptune’s Board of Directors and the theatre’s hundreds of employees: artists, directors, designers, production workers, front of house, box office, and administration staff, thank you for coming to the show. Your support means a lot to us.

There are still a number of shows left in our 60th Anniversary Season and the gift of live theatre is a wonderful holiday surprise! Tickets for a loved one to the epic Fall On Your Knees, the joyous Billy Elliot The Musical, the gripping Ballad of The Motherland and the richly comic In Lieu Of Flowers will make a great gift. Details can be found at neptunetheatre.com

As we leave 2022 behind us, we send the best of wishes to you and yours and a happy and healthy 2023.

Jeremy Webb’s adaptation is once again brought lovingly to life with this hilarious and haunted holiday experience. It’s a memorable story about the true spirit of Christmas. Whether read aloud with family and friends or in sol itude on a chill winter evening to savour the story, Dickens’ A Christmas Carol is a very special holiday experience. Take a break from the holiday rush and settle in for this dramatic telling of this holiday classic. Often hilarious, some times spooky; Dickens’ A Christmas Carol has been recreated for the whole family.

This show is a longstanding holiday tradition on the theatre scene in Halifax since premiering in 2003. It has also been toured across the province and into the United States to critical acclaim.

Webb originally starred in the production, playing the more than 20 roles with Rhys Bevan-John as the puppeteer. In 2015, Bevan-John stepped into the spotlight to play the beloved characters of Ebenezer Scrooge, Tiny Tim, Bob Cratchit, and the Ghosts of Christmas Past, Present, and Future. Also featuring Simon Henderson as the puppeteer and Jessica Lewis as the lighting design er and stage manager, this is a Neptune holiday classic for the whole family!

RHYS BEVAN-JOHN

Role: Actor Other: Rhys Bevan-John is an awardwinning actor and writer who proudly hails from Dartmouth. He trained at the Neptune Theatre School and has worked in the theatre for over 25 years. He has performed at the Edinburgh Fringe Festival, toured much of the world with Mermaid Theatre, and worked with most of the professional theatre companies in Nova Scotia, including Neptune Theatre and Shakespeare by the Sea. He once lived in the woods for six months with a mime and a ballerina. Rhys dedicates this performance to Dionysus.

SIMON HENDERSON

Role: Puppeteer Neptune: Shakespeare in Love, The Comedy of Errors, The Devil’s Disciple, Frost/Nixon, Mourning Dove, A Few Good Men. Other Theatre: The Hobbit (Festival Antigonish); Twelfth Night (Dauntless); Shakespeare on Trial (OTL); Wrong for Each Other (Live Bait); Julius Caesar (SBTS); Samaria (Das Letzte Kleinod); Uncle Oscar’s Experiment (Zuppa); A Loosely Veiled Allegory (Irondale). Film/TV: Unperfect Christmas Wish (Super Channel); Mayday (Cineflix); The Boys (Amazon); All the Wrong Reasons (Strong Arm); Wake (CBC). Other: Love to Mum, Dad, Liv, Jay, Jonah, Jack and all the rest. To you: joy, goodwill, peace.

JEREMY WEBB

Role: Director Neptune: Elf The Musical, Misery, The Rocky Horror Show, Alice in Pantoland, The Woman in Black, Fully Committed, Calendar Girls, Peter Pan, Little Thing, Big Thing, Noises Off, Cinderella, Shakespeare in Love, Mamma Mia!, Upcoming: Billy Elliot The Musical As actor: Beauty and the Beast, Great Expectations, Rexy!,The Comedy of Errors, The Wizard of Oz, Romeo & Juliet, The Producers, Beauty & The Beast (2007), Oliver, Annie, What The Butler Saw, Sylvia, Blood Brothers, Rumors, Sleeping Beauty. Other Theatre: The Hobbit (Festival Antigonish), Broadway On Argyle St, Macbeth, Under Milk Wood, Fishing, Shakespeare On Trial and A Christmas Carol (Off The Leash). Other: His BEST productions are his sons, Samuel & Dylan. www.offtheleashhfx.com

SCOTT MACMILLAN

Role: Composer Other: Scott‘s passion propels him in all as pects of music making. Awards, appointments, commissions and critical reviews reflect Macmillan’s success. In 2019 Scott premiered two major compositions ‘12 & Change’ for Electric Guitar and Symphony NS and his experiential work ‘Woodland Revival’. Performing nationally and internationally including Carnegie Hall with his ode to our world’s oceans “Celtic Mass for the Sea”, with librettist Jennyfer Brickenden. He played an integral role in the success of Rita MacNeil, Rankin Family Band, NS Mass Choir, and led Symphony NS’s Maritime Pops for 10 years in the 1990’s. Scott teaches Guitar at the Fountain School of Performing Arts, Dalhousie University. scott-macmillan.ca

JESSICA LEWIS

Role: Stage Manager/Lighting Designer Neptune: Lighting Designer: Alice in Pantoland, Fully Committed, The Last 5 Years, Dickens’ A Christmas Carol, Shakespeare In Love, In A World Created By A Drunken God, Drowning Girls (w/DMV Theatre). Other Theatre (selected works): As Lighting Designer: Fat Juliet (Eastern Front Theatre), WHODUNIT? (Votive Dance), Tiny, Slowly I Turn, How Small How Far Away (Zuppa Works), Broadway on Argyle St, Under Milk Wood, Fishing (Off The Leash Productions Inc.).