Bank Theatre will present 'A Christmas Story"

LEAMINGTON – The Bank Theatre will present the beloved classic, ‘A Christmas Story’, on December 2-5 and December 9-12, including Sunday matinees.

This will be the first full theatrical production to hit the stage in more than 20 months.

Director Corey Robertson is excited to bring this production to Leamington.

“A Christmas Story is based on the humorous writings of Jean Sheppard, and told through the narration of his older self (Clinton Anderson),” he said. “This beloved holiday classic follows the wintery exploits of youngster Ralphie Parker (Max Wilkinson), who spends most of his time dodging a bully (Brooklyn Ciliska) and dreaming of his perfect Christmas gift, a Red Ryder air rifle.

Frequently at odds with his cranky dad (Les McDonald) but comforted by his doting mother (Linda Collard), Ralphie struggles to make it to Christmas Day with his glasses and his hopes intact.

“This has been a wonderful experience learning the ins and outs of theatrical production,” said assistant director Katherine Albuquerque. “The crew behind the scenes has been amazing. The cast is full of talented youngsters and adults alike, some new to the stage, some seasoned veterans, and includes Taylor Bartel, Chris Harkness, Logan Quiring, Breydan Quiring, Trystan Bartel, Kiarah Alexander, Mathis Quiring, David Light, Adleigh Debono, Cassandra Debono, Megan Sawatzky and Adelaide Quiring.”

Robertson has more than one reason for bringing this play to The Bank Theatre stage.

“I wanted to bring A Christmas Story to our stage because it tells the story of one of the best Christmases that our protagonist, Ralph, has ever had. Caught up in the hustle and bustle of his adult life he longs for a simpler time, in a simpler place, when family values mattered and spending time with family mattered even more.”

“We’ve all been without our extended families for far too long because of this pandemic,” added Robertson. “Many of us have missed our families for too many Christmases in a row. This all-time Christmas classic will transport the audience back to a similar time in their memories, to that perfect Christmas they had long ago. A Christmas when it didn’t matter if you received that special toy or not, because you were surrounded by friends, family and loved ones. And in the final accounting, that’s what really matters.”

Tickets are available in advance and online only, with both adult and student pricing and full information, including Ontario Covid-19 regulations, at https://banktheatre.com/project/a-christmas-story-production.