Local theatres prepare holiday productions after a year off

SYDNEY -

Local actors are preparing their holiday productions at the Highland Arts Theatre in Sydney, N.S. after the pandemic forced actors off the stage for more than a year.

"After last year's hiatus, we're so excited to be back with all of our usual holiday goodies and that includes our annual fundraising production, Charles Dickens, The Christmas Carol," says Welsey Colford, with the Highlands Arts Theatre.

The productions involves several shows that will take place from Dec. 7 to 12, featuring 40 local actors.

"For a lot of our performers this is their sixth or seventh year they'll be a part of our production, so taking the year off last year was so strange. We have families who celebrated their anniversary every year as part of the production," says Colford.

Colford says the theatre is the perfect place to spend the holidays.

"For so many of us, our holidays were much more isolated, much more lonely, and I mean especially Christmas coming to the theatre is exactly the opposite of those things," says Colford.

Glace Bay's Savoy Theatre in Glace Bay, N.S. will also return and production crews say most holiday shows are already almost sold out.

"What we would normally have as an advertising budget, at this point, we will only spend about 10 per cent of that this year because we actually don't have to. Which is a good problem to have considering we've been closed for two years," says Pam Leader, the production’s executive director.

Well known entertainers like Jimmy Rankin, The Barra MacNeil's, Matt Andersen and others will take to the stage in Glace Bay.

Leader says the demand has never been higher.

"We have more shows than we would normally have in December, but they're all selling out, so people are happy to get back to somewhat normal," says Leader.