Adam Prudhomme
Beaver Staff
Selby’s Lennox Community Theatre will look to gift wrap some laughs this holiday season as they put their spin on Norm Foster’s Bob’s Your Elf, which premieres Nov. 24.
Additional dates include Nov. 25, 26, 30 and Dec. 1, 2, 3, 7, 8 and 9.
The comedic play features Bob, an elf from Santa’s workshop, adjusting to life in a small town.
“Santa wants (Bob) to be a bit more of a team player,” director Andy Palmer says of the play’s plot. “To help Bob with that, he sends him away to a community production of a Christmas show. It’s not going well and it’s up to him to fix it.”
The six player ensemble cast includes Barry Brummel, Ebony Digby, Jim King, Shari Maracle, Jackson Raham and Jim Ross and is produced by Maggie Zatterberg.
Upon his arrival Bob quickly learns the rest of the cast in the Christmas play is having its own issues, leading to a comedy of errors as they try to muddle their way through a Christmas production.
“(The play is) another of Norm Foster’s classic with word play and is funny, witty, full of all sorts of humorous lines and lots of physical humour with a great storyline,” said Palmer. “The point behind the play is to teach the elf, who is not really a team player, how to be a team player and get everybody to get along despite their differences. It has a good message hidden behind that and it’s all couched inside another one of Norm Foster’s terrific scripts.”
The play made its onstage debut in 2008, not too far from Selby at the Upper Canada Playhouse in Morrisburg. A crowd favourite ever since, Palmer says the Lennox Community Theatre will offer its own take on the play.
“This is a laugh out loud script as you read it, never mind how good it is when this cast brings it to life,” said Palmer. “We’ve been very fortunate to have a very strong cast in this one, six seasoned actors who do a great job with all of it.”
Palmer has expanded on the suggested cast size, bringing in a choir of five children to add an extra flair to the production. Cameron Laza, Marie Hetke, Ava Nicholls, Lily Nicholls and Jade Peter will lend their singing voices to the show.
“This is something that’s not really in the script, it simply mentions that there’s a children’s choir,” said Palmer. “Me as a director, you’ve given the opportunity to turn that into whatever you like….it’s going to be quite a surprise for the audience.”
Showtime is 8 p.m. on each day save for Nov. 26 and Dec. 3, which begin at 2 p.m.
Tickets are $18 regular admission, $12 for children under 12 and $15 for seniors on Sundays. They’re on sale now at Gray’s IDA Drug Store in Napanee or by calling 613-354-3346.