Persephone Theatre’s A Christmas Story is the gift of nostalgia neatly wrapped in a two-hour play and placed beneath the tree. And not only does it bring back memories for those who love the 1983 classic film, but, set in 1938, this production feels like a time capsule that presents the 1930s to a modern audience. The sold out performance on Sunday night had the audience chuckling regularly and enjoying the holiday festivities.
The story stays true to its source material and follows Ralphie Parker, a young boy who only wants one thing for Christmas: “a legendary official Red Ryder two-hundred shot carbine action range model air rifle with a compass and this thing which tells time built right into the stock.” Narrated by Ralph as an adult, we follow young Ralphie as he receives warning from his parents, his teacher, and even Santa Claus that if he gets a BB gun, he’ll shoot his eye out. Nevertheless, this is what he wants for Christmas.
The iconic elements from the film including the rifle, the licking of a lamppost, a pink bunny costume and a leg lamp all appear with aplomb and enthusiasm. Neither the script nor the presentation of the story deviate from expectations, but the play flows smoothly with almost seamless transitions.
The two-story set is properly grande and perfectly decorated. The combination of the set design (Ken Mackenzie) and lighting design (Whittyn Jason) allows for the large and bold house to feel separated from the front of the stage which serves as various locations including dream sequences.
But some of the best magic on the stage involved the performances. The crew of child actors were charming and lovely to watch. The kids have all been double-cast, and the Sunday night performance was led by Kade Adams as young Ralphie, who was captivating and perfectly cast. Nathan Coppens was impressive as an adult Ralph along with other bit roles, and while a line or two of the narration was mixed up here and there, Coppens handled a massive undertaking with grace and poise and a very comfortable presence. It is hard not to like him.
The humour lands well but is written more for general merriment than big belly laughs. However, the performances of Amanda Trapp and Kenn McLeod as Ralphie’s mother and father respectively amplify the humour beyond the script with lively and entertaining choices. They bring great fun to the stage, as does Keisha Mowchenko in her brief but memorable moments as Miss Shields.
One slightly distracting element was having the child actors on headset microphones while having the adult cast members just projecting within the space. This creates a slightly strange juxtaposition of sound that took a few scenes to get accustomed to. That being said, it was not noticeable after a while.
The story conveys Christmas dreaming through the eyes of a child. While it’s narrated by the adult Ralph, the viewpoint is that of a kid at Christmas time, complete with dream sequences, a visit to Santa, and elaborate plans to get the perfect Christmas gift. The childlike wonder of the show is where it gets its charm. The message subtly suggests that family and love are what Christmas is all about, but it doesn’t knock you on the head with philosophical lessons or suggestions for changing the world. It simply presents Christmas through a child’s lens. And that alone makes it feel magical.
A Christmas Story has already been held over until December 28. Tickets are available at Persephone Theatre’s box office or at www.persephonetheatre.org.
