All I Want for Christmas

 
Centaur Theatre 2021

All I Want for Christmas

Written and Directed by Rebecca Northan

Quebec Premiere

November 16 - December 5, 2021

Featuring Mariah INGER 🎄 Gabe MAHARJAN 🎄 Amelia SARGISSON

Set & Costume Designer James LAVOIE

Lighting Designer Andrea LUNDY

Fight Director Robert MONTCALM

Assistant Director Murdoch SCHON

Stage Manager Merissa TORDJMAN

Assistant Stage Manager Luciana BURCHERI

A Christmas comedy full of slapstick humour and hilarious heart, suitable for ages 12 and up.

Plot

Being an elf isn’t easy. Ginger is the only elf in North Pole history to have been fired from every job she’s tried. When Santa’s mailroom needs a last-minute replacement on December 23rd, Ginger’s sibling, the fastidious Nog, pulls some strings to get her the new position. All she has to do is open letters and run the switchboard – what could possibly go wrong? 

All I Want for Christmas came about in response to a Facebook post from Cape Breton’s Highland Arts Theatre’s Artistic Director, Wesley Colford, who was seeking recommendations for a holiday play with a “maximum of three actors, comedic, preferably Canadian, and preferably written by a woman”. Northan messaged Colford, offering to write a new play. During a phone call, in which Colford shared their wish list of key elements, the basic premise of the play took shape in Northan’s imagination. The HAT production was an unequivocal success when it premiered in December 2020 and now it makes its Quebec premiere at Centaur.

Writing a comedy centred on a holiday associated with gathering during lockdown was a welcome challenge for the self-described workaholic. “I wanted to incorporate the pressure that family can put on us to be a certain way, especially during the holidays, and I definitely wanted to explore the isolation, loneliness and longing to connect that many of us have been experiencing during the pandemic”, explained Northan. “I also happen to be going through perimenopause and want to shine some comedic light on that taboo topic—stop all the whisperings about ‘the change’. I’m always interested in questions around identity, getting to the truth of who a person is, and their right to be accepted for who they are. I had a lot of time to reflect on these themes during Covid, and found a way to wrap them all up with a giant, hilarious Christmas bow. My goal as an artist is to get people laughing while touching their hearts.”

“Having Rebecca and her team at Centaur for Blind Date was a fabulous experience for us and our patrons. When I learned she had a new comedy for the holidays I couldn’t wait to read the script. Rebecca’s brilliant sense of comedy combined with her generous heart and theatrical versatility shine brightly in this quirky, uplifting story that takes a deep comic dive into our very human need to feel loved for who we actually are rather than who we think the world wants us to be.” - Eda Holmes, Centaur’s Artistic and Executive Director.

Parental Guidance:
This play is recommended for ages 12 and up. There is some mature content: mild swearing, alcohol consumption, and references to depression, attempted suicide, and divorce.

Show Schedule Prices
Evenings            Tues. through Sat.          8pm
Matinées            Sat. & Sun.                    2pm
                         Wed. Nov. 24                 1pm    
                         Wed. Dec. 1                   1pm  
Prices 
$67 (Adult), $57 (Seniors) and $38 (under 30)
All prices include tax and surcharges.

For more information about Centaur Theatre visit the Centaur Theatre website.