magic to a wider audience.Alternative comedy Christmas Carol Casebook:Away in a Danger is a fantastical festive farce whichtells the tale of Choirmaster Barry, accused of amurder he did not commit. With the police alreadyin hot pursuit will Barry prove his innocence, andwill the carol concert go ahead? With referencesto local landmarks this cracking comedy featuresmurder, mayhem and more puns than you can wavea conductor’s baton at!And for the youngest audiences, Charlie and theChristmas Cat is the purr-fect introduction to livetheatre. The story takes place on Christmas Eve, theone night of the year where animals can talk. JoinCharlie and her loveable cat Ziggy on a magicalevening full of surprises with lots of interaction foryoung ones.“It’s going to be a fun year,” says the Garrick’sexecutive director Karen Foster. “The children’sshow is absolutely magical; it’s a really lovely storyand it’s also really interactive for the children inthe audience, they get to join in and talk to Charlieand the cat and get involved in the show. It’s reallybeautiful.“It’s aimed at kids who perhaps aren’t brave enoughto go to panto, because we know panto is reallyloud and there’s a lot of shouting and screaming, soit’s for the age group just before that, who want toexperience their first live theatre performance. Andit’s beautiful to watch the children because they justsuspend belief and get into the story. The kids willfind it really magical, and I think the parents will bereally chuffed too.”While the Garrick has previously commissioned itsown children’s Christmas shows, this is the first timethe theatre has created its own adults’ production.And Christmas Carol Casebook has a real localflavour.“It’s set in and around this area, so the audience willrecognise quite a lot of local references,” says Karen.“It’s very funny and it’s very silly, which is just whatyou need at Christmas.“The thing that I really like is that show has a coupleof local writers in Craig Stephens and Jack Trow, sowe’re using local talent, and one of our actors, LucyPearson, is also Lichfield-based, which is brilliant forus because it’s giving people right here in this city thechance to pursue their careers here on our stage.“And James Steventon, who plays Barry, is fromWalsall, so two of the four actors in the show areMidlands-based which is really great for us. Andthey’re absolutely brilliant; it’s not that we’ve gonelocal for local’s sake, we’ve gone local because theywere the best.”Another first for the Garrick this year will be theaddition of a spectacular Santa’s Grotto, where theman himself will take residence on selected dates inthe run-up to Christmas.“We are a theatre so we will have to dress it like wewould the set of a show,” says Karen.“We’re working on making it really theatricallybeautiful, so that it’s a real magical Christmas scene.There are little things we can do here in the theatrethat perhaps you can’t get elsewhere!”With festive films also showing over the season in thestudio too, it’s shaping up to be the most wonderfultime of the year in Lichfield.“What we’re trying to do this year, with the threeshows as well as the Santa’s Grotto and a screeningof the Royal Ballet’s Nutcracker, is to give somethingto all the different people around here at Christmasthat’s exciting at quality, and we’re also bringing inthe quality talent from around the local area to putthose shows on,” says Karen.“It really is going to be magical.”Cinderella opens on the main stage at the LichfieldGarrick on November 28 and runs until January5. Christmas Carol Casebook: Away in aDanger will be showing in the Garrick Studiofrom December 5 to January 4, and Charlie andthe Christmas Cat runs from December 6 toDecember 24. Tickets for all shows are availablenow. For more details call the box office on 01543412121 or visit www.lichfieldgarrick.com10
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