How do you bring a ghost to life on stage and still have it look like a ghost?
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That's the problem that Brisbane-based production company Shake and Stir Theatre Co faced when they first started working on A Christmas Carol.
And while Canberrans will find out just how well they achieved the goal in December, they can be assured that what awaits them is a production jam-packed with special effects - that has already gained the company a slew of five-star reviews.
There's falling snow, video design that makes you look twice and did we mention the ghosts? One just needs to watch the preview trailer and its movie-like quality to know that A Christmas Carol is no regular stage show.
What's more, while the stage show has been a regular event on the Queensland Performing Arts Centre calendar for the past couple of years, this December, Canberra Theatre will host the first audience outside of Brisbane.
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"It is the revered stage spectacle," Shake and Stir artistic director Ross Balbuziente said.
"It has a wonderful blend of old-school magic, and new-school magic. So we're using some of the best tech combined with some other moments that are pretty low-fi but altogether it creates a wonder.
"And it's been a real joy that the entire creative team comes together each year to rehearse and to collaborate once more with putting it on.
"Hundreds of people were involved initially in creating this work. And then you know, the good 30-odd both onstage and backstage that make the magic happen each show."
The actual story of Charles Dickens' A Christmas Carol is a classic that needs no introduction. The tale of Ebenezer Scrooge and the Christmas Eve that saw visits from the ghosts of Christmas Past, Present and Future is part of many people's preparation for the festive season. It has become a tradition.
And that's exactly what Shake and Stir wanted from their production. Something that became ingrained in not only the theatre's preparations for Christmas but also their audiences.
"Every time we come back to it, year after year, it just gets deeper in its impact," Balbuziente said.
"And depending on what type of year you've had in that 12 months, the impact can differ. And to be honest, it's one of the only shows that we have managed to maintain its frequency across the pandemic period.
"This for us now is that traditional offering, year in, year out, and we're hopeful that this may be the first of many years at Canberra presenting this wonderful production."
This will be the third Shake and Stir production to make its way to Canberra this year. The company's production of Jane Eyre took to the stage in May, and their take on Roald Dahl's story, The Twits is in town next week.
But according to Balbuziente, the Canberra season of A Christmas Carol has been a long-time coming.
"We've been chatting with Canberra Theatre Centre about making this happen since we premiered the working 2018 in Brisbane, and unfortunately, there was not the opportunity to do it prior," he said.
"We're really excited. It truly is family entertainment. Kids, adults, and grandparents will love it. And it's bringing that family unit together to end the year with one of the most famous classics live on stage."
- A Christmas Carol will be at the Canberra Theatre Centre from December 20 to 24. Tickets from canberratheatrecentre.com.au.
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