Puppets return to Caravan

Larger-than-life puppets will put a unique spin on the Caravan Farm Theatre production of A Christmas Carol.

Featuring a return of the Catherine Hahn-designed, 12-foot-tall Christmas spirit puppets that last graced the Spallumcheen outdoor theatre in 2011, the production promises to be a unique theatrical experience.

The puppets will tell the age-old tale of redemption as audiences go from scene to scene on a horse-drawn sleigh through the sprawling Caravan property.

“The puppets and the masks are beautifully rendered, and they create this very larger-than-life version of the story,” says Estelle Shook, directing the play adapted by Peter Anderson. “The script is faithful to the original, but Peter brings a witty and delightful spin to it that our audience will love.”

“The natural backdrop for A Sleigh Ride Christmas Carol really lets us tap into the cycles of the seasons in a beautiful way,” says Shook, adding the magical and immersive show also brings audiences a rich soundscape powered by bells, percussion and a choir directed by Terry Logan.

Elinor Holt will take on the role of the miserly Ebenezer Scrooge who is shown error of his ways after being visited by three ghosts.

“She’s such a fabulous actor, and is so loved by audiences, that it was an obvious choice to cast her in this role,” said Shook.

The professional cast of seven includes homegrown talent such as Mary-Rose Cohen, from the Okanagan Indian Band; understudy Adam Weaver of Kelowna; Hailie Christie-Hoyle of Revelstoke, and Laara Sadiq, who recently moved to the North Okanagan.

Bruce Horak of Star Trek fame returns to Caravan as Charles Dickens, Daniel Doheny plays Fred, and Tom Jones reprises his role as Bob Cratchit.

And as usual, some of the most highly anticipated cast members of the sleigh ride show are the heavy horses. Soon the teams will arrive for their own rehearsals: two days to learn the route, choreography and the magic of the lights, sounds and giant puppets before welcoming audiences aboard.

A Sleigh Ride Christmas Carol runs Dec. 3 to Jan. 5. Tickets are now on sale with pay-what-you-can nights scheduled for the start and end of the show run.

For more information or to purchase tickets, click here, or call the box office at 1-866-546-8533.