Jack, Jill and a Giant of a Christmas

With only days to go to the opening night of ‘Jack and the Beanstalk’ on Friday, December 5 the cast has been very busy rehearsing.

Ballymena man Stephen Kelly, who is Creative Director and Producer, said: “As co-founder of c21 Theatre Company, experience has shown me that there is nothing quite like the smiles on the faces of children, their parents and grandparents when they leave the theatre after witnessing a live performance. It is a real pleasure to be able to play a small part in bringing a little joy to families at this time.

“This year I’m absolutely delighted to be able to bring Jack and the Beanstalk to Ballymena and cannot wait to finally get going! Rehearsals so far have been absolutely hilarious; it’s really getting us all excited for our opening night. This will be our eighth appearance at the Braid, featuring yet another brand new production.

“We have really made sure that there is something for all the family this year. There’ll be a chance to engage in the story line as well as having a good laugh and a sing-along. We know that all ages will adore the slapstick comedy and brilliant characters, but we wanted to add a little local Ballymena humour into the mix and keep it entertaining for the parents and children alike.

“In keeping with the Ballymena ties, I am producing the show and many local children are taking part as the Two Dicky Birds and, of course, the Ballymena Dance Academy will have some show stopping dances for us. It is particularly exciting as for some this will be their very first professional debut performance.”

This latest production is shaping up to be the company’s best production yet and promises a tongue-in-cheek take on the classic tale, with some typical Ballymena humour thrown in for good measure. The production runs from Friday 5th December through to Tuesday, December 23.

Taking the leading role as Jack, is up-and-coming actor Aaron Cathcart, the brilliant Philippa O’Hara is great as Jill, the hilarious Richard Priestly is Auld Ma Dawson aka Widow Twankey, Ruth Jennings as the beautiful Beanstalk Doll with the seven foot giant played by Adrian Cooke.

The show has been written and directed by the Company’s Artistic Associate, Pamela Cassells with Mark Dougherty (Dancing Shoes and Dracula) stepping into the role of Musical Director once again, accompanied by Winston Shields.

Tickets are on sale now and can be purchased by contacting Braid Arts Centre on 02825 635 900 or online via www.thebraid.com. Make sure to like c21 Theatre Company on Facebook and follow us on Twitter for exclusive updates and show information.0