Young Centre and Soulpepper Theatre Present The Word Festival 2012: Charles Dickens Edition, 12/12-15

Albert Schultz, General Director of the Young Centre for the Performing Arts and Artistic Director of Soulpepper Theatre Company, today announced The Word Festival, a celebration of the works of Charles Dickens in the 200th anniversary of his birth. 

The Word Festival lineup features critically acclaimed British actress Miriam Margolyes, performing her award-winning work Dickens' Women, alongside free staged readings, and a live-streamed marathon reading of Dickens' greatest novels, available to view online at youngcentre.ca/thewordfestival. Soulpepper Theatre Company will present its classic holiday production of Michael Shamata's adaptation of A Christmas Carol, and special appearances throughout the Festival will be made by the Young Centre City Choir, singing Victorian Christmas carols. The Word Festival is sponsored by BMO Financial Group.

DICKENS' WOMEN
Celebrating the bi-centenary of Charles Dickens, Miriam Margolyes brings her Olivier Award-nominated production to The Word Festival as part of its world tour, in its only Ontario venue. A BAFTA and LA Drama Critics Circle award-winner, Miriam Margolyes (Harry Potter, Romeo + Juliet) portrays over 23 of Dickens' best-loved characters, setting out to discover the man himself, revealing everything from the raucous humour of his characterisations to the darker, more sinister, aspects of his life and work. From Richard Jordan Productions Ltd, in association with Andrew McKinnon and Pleasance, with Toronto's celebrated Peter Tiefenbach on piano, performances of Dickens' Women starring Miriam Margolyes run at 8 p.m. at the Young Centre from Dec. 12 - 15.

The National Theatre OF THE WORLD'S IMPROMPTU SPLENDOR
The National Theatre of the World's five-time Canadian Comedy Award-winning and internationally acclaimed improvised play series Impromptu Splendor comes to the Young Centre for The Word Festival. Crowd pleasers and wizards of instant theatre, Naomi Snieckus and Matt Baram, with special guests Colin Mochrie and Debra McGrath, unite as a crack team to improvise a never-before-seen play based on audience suggestions, in the style of Charles Dickens. Watch as they create a fresh, artful and provoking spectacle brought to life, through their mastery of spontaneous narrative in a collaborative live experience. Dec. 15, 4:30 p.m. and 8 p.m.

A CHRISTMAS CAROL
Soulpepper Theatre Company brings back its holiday favourite, A Christmas Carol. Follow Joseph Ziegler's Ebenezer Scrooge as he is visited by three ghosts who help him understand the importance of charity in the holiday season. A Christmas Carol is directed by Michael Shamata, and features Kevin Bundy, Daniel Chapman-Smith, Charlotte Dennis, Oliver Dennis, Deborah Drakeford, Matthew Edison, Rhys Fulton-Doyle, Anton Gillis-Adelman, Stephen Guy-McGrath, Maggie Huculak, John Jarvis, Tangara Jones, Sabrina Nardi, Sarah Wilson and Joseph Ziegler. A Christmas Carol runs from Dec. 3 to Dec. 29.

FREE STAGED READINGS
The Word Festival will feature two new, free, staged readings of Dickens' short stories, adapted and directed by Soulpepper members Derek Boyes and Nancy Palk.