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

The Haunted Man and the Ghost's Bargain
The Haunted Man and the Ghost's Bargain, 1848, is adapted from the fifth and final of Dickens' Christmas novellas. As in A Christmas Carol, the central character is visited by a ghost. This character, Mr. Redlaw, is tortured by memories of sorrow, and considers a ghost’s bargain to banish all traces of woe from his life. How would accepting this bargain affect his neighbours, his students, and his world? Dickens' fascination with the growing understanding of the unconscious brain begs the question, did Mr. Redlaw see a ghost or, "did he read it in the fire, one winter night about the twilight time?" Featuring Stephen Guy-McGrath, Michael Hanrahan, Qasim Khan, Andre Sills, Paul Sun-Hyung Lee, and William Webster in Director Derek Boyes' new adaptation. Design by Lorenzo Savoini. Dec. 13 at 6 p.m. and Dec. 15 at 6 p.m.

The Chimes
(A Goblin Story of Some Bells That Rang an Old Year Out and a New Year In)
In September of 1844, Dickens rented a villa in Genoa, Italy. He awoke from a restless dream with tears pouring down his face. He couldn't explain whether it had been a dream or an actual vision, but he knew he had been hearing convent bells. He began writing The Chimes, in which a poor old man, Toby Veck, who waits at his post outside the church door for jobs, is sent visions by the spirits of the church bells. The spirits are described as phantoms, and goblins, the memories of all mortals. On New Year's Eve, they guide him through visions of the possible demise of his own daughter, and he awakes on New Year's Day with a renewed compassion for his fellow man and hope for a better future. This new adaptation will be read by ten actors, starring Kenneth Welsh as Toby Veck, with Zoe Cleland, Michael Hanrahan, Stuart Hughes, Sarah Koehn, Diego Matamoros, Brenda Robins, Michael Simpson, Jim Warren, and Tim Ziegler. Sound Designer Richard Feren brings the chimes to life. Adapted and Directed by Nancy Palk, with Dramaturgy by Toby Malone, and support from Joseph Ziegler. Dec. 12 at 6:15 p.m. and Dec. 14 at 4:15 p.m.

MARATHON READING OF DICKENS
A continuous marathon reading of Dickens' great novels will be live streamed at youngcentre.ca/thewordfestival starting on Dec. 12.

Tickets for Dickens' Women range from $30-$40, $20 for students, (HST and service charge included). Tickets for Impromptu Splendor are $20, $15 for students (HST and service charge included). Tickets for A Christmas Carol range from $22-$68 (plus service charge) and are available by calling the Young Centre box office at 416.866.8666 or by visiting youngcentre.ca. $22 tickets are available for 21-30 year-olds at stageplay.ca. StagePlay is sponsored by TD Bank Group. The Young Centre for the Performing Arts is located at 50 Tank House Lane, in the Distillery Historic District, Toronto, ON.

The Young Centre for the Performing Arts is an award-winning, multi-venue performing arts facility located in the Distillery Historic District. Anchored by Soulpepper Theatre Company’s year round season and George Brown College’s Theatre School, the Young Centre is a home for Toronto’s leading artists and arts organizations across all performance disciplines. The Young Centre presents the very best in theatre, dance, music and spoken word in a state-of-the-art setting. The Young Centre Resident Artist Program is generously supported by Donna and Gary Slaight.

Soulpepper Theatre Company is an artist-founded, classical repertory theatre company with a three-tiered mandate: to present the world’s greatest stories in vital Canadian interpretations; to train a new generation of theatre artists; and to inspire and enrich youth through mentorship and access programs.

Photo: Prudence Upton

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