The 131-year-old Craigdarroch Castle is said to be haunted — at least this December — by the ghosts of Christmases past, present and future.
Jason Stevens will transform into all three spectres and Ebenezer Scrooge for his one-man performance of Charles Dickens’s classic A Christmas Carol. It’s the ninth year Stevens returns to the castle and he’s expected to sell-out yet again.
“It’s been insanely popular. The last couple of years it’s been a big start to the Christmas season,” said operations manager Toby Stubbs.
December can be a busy time of year and is especially so at Craigdarroch Castle, where staff spend eight weeks decking the halls for the holidays with more than a dozen Christmas trees.
“We do the plays on the fourth floor, at the very top of the castle, so you get to walk through and you get transported back in time,” Stubbs said. “Then you get to the top and you get to see him bring that Victorian age to life. I think the castle creates such a wonderful setting for theatre like that.”
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Catch the Christmas spirit during Stevens’s 14 shows Dec. 14, 15, 19, 20, 21, 22 and 23. Christmas Eve and Christmas Day will be reserved for visits from holiday apparitions and revelations. Then for five consecutive nights, the one-woman Shakespeare’s Will By Attitude entertains until New Year’s Eve.
“We have such a small performance space at the castle. It creates such an intimate feeling, but at the same time, tickets do sell out really quick. I urge people not to wait until the last minute,” Stubbs said.
Tickets are $25 each — $23 for members — and A Christmas Carol is recommended for viewers 13 years old and up.
READ MORE: New era begins: Victoria’s Craigdarroch Castle expands its operation
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