Forfar production will be a treasure of a show for Christmas

Pictured in rehearsal for Forfar Dramatic Society’s production of ‘Treasure Island’ are (l-r) left to right are Graham Hewitson, Toby Sparrow and Jason Norrie

Christmas theatre is returning to Forfar after a three-year absence with Forfar Dramatic Society’s new show, which will be staged next month.

The society will present ‘Treasure Island’ from December 15 – 17 December in Studio 132, East High Street, Forfar.

This riotously funny and hectic adaptation of the Robert Louis Stevenson classic contains all the elements you’d want to see in a family Christmas show. It has a strong story, classic stage fights, physical comedy, audience participation and more. All of this is served up by the collection of characters you would expect to see – a naive hero, an unpleasant old aunt, evil villains and a few fools to help the story along and provide some laughs.

This version of ‘Treasure Island’ was written by John Nicholson and the physical-comedy theatre company Le Navet Bete. It premiered at the Plymouth Athenaeum in 2019, and at the Exeter Northcott Theatre in 2020, before touring nationally, earning rave reviews.

This is not the society’s first production of a John Nicholson script, as it staged ‘The Hound of the Baskervilles’ in 2013.

The success of that production and similarities in the style of show are what attracted the company to ‘Treasure Island’. Both scripts rely heavily on physical comedy and incorporate a fair amount of silliness.

In this rumbustious stage adventure, six actors play dozens of characters as they retell Stevenson’s classic story, generating a stream of laughs as they do so.

‘Treasure Island’ is not a Christmas panto, but is an ideal seasonal show for all the family. The story is compelling, the gags will appeal to all ages, it has music and a few local, contemporary and cultural references thrown in for good measure.

Tickets for “Treasure Island” are available online at Forfar Dramatic Society event tickets from TicketSource (www.ticketsource.co.uk/forfardramatic). Or via www.forfardramatic.com .

Studio 132 is a small and intimate venue, so space is limited. If you want to be sure of seeing this rip-roaring, swashbuckling, family-friendly retelling of a classic story, which is sure to hit the (black) spot – don’t delay.