It's A Wonderful Life

Theatre@41 is staging It's A Wonderful Life from 10 to 23 December, 14 performances in total. It's their first-ever community production, and it's being put on in the John Cooper Studio, the theatre's black box space on Monkgate. The play is Mary Elliott Nelson's adaptation of Frank Capra's 1946 film, so it's the Christmas story most of us already know.

For those who need a refresher: it follows George Bailey, a small-town banker on the brink of ruin, who is visited by his guardian angel on Christmas Eve. Together they look at what Bedford Falls would be like if George had never been born, and it's a story about love, hope and community. It's a family classic, so it works as well for a night out with the kids as it does for an older crowd.

What makes this one a bit different is who's on stage. The cast and crew are drawn from the York community, not professional hires, which fits the whole 'community' theme of the story. It's directed by Eija Gibson, a young director who's an associate of the Leeds-based company Wrongsemble, and she's being mentored throughout by Theatre@41's own Tom Bellerby. If you've ever wanted to get involved yourself, auditions for community actors are happening on Sunday 28 June at Theatre@41.

It's a paid production, with tickets available through the theatre's website at tickets.41monkgate.co.uk. With 14 shows running across those two weeks, there should be plenty of dates to choose from.