Hilarity ensues at opening weekend of the Pumpjack Players’ fall dinner theatre

 

Pumpjack Players blew the roof off the Whitecourt Community Centre with another fantastic dinner theatre performance. The audience was in stitches for much of the November 18 show which was one of two shows that weekend. With two more coming up on November 24 and 25, those who haven’t seen it yet definitely need to get their tickets.

This year’s play is called According to Schedule, and was written by Robert Scott. This is the very first performance of Robert’s play in the entire country as it’s new, and everyone involved was very excited to have the honour.  Director Sharlene Munday spoke of having chatted with Robert before the first performance and noted that he was rooting for them all the way from the United Kingdom. He also really liked their poster and was looking forward to seeing pictures following the two weekends.

Brigette Moore, who plays Pippa, says she loves her part in the show. “If I’m being honest,” she grinned, “I like that my character is a bit mean. Sometimes in life, we want to tell people what we think but because we are polite Canadians, we bite our tongues. This character just lets people have it! Ha-ha!”

She also really enjoys the comedic part of it, too.  “Pumpjack Players always does comedies for its dinner theatres which means I get to be part of a team of actors who just want to make the audience laugh. The best payment for acting is someone’s laughter!”

In the play, Pippa and her brother Roger are introduced to their sister’s (Pippa) fiancé. The fun begins when Pippa finds him all too familiar, and his mobster parents aren’t much of a hit with the family which adds to the hilarity even more. This year’s actors include Braeden Mattson, Sheri England, Connor Pitre, Cyra Retzloff, James Miller, Brian Munday, Brigette Moore, and Stephanie Parry.

Sharlene Munday said she enjoyed every minute of directing the show. “When you tie together the acting, blocking, costumes, and the set, a magical thing happens where the audience is transplanted into another world. Seeing the smiles and hearing the laughter of the patrons confirms that you have presented it the way it was meant to.”

Tickets for the next two shows, on November 24 and 25, can be picked up at the Whitecourt & District Public Library. “This is a way to help support your local theatre group. When you come to one of our plays, you get to see people in your community who have volunteered to perform and create a high-quality production.” With dinner served up by Abbie’s Catering, and the show included in the cost of a ticket, the Pumpjack Players Dinner Theatre remains an affordable night out for guests while supporting months of work by local performers.

To learn more about Pumpjack Players, check out www.pumpjackplayers.com.