Holiday theatre

The traditional holiday theatre "season" begins this weekend with theatregoers having an extneded holiday of sorts(with December 25 falling on a Sunday) and a variety of storylines and presentations to choose from.

Over the at the Centrestage Theatre, Class of '73- the 9th annual Jambiz Christmas production, opens to the public on December 26th. The production opens with the support of Jamaica National Building Society.
Jambiz principal Lenford Salmon said that while local attendance has grown, support for Jamaican theatre remains insufficient. This contention is apparently supported by Senator Delano Franklyn who, at the Jambiz launch, referred to theatre as , "the poorer cousin of the performing arts" adding that it was often overlooked.

Class of '73, features Oliver Samuels and Glen "Titus" Campbell among others. The story is set in a classroom filled with social misfits and intellectually-challenged children known as grade 6Z, with their teacher, Mr Bringle (played by Oliver Samuels) facing the duanting task of ensuring they graduate. The play is written by Patrick Brown, with movement handled by Barbara McDaniel, on her fifth Jambiz production. Similarly, no stranger to the company, Jon Williams, does the music.

Also keeping its annual date with the calendar Boxing Day is Zu-Zu Macca, the Little Theatre Movement's latest offering .In recognoition of the dual holiday, Zu-Zu Macca will actually stage two openings. Monday night's show will be followed by a performance on Tuesday December 27 also at 6 p.m. Shows will continue throughout the rest of the week - Wednesday to Saturday.
The title, Zu-Zu Macca is inspired by a feature of the 1954 Pantomime, Anancy and the Magic Mirror and was set in Za Za Macca Land. The title of this year's show, the Pantomime producers say, is a tribute to the late Greta Fowler, one of the stalwarts of the Pantomime movement, and the writer of the 1954 show.