Pacific Theatre Premieres HOLY MO! A CHRISTMAS SHOW! by Lucia Frangione

A reverently irreverent Christmas story. Pacific Theatre jumps into the holiday season with a brand-new, commissioned work: Holy Mo! A Christmas Show! by Lucia Frangione. Hilarious and outlandish, Holy Mo! A Christmas Show! tells the millennia-old tale of the Nativity through the eyes of a patchwork trio of travelling performers, Folly, Buffoona, and Guff. The only problem? They each have their own agenda: Folly wants to get the story exactly right; Buffoona wants as many references to Santa and Sugarplum Fairies as possible; and, Guff? She wants nothing to do with Christmas.

This isn't the first time these three characters have taken the Pacific Theatre stage. Holy Mo and its three clowns date back to the 90's when Frangione was a fresh theatre grad when she created the show with a couple of friends. "We thought it would be fun to do something as epic as Cecil B Demill's The Ten Commandments on a shoestring budget with three women and no camels," says Frangione on the idea. At that time they performed the story of Moses. Later, when Pacific Theatre's Artistic Director Ron Reed grew interested in the show, they added a second act with the story of David and Goliath. This time around, they take on Christmas.

Despite its frequent appearances in children's books, however, the Nativity story is no light fodder: with a genocide and refugee family, there is more to tell than angels and shepherds. "The childlike innocence of these three characters are a great way for me to look at the dark underbelly of the Nativity story," says Frangione, "These three fools tell the guts and glory side of the Nativity story with a flying reindeer and a few ho ho hosannas. The play is madness wrapped up under the tree alongside political ranting and a sprinkle of beauty."

ARTISTIC TEAM

Directed by Kerry van der Griend. Featuring Lucia Frangione, Marie Russell, and Jess Amy Shead. Set Design by Heipo Leung. Lighting Design by John Webber. Costume Design by Amy McDougall. Sound Design by Rick Colhoun. Stage Management by Lois Dawson.

Details: HOLY MO! A CHRISTMAS SHOW! by Lucia Frangione When: Dec 2-31, Weds-Sat at 8pm with 2pm matinees Saturdays and Sunday, Dec 4th at Pacific Theatre (1440 W 12th Ave) Where: Pacific Theatre, 1440 W 12th Ave (at Hemlock), Vancouver, BC Tickets: $23.95-34.95 (not incl. taxes or fee), to book visit pacifictheatre.org or call 604.731.5518