The end of January is approaching as quickly as the new year began, which means it’s time for the annual Robbie Burns night celebration at Ladysmith Little Theatre.
This year’s celebration will provide the same fun-loving, light-hearted banter and entertainment as it has since it was created by Judi and Terry Whittaker around five years ago.
“There’s music, there’s jokes, there’s sing-a-longs, and we have a really good, local bagpiper,” says event co-host Alan Watt. “Some of the music was even written by Judi and Terry.”
Robbie Burns is Scotland’s best-known poet and is revered around the world.
“His poetry was translated, and often what he did was take old celtic poems and songs and update them, improve them and translate them,” Watt said.
A very liberal-minded man who had an eye for the ladies, Burns was considered ahead of his own time, Watt said. He died at the age of 37.
“He was not well looked at by a lot of the monarchists because he looked favourably upon the French revolution; he thought everyone was equal,” Watt said. “He was part of the liberal free movement.”
Audiences will be entertained by an authentic Scottish Burns impersonator, as well as his counterpart (Scotland’s worst poet), William McGonnagall, who will read out some of his work.
“We pass out some buns to the audience so they can pitch them at him,” Watt said.
The evening will also include the piping in of the haggis (made by a Scottish deli in Nanaimo), the Selkirk Grace and singing of one of Burns’ well-known hymns, Auld Lang Syne.
“There will be stuff going on all night long,” Watt said.
There will only be two Robbie Burns night performances, on Fri. Jan. 27 and Sat., Jan. 28. Tickets have sold out for the past three years and are $40 each. Ticket cost includes the show and a full roast beef dinner.
“Anyone who loves Scottish heritage will love to go, and anyone who wants to have fun will love it,” Watt said. “They’re going to see a celebration of the Bard, his life and of his creative work, as well as some of the things he’s more infamous for,”
“It’s very much all tongue-in-cheek.”
For more information, visit www.ladysmiththeatre.com or call the box office at 250-924-0658.