CALGARY -- Blue Jeans Theatre, a new queer theatre collective in Calgary, are presenting an old chestnut with a new twist: Christmas Carol: A Drag Story.

The production, written and directed by Shannon Murphy is the theatre's first production - and thanks to the pandemic, it will be an all-virtual production running from Dec. 16 through Dec. 23.

Adapted fromDickens’ classic Christmas tale, Blue Jeans Theatre will showcasethe author’s iconic characters with a modern-day twist – namely, a little less 19th century London and a little more RuPaul.

“The concept of Christmas Carol: A Drag Story came out of a conversation with my mother. We were talking about the type of art we were consuming during quarantine: what was bringing us comfort,” said Murphy director and playwright of Christmas Carol: A Drag Show.

“We started talking about Queer Eye and RuPaul's Drag Race, how these shows provided a sense of belonging and nurturing while at the same time provided excitement over self-discovery,” she added.

“I saw an opportunity to bring a perspective into the story that isn't often told; where do queer people go on Christmas? In Alberta, we have a youth homelessness problem and 40% of homeless youth are from the LGBTQA2SI+ community. I saw a need for this show, a need that has been prevalent for many years in this community and a need to reveal other sides of the Calgary story.” 

Blue Jeans Theatre is a queer theatre collective founded by Murphy and Kristy Benz.

According to a media release, the production is almost entirely LGBTQA2SI+ cast and crew, and the team is thrilled to be bringing queer content to Calgary stages – and screens.

Tickets are available through this website.