Editor’s note: This story has been updated from the original printed version to correct the spelling of Peter Hinton’s surname.

Dim the lights, the show is about to begin. 

Niagara-on-the-Lake theatrical and TV actress Tara Rosling is looking forward to reprising Jeanette Winterson’s “The Mistletoe Bride,” a performance she hasn’t given live since 2019. 

“I’m very excited to return in-person,” she said. 

The show will return to Silversmith Brewery in Virgil on Dec. 20 at 7:30 p.m., where it first debuted in 2014.

“Silversmith Brewery is magical,” she said. 

The brewery, in a former church, creates a mysterious ambiance throughout the room by dimming the lights. Rosling then sits up on stage and simply tells the story. 

The show also will be performed at the Irish Harp Pub for the first time on Sunday, Dec. 11, at 7:30 p.m. However, due to its popularity, that show is already sold out.

Rosling will also be offering a virtual Zoom performance on Dec. 22 at 7:30 p.m.

The performance is pay what you can, with 100 per cent of the proceeds from the Zoom and Silversmith performances going to Gillian’s Place, a shelter for people who are experiencing abuse.

At the Irish Harp, there will be a 50/50 draw where half of the proceeds will be donated to the same organization. 

More than $10,000 has been donated to Gillian’s Place over the years, said Rosling. 

The theatrical rendition of “The Mistletoe Bride” was adapted by Canadian director Peter Hinton.

After working together at the Shaw Festival, Hinton and Rosling decided to bring “The Mistletoe Bride” to life.  

The story is a bit of an antidote to Charles Dickens’ “A Christmas Carol, she said with a laugh. 

Rosling describes Winterson’s story as a “very evocative, highly poetic kind of dreamscape short story.” 

“That is part ghost story, part solstice story, part Christmas story, part rite of passage story based on an old folk tale,” she said. 

The story is purposely left open-ended, she said, allowing listeners to come to their own conclusions. 

To reserve seats at Silversmith Brewery, call 905-468-8447. To attend virtually, email Rosling at tararosling@hotmail.com.