SOAP Theatre’s production of Norm Foster’s family Christmas comedy Bob’s Your Elf opens on Nov. 29 at the Venables Theatre in Oliver. The play shows for two weekends. (Lyonel Doherty / Aberdeen Publishing)

Let SOAP Theatre whisk you to the North Pole with their holiday performance of Bob’s Your Elf, a whacky family comedy opening on Nov. 29.

Written by one of Canada’s most produced playwrights Norm Foster, Bob’s Your Elf tells the tale of Bob (Joe Rupcich), an ornery elf “bumming out” the rest of the North Pole crew.

Santa (Bertie Barens) sets out to teach Bob a lesson about compassion and cooperation with an exile in the small Canadian town of Thithleville to help a less-than-competent group of thespians stage their Christmas play that needs some serious work.

Bob soon finds himself among a strange assortment of defective, home-town characters, starting with an officious stage manager Les Banter (Connie Mythen) and an exasperated show director Gordon Ford (Nathan Linders).

Add in a couple of Thithleville actors with their own baggage, Fiona Putzle (Donna Macbeth) and Amber Faircastle (Chelsea Cameron-Horner), and we get a perfect teaching opportunity for Bob.

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Can Bob save the Thithleville Thespians from pending theatrical disaster? Can he learn his lesson about cooperation and compassion? There will be laughs, silliness, confusion and some tender moments before we know the answers in time for Santa’s big night.

Bob’s Your Elf is seasoned director Denny Kaulback’s pilot performance since moving to Oliver from Revelstoke two years ago.

“In today’s social climate, with division and discord coming from all directions, it is theatre’s role to provide essential relief from tension and to support the ideal of tolerance and acceptance,” Kaulback said.

“This is Bob’s lesson. Bob is a stubborn elf, set in his ways, who is sent by Santa to learn co-operation, team spirit, and how a group of individuals can accomplish great things if they all pull together.”

Denny is ably assisted by assistant director Lyn Kaulback, whom appeared in SOAP’s 2018 production of Old Love, also by Norm Foster.

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New SOAP recruit Clem Jones takes on the role of show producer.

“It takes a great deal of talent, hard work and commitment to bring a theatre play to production,” Jones said.

“I am proud to present this Christmas production and I would like to thank our cast and crew, along with all our sponsors and volunteers and the business folks who allowed us to place our posters in their business windows.”

Bob and the crew are supported by the SOAP Bubbles, a children’s Christmas choir put together by Nathan Linders, specially for this performance.

Bob’s Your Elf plays five performances at the Frank Venables Theatre in Oliver: Nov, 29, Nov. 30, Dec. 6 and Dec. 7 at 7 p.m., and Dec. 1 at 2 p.m.

Reserved seating tickets are available online at www.venablestheatre.ca, at the Ticket Office (6100 Gala Street) or by phone (250-498-1626). Some tickets are also available at Your Dollar Store With More in Osoyoos.