Tell Tale Harbour sets record for Confederation Centre ticket sales

·1 min read
Alan Doyle, right, stars in Tell Tale Harbour, which began Tuesday night. (Brian Higgins/CBC - image credit)
Alan Doyle, right, stars in Tell Tale Harbour, which began Tuesday night. (Brian Higgins/CBC - image credit)

After reduced capacity in 2021 due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the Charlottetown Festival at the Confederation Centre of the Arts is getting back to normal this week with record-setting theatre ticket sales.

Tell Tale Harbour, one of seven productions in this summer's festival, had its first preview performance Tuesday night. It runs until Sept. 24.

Andrew Sprague, the Confederation Centre's director of marketing, says people are clearly excited to see the show, largely because of its big-name star, Alan Doyle of the folk rock band Great Big Sea.

"As of June 15, we've never sold more tickets for a show than we have for Tell Tale Harbour. So, in our 57-year history, Tell Tale Harbour is the number-one selling show," he said.

Tell Tale Harbour is a musical comedy about a struggling Atlantic fishing village that comes together to charm a doctor into taking up full-time residency there.

Brian Higgins/CBC
Brian Higgins/CBC

And theatregoers aren't the only people excited about the show.

"It's been two years since I've been in the business," said Jahlen Barnes, who plays the doctor.

"It feels amazing coming back into theatre. I really missed this so much. It's an honour."

The classic Anne of Green Gables — The Musical makes its return to the centre's mainstage as well, beginning June 18.

The Mackenzie Theatre will host performances of Betty's Song beginning July 5, and Hey Viola! beginning Aug. 3.

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