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Travelling duo stops in Richmond

The seed of Christmas Tales was planted on a cross-Canadian theatrical tour while the nation debated separation. It was 1995 and Quebecers were poised to vote on the referendum .
Christmas shows
Photo Submitted Justyn Rees retells the story of the first Christmas in a funny and nontraditional way.

The seed of Christmas Tales was planted on a cross-Canadian theatrical tour while the nation debated separation.

It was 1995 and Quebecers were poised to vote on the referendum.

"We wanted to get together across people the country," says Russ Rosen, the guitar-playing singer of the travelling duo. "So, we decided to set up a theatre and go across the country. "It wasn't a Christmas show, but we told a lot of personal stories and gospel stories."

Rosen and storyteller Justyn Rees soon discovered people were willing to not just listen but participate, sharing stories of the community.

They headed east, stopping at houses, theatres and churches along the way.

In December of that year, Christmas Tales was born, their once annual Christmas show that tells the story of the first Christmas.

Rees dons characters and accents (many in U.K. dialects) in this nontraditional, often hilarious, retelling, while Rosen forms the musical backdrop with guitar and vocals.

"Justyn is such a powerful storyteller that everyone is engaged when he tells a story," says Rosen, who lived in Richmond 18 years ago before moving to Vancouver. "There's so much interaction between us and the audience. They start bursting into song when they know them and it's great to see their facial expressions. We like to keep it interactive, social and friendly."

In the past few years, the shows became more sporadic due to health concerns and the overall bustle of family life. However, after coming together for one show in Chilliwack last year, they decided to "make Christmas 2013 a full tale."

They'll be at Richmond's Broadmoor Baptist Church, 8140 Saunders Rd., on Sunday, Dec. 15 from 6:30-8 p.m. "People will have a lot of fun and be inspired to find meaning in their own lives, strengthen friendships and create new ones," says Rosen.

Although there's been a progressive shift away from organized religion, Rosen says it hasn't affected the interest for the type of tales he and Rees tell.

"The church used to be the centre of a community, now we have to find a new centre," he says. "Live performance provides that for people, we're offering something that builds on that community. The Christmas story is a powerful story. I mean, if it's true, you're like, what? It puts a whole different perspective on things."