The Christmas Season is always a time marked by special traditions. From parades and parties to special meals and movies, there’s so many ways to celebrate the most wonderful time of the year. This year, Flashback Theater Co. (FbTC) and Title Sponsor Weichert Realtors invite you to establish a new family tradition with The Wickhams: Christmas at Pemberley, running December 5-15, 2024 at Somerset First United Methodist Church. This feel-good romantic comedy captures the spirit of yuletide gaiety in the home of one of literature’s most beloved families: the Bennet Sisters. Performed and produced by artists from Lake Cumberland’s theater community with wit, charm, and classic style, The Wickhams will make you feel at home for the holidays.
Set after the events of Pride and Prejudice, The Wickhams finds the family coming together from their separate homes to celebrate Christmas together at Lizzy and Darcy’s home at the Pemberley estate. The show’s director, Thomas Alvey, reflects on their own nostalgia for family gatherings of yore: “For me, Christmas used to be my favorite holiday but as with most people, as we grow older, Christmas becomes more tiresome than we want it to be.” This sentiment certainly rings true in The Wickhams, where things aren’t all simple and joyful. Lydia Wickham’s (née Bennet) husband, Mr. Wickham, is Mr. Darcy’s sworn enemy, banned from the grounds of Pemberley. When Wickham appears in the middle of the night, aided in his entrance by the overwrought estate staff, the family is challenged to face the complex nature of changing familial relations, and ultimately learn how to forgive each other.
When facing tough challenges, we often look to our family to support us. We find strength in the space and memories we share together. Alvey notes that Christmas has a certain special healing power in the nostalgia it stirs in each of us, and hopes that this show can evoke that same power: “We can find nostalgia for what it used to be for us, and what we enjoyed about the Holiday season. My hope is that our team can inject our own nostalgia into the show.”
Some savvy Flashback audience members may recall the 2018 production of Miss Bennet, which is the first in a trilogy of Christmas at Pemberley plays by playwrights Lauren Gunderson and Margot Melcon. The Wickhams is the second play in the trilogy and though the stories are connected, the plays are written to be enjoyed by any audience, whether they have seen the previous play in the series or not. Director Thomas Alvey notes that while familiarity with the original Pride and Prejudice isn’t necessary to enjoy the plot of The Wickhams: “You don’t NEED to be familiar with the characters, but it would certainly give audiences the inside scoop, which could enhance their enjoyment of the story.”
Patterson as Lydia in 2018
In the spirit of homecoming, local actor Bailey Patterson is returning home to Somerset after receiving her BA in Theatre Arts from the University of Kentucky. Patterson will reprise her role as Lydia Wickham in The Wickhams, having played the part in FbTC’s 2018 production of Miss Bennet: Christmas at Pemberley. For the young actor, returning to Flashback after college is a joyous reunion. “Flashback feels like home for me because it is full of loving memories, familiar faces, and sage advice.” reminisces Patterson, “It is also a place I am invested in the ongoing care of. It is the setting where I can rely on being able to give and receive care. That’s home to me.”
Patterson reflects on her time spent playing Lydia fondly, and is excited to bring her own growth to that of the character: “Lydia has a strong sense for what she wants in life and a strong connection to her sisters, but her station as a young woman of the time limits her. In this piece, I can’t wait to see her grow up and grow out of the forces that have limited her, while also staying connected to her sense of wonder and childlike joy. “
Joining Bailey in the cast are Jenny Denney, Kailyn Ball, John Langford, Brian Herrmann, Tiffany Warren, Seth Hart, and Addison Greer. The production team includes Thomas Alvey, Mary Clark, and Traci Bray.
Even with the traditions that bind us, families change and grow every year. The Wickhams: Christmas at Pemberley is a joyous celebration of not only nostalgia, but of finding the grace to love each other through our shortcomings. Flashback Theater invites your family to celebrate with ours this season, and look forward to the coming year with voracious hope.
Production Information
The Wickhams: Christmas at Pemberley
By Lauren Gunderson and Margot Melcon
Directed by Thomas Alvey
December 5-15, 2024
Somerset First United Methodist Church
In this sparkling sequel to Miss Bennet: Christmas at Pemberley (produced at Flashback in 2018), Gunderson and Melcon explore the grounds of Jane Austen’s Pemberley Estate (of Pride and Prejudice fame) from a new level: the downstairs servants quarters. To prepare for another busy holiday season, longtime housekeeper Mrs.Reynolds hires a new charge, a witty young maid named Cassie. Working together on holiday preparations, sparks begin to fly between Cassie and the estate’s inventive young footman Brian, but all comes to a screeching halt when a midnight arrival from a forbidden guest, Mr. Wickham, threatens to tear the family apart. This charming holiday tale captures the heart of Austen’s beloved heroines with a delightfully fresh perspective that all audiences can enjoy.
Performance Dates and Times
Thursday, December 5th, 7:30 p.m.
Friday, December 6th, 7:30 p.m.
Sunday, December 8th, 2:30 p.m.
Friday, December 13th, 7:30 p.m
Saturday, December 14th, 7:30 p.m
Sunday, December 15th, 2:30 p.m.
Ticket Information
Tickets can be purchased online at: https://fbtc.ticketleap.com/the-wickhams/ , by visiting the box office in person at 209A E Mount Vernon St. during office hours, or by calling the box office at (888) 394-3282, ext. 1. Box office hours are Tuesday through Friday, 11:00 a.m. – 4:00 p.m.
Single ticket pricing for the 11th Season of Flashback productions will be:
Adults – $23 Advance, $25 Door
Students – $12 Advance, $15 Door
Seniors – $20 Advance and Door
The best and most cost efficient way to see Flashback’s season of productions is by purchasing a Season Ticket. Season Tickets are $85 per person and guarantee you first pick of the seating arrangements, giving you the best seat in the house. Season ticket holders will be contacted in the first week of ticket sales for each show to confirm desired date of attendance. Your tickets for each production will be sent to your email. If you would like to pick up a printed ticket to give to a friend or transfer your tickets for a production to someone else, you are welcome to do so and need only contact the box office to make arrangements.
Season Sponsors & Supporters
Flashback Theater Co. is grateful to our 2024-25 Starlight Sponsors: Applied Behavioral Advancements, The City of Somerset, Kentucky Tourism, Arts & Heritage Cabinet, and The Shubert Foundation. Spotlight Sponsors: M&W Printing and CHI Saint Joseph London; as well as our Footlight Sponsors: David Daring Rentals, Lake Cumberland Regional Hospital & Lake Cumberland Residency Programs, First & Farmers National Bank, The Weigel Family, United Cumberland Bank, T. Ronald Kidd Trust, Somerset Community College, Buffalo Wings & Rings, and Citizens National Bank.
The Kentucky Arts Council, the state arts agency, provides operating support to Flashback Theater Co. with state tax dollars and federal funding from the National Endowment for the Arts.
The Wickhams: Christmas at Pemberley is presented with support from the show’s Title sponsor: Weichert Realtors. Additional support is provided by Artist Sponsors First Southern National Bank and Community Trust Bank, as well as Design Sponsors South Kentucky RECC and Phoenix Preferred Care.