A FREE screening of It’s A Wonderful Life on Saturday, December 22 is the culmination of a busy festive season at the Marine Theatre in Lyme Regis.

The Little Match Girl is a family show for Christmas inspired by Hans Christian Andersen’s traditional tale. Set in London on a snowy Christmas Eve, a little girl encounters the funny and zany characters of the vibrant city streets. This madcap and heartwarming show of visual storytelling, live music, and puppetry is written by T. A. Woodsmith, winner of the Sunday Times Playwriting Award.

On Saturday, December 15, families will welcome the return of the popular cinema double bill that sold out last year. This time, the Marine is screening Raymond Briggs’ The Snowman, and the sixties classic A Charlie Brown Christmas.

Another community event is the Marine Players' staging of A Christmas Carol, which has five shows from December 5 to 8. It marks 175 years since the publication of the Dickens classic. The Marine Players is a talented local drama group based in Lyme Regis. Formerly the Lyme Regis Dramatic Society, the Marine Players were formed in 2016 to forge a closer relationship with the Marine and attract a wide-ranging membership.

Theatre director Gabby Rabbitts said: "We’ve had a great year here at the Marine with fantastic support from our community and beyond from the likes of the Gannett Foundations, Lyme Regis Town Council, Ian Gillan, and Ian McKellen. Our free screening is our gift to the town and others to thank them for their support."

See marinetheatre.com for details and tickets.