Each month we round up the most noteworthy live theatre playing in Toronto. This December features a host of holiday productions to help get audiences into the spirit of the season.

The Nutcracker / National Ballet - Four Seasons / Dec. 14 - Jan. 4 / 7:00pm/2:00pm / $25-$100+
After over fifteen years, the National Ballet's production of The Nutcracker hasn't missed a step. The ballet is a wildly imaginative journey through the decadent and playful sights and sounds of the Christmas season. Like a richly detailed picture book come to life, the production is full of magic and humour, which all the while encourages audiences to contemplate the true themes of the holiday. Check out our full review from last year.

Parfumerie / Soulpepper - Young Centre / Dec. 3-28 / 7:30pm/1:30pm / $51-$8
It's with good reason that Soulpepper continues to trot out Parfumerie each holiday season. Miklós László's production is, by all accounts, a play built for this time of year. It profiles the hustle and bustle of the season in a community perfume shop where the product isn't the only thing that lingers in the air—love, too, wafts through the store. The ideals of forgiveness, reconciliation, and good will anchor the storyline on a beautiful set from Ken MacDonald.

Little Mermaid / Ross Petty - Elgin Theatre / Nov. 22 - Jan. 4 / 7:00pm/2:00pm / $34-$93
That Ross Petty is up to his old tricks again, recruiting a young, talented cast of singers and dancers to delight audiences as part of the annual Christmas pantomime. This year's theme, the Little Mermaid, sports perhaps the most cringe worthy pun in recent memory, "Ontario's O-fish-al Musical." If the title alone makes you gag, you might want to avoid the show. It's a reflection of the type of jokes you're in for, amidst all the pop culture mash-up and goofing around.

A Christmas Carol / Montgomery's Inn / Dec. 5-29 7:00pm/2:00pm / $10-$20
Humber River Shakespeare presents a minimalist's approach to the classic story, A Christmas Carol. Five actors present the various characters from the Victorian tale, which features fated visits from the ghosts of present, past, and future. The correction of Ebenezer Scrooge is, by now, a well-known story, teaching us that to give is always better than to receive.

Weather the Weather / Evergreen Brick Works / Dec. 6-30 / 8:00pm/5:00pm / $12.50-$32
Theatre Columbus is the group behind The Story, the smash-hit, wandering Christmas show that originally premiered in 2011. The group is returning to the Evergreen Brick Words for more site-specific holiday fare. Playwright and actress Haley McGee is the brains behind the newest creation, Weather the Weather or how we make it home together, an original fairy tale inspired by northern folklore and our compulsion to ensure we've made it home for the holidays.

Elizabeth - Darcy / Campbell House Museum / Dec. 14-29 / 8:00pm/2:00pm / $20
This happens to be the only play on the list that isn't holiday focused. Nevertheless, Elizabeth - Darcy features the cozy and familiar characters of Jane Austen's Pride and Prejudice. Hallie Burt and Kate Werneburg play the title characters, giving the adaptation an innovative gender bend through which to view the classic tale. The Campbell House, which is fast becoming a theatre outpost for sight-specific period pieces, serves as the backdrop.

For more listings, head on over to the events calendar for local info updated regularly during the month.

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Photo from Parfumerie by Cylla von Tiedemann