Play: I thought the Christmas season in the city had already kicked off at the beginning of the month, but I was wrong.

It began in style last Friday, when theatre practitioner Jehan Aloysius and CentreStage Productions presented an exclusive mini preview of ‘A Christmas Carol – The Musical,’ an original adaptation with music and lyrics by Jehan himself.

Despite the limitations of the space and this only being a mini preview, what a performance it was and what a delight!

Featuring Jehan (playing Ebenezer Scrooge) and a host of talented actors and actresses, the preview saw songs and scenes being presented to friends and supporters of CentreStage Productions.

The full-blown production will take the stage next year and promises to be a visually spectacular theatrical event, with cutting-edge special effects, costumes, and more.

Here’s hoping that corporates step up and support CentreStage in this endeavour, as it once again prepares to spotlight homegrown theatre, music, and creativity in its inimitable style – as it has done for over two decades.

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Purpose: there’s a Christmas sale for a very worthy cause taking place this Sunday (15): ‘Tinsel and Tails’ by Tails of Freedom and The Little Island Sanctuary, on behalf of helpless animals.

Being held at No. 18, Skelton Road, Colombo 5 and open from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m., it will feature clothes, books, activities, food and beverages, and a lot more.

All proceeds will go towards Tails of Freedom’s rescue efforts and every purchase makes a difference so please support this worthy cause.

Plum pudding

Sliced roast lamb with mint gravy

Plates: The Terrace by Koluu launched a small festive menu that’s big on taste on Tuesday (10), featuring traditional Christmas dishes that delight, served in Koluu’s sumptuous style.

First on the menu is a caramelised beet and pear salad with feta and walnut crunch, which you will not be able to resist. My fellow diners and I scraped up every last bit!

Given how lovely the salads are on the regular The Terrace menu, I felt that Koluu would go even further with this special Christmas salad – and he did.

Next up is the roasted bell pepper soup with parmesan, which delivers a slow peppery punch even as it lulls you into a sense of comfort with its well-rounded flavours.

The mains are three mouthwatering meats – sliced roast turkey with gravy and cranberry stuffing; sliced roast lamb with mint gravy; and sliced roast pork with mustard and white sauce. All come with glazed vegetables, rosemary potatoes, and minted peas.

While I could not resist the pork, which was superb and saw me wiping my plate clean, my dining companions chose the turkey and lamb dishes and finished off every bite as well, raving about them all the while. 

There’s only one dessert and it is so perfect that nothing else is needed: Koluu’s absolutely divine plum pudding served with brandy butter. If you’ve had the good fortune of digging into this before, you know what I’m talking about.

Rounding off this sumptuous Christmas offering are two options to quench one’s thirst: a heart-warming mulled wine and a lip-smackingly-good eggnog. Of all the eggnog I’ve tried so far this month, this is the best in town, hands down.

The festive menu is on until 31 December and I’d recommend going (at least) thrice so you can try all the mains!

Tip: do not pass on the pudding, no matter how stuffed you are.