The latest production of the Dewdney Players is already receiving rave reviews from it's opening weekend.

Until Saturday, November 26 "It's A Wonderful Life" will be playing at the Rotary Performing Arts Centre.

Director Sherene Schmidtler says the crowds were at near capacity opening weekend.

"Our box office numbers for our opening night on Friday actually surpassed that of Calendar Girls and we know it was a huge success for Dewdney," she says.

This version of the 1946 film goes into the vault in how plays were created at around the same time the film came out, patrons will get a first hand look at how a radio play was produced as the effects and sounds are all on stage during the production.

Schmidtler says the crowds have really taken a shine to it.

"In watching the audience sometimes it's like watching a tennis match they're looking at the folding table, they're listening to the story, watching the actors, it's a very dynamic show it's quite different from what Dewdney has done in the past."

On top of the radio play phenomena, there's only five actors playing a number of roles.

"They create over 100 different sound effect live using things from corn flakes to jelly beans to broken glass. Then we have five voice actors who altogether create 70 different distinct voices to tell this story."

The remaining show dates are:

November 17
November 18
November 19
November 24
November 25
November 26

All start times are at 7:30 p.m.

Click here for tickets.