The Thompson Playhouse will put on a dinner theatre on Saturday, March 17 at the Juniper Centre.

The six-person cast will be performing the play entitled Come Dine With Us while audience members are treated to dinner and dessert.

Thompson Playhouse mounted a similar effort Oct. 16, 2009 when they put on four brief comedy skits billed as Cheap Comedy – Rich Desserts in a fundraiser for John’s United Church where the skits were performed.

Beer & Skits, which had been Thompson Playhouse’s own chief fundraiser since its revival in 2008, didn’t make a fifth appearance at the Juniper Centre last month after city council bailed after winning three years in a row and only two community skits were entered in the 2011 event.

Donna Wilson from Thompson Playhouse and owner of Nanny’s Diner will be preparing the dessert Saturday night for Come Dine With Us and is also organizing the night of food and entertainment.

“I normally put on a Halloween bash at the Juniper Centre every year but I didn't get to do one last year,” said Wilson, “so I told them I would put on a dinner theatre in the spring and I'm really excited about it.”

Wilson made her directorial debut with the Thompson Playhouse with Dixie Swim Club last fall and has taken a step back this time around, and has Sue Colli, manager of the Thompson Gas Bar Co-op directing this production.

“A dinner theatre play is a little bit different than a full production,” said Wilson, “the dinner theatre is a bit less work, plus there's some ad-libbing with this production and it's not like your standard script.”

Wilson was tight lipped about giving away too much in regards to the details of the production but hinted that there would be some surprises in store for the audience.

“I don't want to give too much away, but the cast is having a lot of fun preparing for this and I think it's going to be a really fun night.”

The cast is made up of Katy Sweet, a public prosecutor with Justice Manitoba, who was called to the bar in 2010, Shannon Ethier, who worked with Wilson on Dixie Swim Club, Brian Colli, a sitting provincial court judge here, Kevin Hopton, Robyn Foley and Serena Puranen.

The show starts at 6:30 p.m. and tickets cost $30, with the proceeds going to the Juniper Centre.

Tickets can be purchased at Nanny's Diner or by phoning Donna Wilson at (204) 677-2297.