THE 1946 American film 'It’s a Wonderful Life', produced and directed by Frank Capra and starring James Stewart as the hapless Gorge Bailey, has become a favourite for screening during the Christmas season.

Now Lighthouse Theatre bring it to life as a 1940s-style radio play touring to venues including the Machynlleth Tabernacle Centre tonight (Friday, November 15); and at The Hafren, Newtown on Saturday, November 30; at Theatr Brycheiniog, Brecon, on Monday, December 9; and at Aberystwyth Arts Centre on Friday and Saturday, December 13 and 14.

In the film Stewart plays a man planning suicide on Christmas Eve until his guardian angel, Clarence shows him how different life in his community of Bedford Falls would be if he had never been born.

Daniel Llewellyn-Williams plays George, and with the help of an ensemble of five other actors and a live foley artist creating the sound effects, and original music, the story of idealistic George Bailey unfolds and it takes help from the lovable angel, Clarence, for George to have a change of heart and understand the true spirit of the Christmas.

With the help of the 'studio audience', Lighthouse Theatre capture all the spirit and atmosphere of the old radio productions to bring the story to life again.

Swansea-based Lighthouse Theatre is a touring theatre company, run by co-directors Sonia Beck and Adrian Metcalfe, dedicated to producing character-driven interpretations of classic texts, screenplays and new writing for audiences not commonly associated with mainstream theatre, as well as for more traditional theatre audiences.

For ticket availability for Machynlleth call 01654 703355, for Newtown call 01686 614555; for Brecon call 01874 611622; and for Aberystwyth call 01970 623232.