Photo: Charles Ross

One man will be tackling dozens of characters in two parody shows this week in Penticton, performing his own hilarious re-enactments of Lord of the Rings and popular Netflix show Stranger Things at the Penticton Art Gallery. 

Charles Ross performs one-man shows around the world, putting on critically acclaimed performances with the help of his co-writer TJ Dawe. One-Man Lord of the Rings got the seal of approval from Sir Ian McKellan himself, the actor who portrayed Gandalf in the original films. 

His latest show tackles the sci-fi phenomenon Stranger Things, putting the entire two seasons of the television show into a 75-minute experience. 

Ross relies on his physical acting to tell the stories, morphing from character to character. Penticton Art Gallery director Paul Crawford has seen both the shows, and is thrilled to be hosting the performances. 

"Watching the affable actor bop from hobbits to elves is a bit like watching an over-caffeinated toddler re-enact his favourite cartoon. You don’t get all of the details, but you get the gist, and it’s all terribly endearing," Crawford said. 

He added that while you catch more of the in-jokes if you've seen Lord of the Rings or Stranger Things, the shows are both still entertaining regardless of your knowledge of what they're based on purely because Ross is such a talented performer. 

Both shows are roughly 75 minutes in length, and start at 7:30 p.m. for one night only each. One-Man Lord of the Rings is on Tuesday, Nov. 13, and One-Man Stranger Things is on Wednesday, Nov. 14.

Tickets are $10 for students or $20 for adults, and can be purchased with cash only at the door, in advance at the Penticton Art Gallery or by calling 250-881-6112.