Ebenezer Scrooge has rejected everyone around him. His values are those of pounds shillings and pence, and he has no time for sentiment, charity, or humanity. In his world there is no place for those who cannot sustain themselves by their own net contribution, and he eschews all requests to help those less fortunate. “If they would rather die they had better do it and decrease the surplus population”. His life is a grey, joyless, misanthropic world of habitual sociopathic callousness, where happiness and kindness provide no function, have no value, and so deserve no time or effort. Into this world steps the ghost of an old colleague, Jacob Marley, cursed to roam the spirit world in misery and come to warn Scrooge to change his ways or earn the same fate. Through a series of visitations over successive nights Scrooge sees himself and his long lost friends, family, and associates in the past, present, and future Christmastides. He is drawn to the admission of what he has become, the realisation of what he has lost, and what could be otherwise. He makes the bold decision to change his ways, and finds true happiness in so doing.
A Christmas Carol is a wonderful tale. This new adaptation by Barry Brown contains the perfect mix of characters, situations, and settings to produce the ultimate in feel good factors. This hugely popular and well known story comes with a level of audience expectation that can sometimes be hard to meet. For it to work, it has to capture the real mood of Christmas, the tastes, smells, and feelings of anticipation, excitement and joy. The characters have to be big without being (too) over the top. It has to look good, sound good and flow. The Cratchits’ struggles and Scrooge’s transformation have to be believable. Scrooge has to take us along with him, and in so doing his rehabilitation helps us to reflect on the positive changes that we can make to our own lives, which is the main point.
This visually stunning production captured the mood perfectly. Rich, colourful, exuberant, evocative, it was, at times, also very touching. The representation of Tiny Tim and the Cratchits was beautifully done. Subtle and understated, it was heart melting. Scrooge’s transition was joyous to watch. You almost felt sorry for the old curmudgeon.
The combination of costumes (Gloria Milne & Sheila Pierre), lighting (Mark Easterfield), makeup (Hannah Curtis & Geraldine Hindley) and props (Beth White & Helen McCallum) produced many wonderful images and scenes. Jacob Marley’s appearance as a door knocker and reappearance as the ashen-coloured, chain-bedecked ghost was one of the highlights. The laundress, charwoman, and pawn broker dividing the spoils looted from the dead body of Scrooge was another. The group scenes (nephew Fred’s house, the Fezziwig’s and the street scenes), looked and sounded excellent, as did the ghosts of Christmases Past, Present and Yet to Come. Vibrant and energetic, this was delightful to watch. The transitions between scenes were slick, and imaginative making use of original music (Ian Favell), projected animations and images (Barney Brown & Ben Martineau), a custom soundscape with special effects (Paul Malpas & Mike Rudin), and the narration of Charles Dickens, who appears in this adaptation as a strikingly accurate representation of the author. The whole combination was harmonious without any apparent missteps or wrong notes. Coupled with period dances (Madeleine Forrester), and festive carols (Mike Milne), if you could capture a Victorian Christmas and gift wrap it then this would be it.
Ebenezer Scrooge (Scott Brindle) was hunched, irascible, and miserable. Cold in every way, there was always the hint that an explosive outburst was just a sharpened pencil or one ink blot away. Amongst the many strong performances this stood out especially. This was a superb characterisation, instantly recognisable, yet sensitively portrayed, expressive and full of emotion.
There were many strong performances.
Jacob Marley (Barry Brown) was a tormented soul shuffling through the otherworld carrying a burden greater than the chains around his neck and waist depicted. His sadness, frustration and anger when confronted by Scrooge’s disbelieving irreverence only served to make his words carry more portent.
Charles Dickens (Martin Woodruff) was an uncanny incarnation of the author himself. With beautifully clear diction and projection, his narration blended the action and story seamlessly and brought a new and original dimension to a familiar story.
The Ghosts of Christmas Past (Madeleine Forrester), Christmas Present (Ted Ridgway Watt), and Christmas Yet to Come (Mike Milne) commanded the stage and filled it with their presence. They were resplendent in their exquisite costumes, dialogue (where present) and movement. There was something magical about each. Christmas Past was a sensitive, caring, yet steely Christmas Fairy; Christmas Present resembled a Hagrid-esque Brian Blessed version of the Green Man; and Christmas Yet to Come was a disturbing wraith-like apparition who never spoke, communicating solely through physical gestures.
Empathy with the struggles of the Cratchit family is a central element of the play. The pity that we feel for the Cratchits is in stark contrast to the feelings that Scrooge has for them (or anyone for that matter), and it is this conflict creating the tension that makes the ultimate resolution all the more sweet. The depiction of the Cratchit family was delightful, perfectly capturing the excitement of Christmas, the chaos of family life, the stress of poverty overshadowed by the dark cloud of Tiny Tim’s illness. Mrs. Cratchit (Izzy Rees), Bob Cratchit (Guy Marshall), Tiny Tim (Elle Sutcliffe), Martha (Simona Morecroft) and Belinda (Rebecca Williams) worked together wonderfully delivering some very believable and moving family moments.
The madness of the big-haired Mr Fezziwig (Peter Dodds), the gloriousness of Mrs Fezziwig (Simona Morecroft), and the magnanimity of nephew Fred (Andy Dunne) brought out everything that is selfless about Christmas. From their hospitality through to their generosity of spirit, they showed Scrooge in ample measure how giving is as much a joy to the giver as it is to those who receive. These scenes at the Fezziwigs’ and nephew Fred’s were full of fun, warmth, and bonhomie.
Dick Wilkins (Luke Jones), Topper (Phillip Lloyd), Debtor (Lindsey McCaig), and Young Scrooge (Ben Magnus), completed the cast, providing strong support throughout. Many in the cast were called upon to play multiple parts, showing an impressive range of characterisations, too numerous to mention.
A significant turning point in the story hinges on Scrooge witnessing his own demise and aftermath. He sees his possessions roughly torn from him and divided amongst his Charwoman (Mandi Cattell), Laundress (Tricia Peroni) and his former henchman turned pawnbroker Old Joe (Nick Warburton). This was a wonderfully Dickensian moment, the soft underbelly meeting the truly gruesome. The characterisations and physical appearances of the “ladies” were wonderful and terrifying in equal measure. These were superb performances in a tremendous if all but too brief a scene.
The minimalist set with a solitary line drawn backdrop provided a simple setting against which a few carefully selected props were used to establish place and function (Barry Brown supported by the Lolworth team). The monochrome set was a clever design choice as it served to highlight the colours of the costumes without clashing or detracting. The lighting brought out the very best in both and was a feast for the eyes. The dropped apron and Juliettes were very successfully employed for the street scenes and worked well to suggest movement between time and locations.
This production, brought together by director Colin Lawrence and his backstage team of Joyce Fenton, Ben McKeegan, Rachel Chapman, Ian Bruno and members of The Penguin Club, is the very epitome of a truly traditional Christmas production. Full of joy, bonhomie, and spirit, it is a big hearted production and faithful reproduction of an old favourite. There is nothing in the world so irresistibly contagious as laughter and good humour.
A Christmas Carol marks a rite of passage not just for Ebeneezer Scrooge but for people the world over. When the spirit of Christmas is sidelined by commerciality, we need Charles Dickens to remind us of the real values of life as told through the lens of a Christmas celebration. It is a parable that reminds us that the greatest riches are beyond monetary value, and that as Scrooge eventually recognises; “the happiness he gives is quite as great as if it cost a fortune”. It is a mantra for everyday happiness, not just an outdated yuletide tale. You could say that A Christmas Carol is for life, not just for Christmas, and if we are to learn anything from Scrooge, it is that he knew how to keep Christmas well.