A Christmas Carol

Phoenix Theatre Company are a brand-new society to district 8 and it was a pleasure to see their first EVER production of A Christmas Carol, at The Daneside Theatre, Congleton this week.

Being a new theatre company can have many drawbacks such as development of theatre ideas and concepts, depth of cast talent and monetary funds to enhance the production. Phoenix Theatre Company admittedly are a community theatre hub who don’t just focus on productions. They are self-funded, and in this production of A Christmas Carol all the cast sourced their own costumes.

The director Beckie Morley is a previous multi NODA nominee and winner for her vision and direction and it’s not hard to see why in this production.  This version, adapted by ‘Ludlem’, was set in modern day and given a modern twist.  The modern reinterpretation was something I’ve not yet seen and for the most part it really worked and made the story more accessible.  The language (on paper) and the modern interpretation jar with each other slightly but it was delivered in a way that wasn’t jarring.  Using a minimalist set, I really enjoyed the use of the projections to establish locations and setting the tone for scenes.  I also liked the use of laptops, coffee cups and mobile phones which added to the overall concept.  The transitions between scenes were good also.  I loved the crowd scenes which were very well directed.

Of course, there were some areas of this production that needed more attention to detail such as the (empty) coffee cups acting (one of my pet peeves in theatre when actors don’t act the weight of the cup).  There was a distinct lack of projection overall which impacted on the storyline.  I also felt some of the characterisation was a little forced and superficial from some.

Overall, whilst this wasn’t an outstanding moving piece of theatre there is SO much potential from this theatre company.  There is an abundance of talent and directorial ideas and concepts.

The protagonist of this piece is Ebenezer Scrooge player by Aidan Jones.  Aidan told the story well and had good reactions.  I felt that Aidan was a little nervous (it was opening night) but he had a good rapport with the ghosts and reacted well to the varying situations.

Bob Cratchit was played by Dave Francis.  I loved Dave’s interpretation of this character.  He was very naturalistic and very believable. I enjoyed the use of stillness which helped create atmosphere.

Scrooge’s nephew was played by William Vickers. William used the stage well but his constant moving around was very distracting.  He also needed to remember that there was a ‘drink’ in his cup. William’s storytelling was good throughout.

Dave Parry had a good opening scene as Jacob Marley.  I would’ve preferred a little more light and shade to his moaning’s but he was entertaining nevertheless.

The ghost of Christmas Past, Present and Future was played by Emma Johnson.  Emma brought good light and shade and was suitably funny.  Her characterisations were a little superficial for me which jarred with the seriousness of Scrooge’s alter egos, however, I cannot fault Emma’s commitment to her role.

Mrs Cratchit (Sarah Shilcock) gave a naturalistic performance as the kindhearted mother. She had a lovely rapport with her family and despite a lack of general projection from the family, Sarah was well cast.

One scene that stood out was the one with the Old Man (Dave McCaddon), Mrs Dilber (Louise Mather) and the bag lady (Jen Brassington). This scene was filled with energy and pace and delivered very well from the actors, particularly Brassington.

The rest of the cast were well used throughout. The biggest problem was hearing the story. Projection was the major thing that was missing but as I mentioned above, the talent is certainly there. The crowd scenes were delightful, and it was great to see a full cast of youth and adults together onstage.  Even though this is Phoenix Theatre Company’s first ever show, it clearly won’t be their last.  I enjoyed this play overall, and once they develop technically, I cannot wait for their next production of The Lady in the Van (by Alan Bennett). This is community theatre at its best. The cast looked like they were a solid team and looked like they were having a ball onstage and that’s all that matters.
I thank Phoenix Theatre Company for their kind hospitality, and I wish them all the VERY best for the future!
 

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