A Christmas Carol

The Leeds Arts Centre tour of “A Christmas Carol” opened up at Slung Low, which is a community arts centre in Holbeck, Leeds. To stage a production in a series of community venues over a period of time can be a massive challenge, but LAC was certainly up for this. Congratulations to everybody at LAC for successfully taking drama out into the local community, giving locals an affordable classic festive treat.

Arriving at the warehouse space, a well-organised front-of-house team led by Shirley Broadbent gave a warm welcome to a rather cold warehouse and even had blankets to hand. Did the cold add to the atmosphere and feel of the winter tale? Well, possibly, but I have to say some people were uncomfortably cold despite the efforts by LAC. Perhaps something to bear in mind for any future ventures at Slung Low is lots of warning for people not familiar with the venue to be sure to wrap up warmly.

A well-presented programme, warm vintage colours, well laid out and packed full of information. Carefully selected pre-show music added to the atmosphere and created expectations, which, along with festoons of twinkling festive lights and dramatic winter wonderland art, dressed the warehouse venue nicely. Lovely projections created by Fern Langmuir aided the storytelling and set the scenes beautifully. The images added a strong focal point to the open staging, especially vital with the limited lighting options at the venue. This was quite a dark version of “A Christmas Carol,” and dark, shadowy areas contrasted with quite stark lighting, which worked well within this production. Ribbon sling cones on the arms of the aisle chairs were filled with candles as the show progressed. These were functional as well as adding an aesthetically pleasing period touch, creating a warm glow down the main aisle through the audience.

I did think that there were some sound issues at times due to the vastness of the venue, and the warehouse acoustics were certainly challenging. Good voice projection was certainly required here, and the cast had to work hard to be heard clearly. Music added a special touch to this show with good interactions supporting the storytelling. Well done to Stuart Faulkner with Paul and Rita Stead for interesting musical arrangements, violin, guitar, and mandolin playing an essential part in lifting the mood and helping to dramatise events. Thanks to Chris Watson, sound was well cued throughout the show.

Charlotte Riley had a challenging task providing an array of props, particularly the food for the Cratchit family feast, which, quite honestly, was a triumph. A well-resourced table out in the audience area allowed for characters to collect props easily, helping to keep things running smoothly. LAC had previously made a commitment to be a community-focused show, so rather than buying fresh food for props that would go to waste every night, they decided to make the feast out of paper and paint. The audience was invited to join in a food drive, and many were able to donate food to the Rainbow Junction food bank, which was a lovely touch.

Aidan Salehuddin created an impressive giant puppet which featured strongly as the ghost of Christmas future. Costumes were given a Dickensian feel and helped establish character successfully. Zoe Freedman, Jennifer Becker, Marie Kwater, Margaret Savage, and Jo Scott worked hard to achieve the look required for this production. Mia Thomson found a creative way of presenting furniture suitable for the changing locations and for varying venues. Her imagination achieved the required look to fit the director's vision and aid the storytelling. Minimalistic but organised set dressing helped the show to run smoothly.

Adapted for the stage by Spike Marshall, who certainly demonstrated an in-depth knowledge and understanding of Charles Dickens and, in particular, a love of The Christmas Carol story. This version had a strong focus on Scrooge and really explored his connection with people, especially showing his connection with the common person, which was an interesting twist. Spike encouraged everyone to look closely at the man himself and question whether Scrooge was in fact that different from any of us.

Entrances and exits were skilfully timed as characters moved through or sat among the audience giving an immersive feel. With Jacob Marley acting as a narrator but obviously playing with the audience trying to guide Scrooge through the story, attention was captured and held throughout. Good direction having him sitting and moving amongst the audience, as this added a realistic and immersive feel, which helped to power the story along. The bustling street scene worked especially well as Scrooge met miners, carollers, musicians, and even lighthouse keepers to help him get an insight into the world of people around him and understand what makes the season special. Catherine McRae created shadow puppets, and the action and film were an interesting way of presenting the reminiscences of Scrooge. Another strong feature was the portrayal of the ghosts of ignorance and want, giving them a voice. These two actors were a true menace, giving terrifying performances in a frightening vision of the future. Very memorable performances with a great rapport by Jack Pickup as the Ghost of Want and Barry Green as the Ghost of Ignorance. A dedicated cast portrayed an array of characters and had obviously worked hard on perfecting characterisations and understanding what the director was trying to achieve with this special adaptation. Congratulations to each and every one who worked together as a close-knit team to rise to the challenges of this production. Featured were Aiman Salehuddin as Jacob Marley, Ibrahim Knight as Ebenezer Scrooge, Simon Henson as Bob Cratchit/Christopher, Paul Comaish as Lighthouse Keeper/Ensemble, Jennifer Michel as Martha Cratchit/Sailor Ensemble, Lindsay Leng asMatilda/Musician Ensemble, Camilla Asher asClara/Tiny Tim/Ensemble, Melissa Fenton as Amelia the Carol Singer, Matt Haines as Fred, Michelle Whitaker as Mrs. Cratchit, Jay Lockwood as Ghost of Christmas Past, Laura Marshall asBelle/Belinda Cratchit, and Maya Delayahu as Ghost of Christmas Present.

LAC certainly encourages engagement and interest in the arts and are to commended for taking this special adaptation out into the community. Congratulations to Spike Marshall for having the determination needed to deliver this fresh adaptation of the well-loved classic. This production offered a slightly different view and made it more accessible for people. Working as director along with his assistant Tash Ford, these two make a formidable team, producing strong storytelling enriched with mirth, surprises, songs and carols, shadow puppets, and film. Together with the cast, characters were explored deeply and developed fully. Well done to the whole company, backstage, front stage, and production team, and special congratulations to everyone involved in making this a memorable performance.

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