A Christmas Carol

At the opening, the stage was set as a graveyard, to depict the funeral of Scrooge's business partner Jacob Marley. Scrooge was shown in silhouette on a raised area at the back of the stage, with the ensemble entering both from the wings and through the auditorium, to narrate the scene.  This style of narration, mixed with dialogue continued throughout the play, and this device created an excellent ensemble piece with plenty of opportunity for all the cast members to shine.

The raised upstage platform remained throughout and was used to good effect. Scene changes were performed by the cast swiftly and efficiently. The half-pulled upstage curtains helped to create different scenes and aided the unseen entrance centre-stage of some of the ghosts. The cast themselves were used to create Scrooge's door and door-knocker, and this physicality was a device that perhaps could have been utilised at other times, as it was skilfully done and added an extra dimension to the set. The scene changes were further enhanced by the singing of carols and wassails which were performed well by the ensemble, with some good harmonies.

Much of this story takes place at night, and whilst it requires a rather 'gloomy' atmosphere, I did feel that some areas of the stage were under lit. This was particularly the case with the forestage area, especially during the opening scene, when it was not possible to see the faces of the actors, and therefore to know who was speaking. The coloured lights on the plain cyclorama which formed the back wall were very effective.

Sound effects were realistic and well timed. Costumes, wigs and make up all combined to give a very faithful Victorian feel, and props were authentic and handled well.

This play depends so much upon the performance of the actor playing the central character of Scrooge. This was a solid performance by an accomplished actor, who resisted the temptation to use caricature, instead giving us a believable character who is transformed by his experiences through the story. We saw his early bad temper give way to his distress at witnessing his youthful rejection, initially by his parents, and subsequently by the woman he loved. His subsequent horror at the injustice in the world, shown to him by the Spirit of Christmas Present, and his fear of his own mortality, changed him into a delightful and generous old man, with a lovely infectious chuckle. The characterisation of Scrooge was aided by the portrayal of his early life by 3 younger actors, all of whom gave sincere and believable performances. 

The appearance of Jacob Marley's ghost was well-staged, and his costume was excellent, although there wasn't any sense of the chains being heavy. I felt that perhaps his demeanour could have been a little more frightening, particularly his 'roar'. Perhaps a lighting change at this time would have given it more weight. The other 3 Spirits all displayed nicely individual characters, aided by excellent costumes and make up. The Spirit of Christmas Yet To Come, with his/her face totally obscured by a hood, was particularly sinister and effective.

There were many other excellent characters created by the ensemble throughout this piece. The Cratchits were a believable family, with Bob striking just the right level of subservience to Scrooge, yet coming into his own when surrounded by the people he loved. His sorrow at losing Tiny Tim seemed very real. Tiny Tim's rendition of 'Away in a Manger' was beautifully and confidently sung, and a real crowd-pleaser! This is a good point to mention the other excellent performances by the younger members of cast; from the youngest through the different age-groups to the teenagers, all the young people were disciplined and fully committed at all times. It is no easy task to handle so many different age-groups in an ensemble piece, and the Director is to be commended for his sensitive work in this way. There were many other memorable characters, too numerous to mention.

The direction as a whole was imaginative and skilful. The action flowed seamlessly from one 'episode' to the next with good pace, yet each part of the story was given due emphasis. The small stage was used to good effect. The centrally placed bed meant that we were never sure where the Spirits would appear from, heightening the tension. When Scrooge looked out of his 'window' facing upstage at the back, we saw who he was talking to on the forestage, and this was an excellent device, particularly when it allowed us to witness the incredulity of the small 'boy' who was asked to go and buy the turkey.

The live music (piano and violin) enhanced the production, and it continued through the interval for added entertainment value.

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