It's Christmas, Carol

It’s Christmas, Carol was The Players at their best. This group not only write their own scripts but make all the costumes and scenery and to a very high quality. This year stretched them in another direction as three of the cast had to drop out due to leg injuries. But ever resourceful you just ask people who have helped out before, and they do. This is the power of this community-based group and if they had not told us of the changes we would never have noticed, it was that seamless.

As with all the Players shows, to explain the story, so cleverly written by Lavinia Finn, would be tricky but whatever it was it worked.

The evening started off with a note passed to me in their programme saying, “Hi Martyn, 3 changes to programme caused by infected hip joint, torn knee ligaments, broken hip. So tonight we have ………..”

The two main settings for the show were a bawdy boarding house and a Covent Garden theatre. In the boarding house we meet Carol. of the title, a simple barmaid, so well played by Alison Mawson. The landlady, Mrs Wallycobble, showing all her stage experience and the Cook (Barbara Franklin – one of the stand-ins, 48 hours’ notice) who looked as though she had been in it from the start.

In the theatre we meet some unusual “variety turns” Stan (Finlay Newton – another substitute, 4 days, notice), the strongest man in the world. Two Shakespearean actors, Edwin Booth (Dave Long) and Folger Fines (Roger Combe) who spend the whole show quoting The Bard. Madam Cosmina (Sue Andrews) the clairvoyant and her assistant Cynthia (Gail Woodhouse) and Compere, Reginald Richmond (Martyn Scott). All of these characters were well studied and when called upon danced and sang with the vigour required. Two outstanding characters, in more ways than one, were Jake Barber, alias Nellie (Peter Franklin) and Jake Burrows, alias Aggie (David Buckey). They were the star turn as they led the community singing, told jokes and custard pied a Noda Rep, thanks for that.

In between the two main settings there were many more characters, Scrooge (Graham Colombe), this well portrayed miserable old skinflint, became a friend to all by the end. Mrs Scrunchit, (Erica Roch), whos’ husband was “up north looking for coal” made us laugh every time she came on and her lovely daughter Teeny Tiny Tina (Harriet Duncan). This young lady stepped forward and wowed us with her lovely singing voice. Any Christmas Carol has to have a Charles Dickens (Iain Mawson) and Mrs Kate Dickens (Sam Duncan) both good characterisations. They were guided through this unusual telling of the tale by Lady Penelope (Morag Lloyd).

It would be unfair not to mention the dancing girls from the workhouse (Jennie Blowers, Jane Temple, Michelle Cobbett and Jane Stewart) who added their usual sparkle and finesse to all the routines.

Mrs Greer, (Fen Harrison) collecting for the suffragettes had only 24 hours’ notice that she was needed to fill in, what a good job she did.

This was overall a very enjoyable evening and I hope they all manage to recover as we look forward to the next show. Well Done everybody.    

 

 

 

 

 

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