A Christmas Carol

The Crescent Theatre

Sheepcote Lane

Birmingham

5th - 16th December 2023

Regarded as one of the greatest novelists of the Victorian era, Charles Dickens has created a collection of some of the finest fictional and most well known characters in the world!

There are few plays where we can recall and quote such infamous lines as Scrooge:

’If I had my way, every idiot who goes around with Merry Christmas on his lips, would be boiled with his own pudding, and buried with a stake of holly through his heart. Merry Christmas? Bah humbug!'

And Tiny Tim’s immortal words

‘God bless us every one!’

Where the name of the leading character from a novel has entered the Oxford English Dictionary with the definition of ‘used allusively to designate a miserly, tight-fisted person or killjoy.’

The term Scrooge has become part of our everyday language  and I’m sure we can all recall a time and a place where we have either used the word to describe someone or witnessed a Scrooge related scene!

The novel ‘A Christmas Carol’ dates back to its published year of 1843, to be precise December 1843 where it was proclaimed as a new gospel, becoming an instant bestseller. And on the publishing date, the 19th December 1843 approximately 6,000 copies of the novel were sold with a second printing of 2,000 copies being snapped up by the 6th January 1844!

Over the years there have been many adaptations around the world both in print and on screen ranging from animation, drama, comedy and musicals including the classic 1951 ‘A Christmas Carol’ starring Alastair Sim, Albert Finley in the 1970 musical version ‘Scrooge,’ ‘Scrooged’ (1988) starring Bill Murray, 1983 saw Disney release ‘Mickey’s Christmas Carol,’ and Michael Caine appeared in 1992 with the Muppets in ‘The Muppet Christmas Carol,’ legendary George C Scott led a talented cast in 1984 ‘A Christmas Carol’ and who can forget the Rowan Atkinson Blackadder Christmas special; ‘Blackadder’s Christmas Carol’ (1988) where we see a completely contrasting  role or role reversal where Ebenezer after being visited by the spirits changes from kind to a complete miserable, tight fisted miser!!

With a hard act to follow and a well trodden story on both stage and screen The Crescent Theatre bring the old, penny pinching miser to life this festive season.

On a cold Wednesday evening and a full auditorium the opening scene is surreal and extremely eery with several characters draped in red gowns silently approaching the audience and cascade into the background revealing the key characters of the story.

The key character being Ebenezer Scrooge who is initially visited by the ghost of his former business partner Jacob Marley and of the three spirits; the ghost of Christmas past, the ghost of Christmas present and the ghost of Christmas yet to come. The suspense, tension and sense of anticipation is created throughout the production of the chiming of the clock prior to the visit of each spirit. The most eery part being the ghost of Christmas yet to come who answers no questions and whose silhouette can be seen on the backdrop of the stage!

I’m not sure if a theatrical smoke haze machine was available but it may have created a heightened level of tension in the scene with the coffin, as it becomes reality to Scrooge that this is his destiny.

The main character of Scrooge played by Phil Rea was performed perfectly and captured the essence of the elderly miser, sustaining and commanding an air of authority throughout.

Act II after the interval, and the whole performance comes to life, unravelling the story and as the life of Scrooge is revealed it leaves you pondering on your own life and humanity in general.

The heartbreaking scene of the loss of Tiny Tim leaves you with a huge lump in your throat, a tear in your eye and a deep feeling of pain. These feelings leave as the future decisions that Scrooge makes changes the course of history.  Bob Cratchit played by James Browning held the family together and I felt was perfectly cast for this role on both his accent and his general demeanour particularly in the early office scene and with his family around the table in the latter parts of the play.  He demonstrated a beautiful rapport with Tiny Tim something which is pivotal in A Christmas Carol! And of course Tiny Tim melted the hearts of the audience with his line ‘God bless us everyone!’  It would have been enjoyable to have seen the scene where the turkey is delivered to the Cratchit house which had been omitted but this did not hinder the production.

The whole stage was used to its full potential including the fabulous and imaginative use of the stage trap door! A backdrop of St Paul’s Cathedral, London with the scenery depicting housing in a drab Victorian London and characters dressed appropriately in period costume. This version is not a musical, although there are some scenes of carefully choreographed dance and some singing but these are secondary to the main scenes being in the background. What was most enjoyable were the split scenes and freeze framing of two scenes performed simultaneously, addressing key moments.

Literary fans of Charles Dickens or for a festive feast of theatre this Christmas then ‘A Christmas Carol’ should be high on your list this season. A Christmas Carol is currently at The Crescent Theatre, Birmingham until the 16th December 2023. For tickets and further information regarding booking visit www.crescent-theatre.co.uk