Christmas isn’t complete without watching A Christmas Carol, or certainly not in our household. The classic tale of the transformation of Mr Scrooge not wanting any part of Christmas then, after being visited by three ghosts, turning into a man who wishes goodwill to all and promises to keep the spirit of Christmas in his heart the whole year round. It’s a story that can be seen in many incarnations from film, to pantomime to the original text. I have to say the performance I saw at Theatr Clwyd tops them all.
The show was performed as promenade, so once you step into the studio you are instantly transported to 19th Century, Victorian Britain. You are greeted by all manner of street sellers. You are given a token and can exchange this for a variety of treats, lollipops, ginger bread, mistletoe. My favourite, however, were the Christmas wishes which were then placed on the Christmas tree. A lovely touch that really gave you sense of being a part of the performance. All the actors interacted with you and the carol singers even invited you to join them. It was a wonderful start and such great fun.
Scrooge makes a rather abrupt entrance which sets the tone for his character. Steven Elliott was a joy in this role. His Shakespearean background most definitely coming into play. His booming voice created the archetypal scrooge witha performance full of gravitas. It also made his transformation and softening all the more profound.
The voice of the Ghost of Marley soon led us into the Emelyn Williams auditorium and it was here the ghosts visited Scrooge. Multiple entrances were used to keep you involved and direct audience address also kept you immersed in the show.
A single bed in the corner of the stage and a rickety wardrobe were the only set on stage bar some wires that had pages crumpled up and strewn on it. The pages representing the pages of Scrooge's life and the debts he’d acquired both through his job and the debts to humanity he owed. It was a well thought out and interesting set. The sparsity of it reminding you of the loneliness in Scrooge's life. The bed was functional and most of the acting centred around it. The wardrobe was used for the entrances of the ghosts and coupled with the heavy amounts of dry ice and ambient lighting, it proved most effective.
The best entrance however was that of the Ghost of Christmas Future. The whole theatre was lit with flashing lighting, eerie music, scrooge shouting and then a black out. After the blackout the ghost stood on stage. The actor who played Tiny Tim dressed in a white shroud. His face hidden, a truly terrifying sight. The ghost did not speak which added to his terror. This ghost certainly brought the fear.
Even though the performance had some scary bits it is very much family friendly. The comedy was innocent such as Tiny Tim singing a song about farts! The performances big enough to provide humour in the reactions of the characters. The children in the audience were also used throughout the performance to go on stage and become a part of the performance. They were used in a game of hit the frog, as dance partners, as bell ringers and constantly asked questions by the actors. With a run time of one and a quarter hours this also made the performance a family friendly one.
It was such an immersive experience and one I would happily repeat. The show left me with a sense of well being and Christmas spirit. A definite must-see for the festive period.
Reviewer - Francesca Eager
on - 18/12/19
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