THEATRE REVIEW: A Christmas Carol - The Shakespeare North Playhouse, Prescot. Liverpool.

The north of England has acquired a real gem with The Shakespeare North Playhouse, which only opened its doors a few months ago. This modern theatre complex combines the timbered look of a contemporaneous Shakespearian theatre with everything that modern staging technology can provide both above and below the boards. All of this was shown off to full advantage in ‘A Christmas Carol’ which was remarkably sophisticated as well as being a very fast-paced production.

The cast of four took the audience on a frenetic journey of music, song and spectacle over a two hour show which included entrances from baskets, under beds and elsewhere, making full use of the theatre’s extensive range of trap doors. This was not just a very physical show but asked for (and received!) a fair amount of audience participation, which (just about) never went down to the banality of pantomime. The show managed to remain completely faithful to the Dickens story whilst displaying considerable flair and originality.

None of the four actors were ever off stage for very long as the familiar Dickens tale was re-set in Prescot whilst retaining a fully Victorian look and feel. This was a true actor/musician show with each actor playing a variety of instruments including accordion, bass, clarinet, guitar, violin, and saxophone. With such a variety of sounds, there was a remarkably varied amount of music. None of the songs were memorable but that was not the point; much of the styles were akin to 1920’s Berlin cabaret, designed to enhance or compliment the performance, at times in a very Brechtian manner. The actors would seamlessly swap instruments as they alternated between singing or playing whilst often dancing around the stage.

All the cast played a wide range of roles with the exception of Zoe West, who was Eliva as well as the central character Scrooge. The notion of a young, dark haired woman playing the normally grizzly old man seen in so many films at first glance seems incongruous but it unquestionably worked, because the characterisation (and costuming) was all there with even West’s curly hair lending itself to a Victorian style. A joke well into the play about Scrooge being ‘a bad lady’ was funny precisely because it demonstrated the audience’s acceptance of the male Scrooge presented to them. The star turn for each of the other members of the cast was playing one of the three ghosts. Jessica Dives was a lively Ghost of Christmas Past, in nice contrast to other roles of largely prim and proper Victorian types. Abigail Middleton gave a comic twist to the Ghost of Christmas Present (no spoiler here!), again in sharp contrast to roles such as a street beggar. Eddy Westbury was not just a very funny Ghost of Christmas Yet-To-Come (developing into a set-piece involving all the cast in a superb tangential departure from the norm) but was also very memorable as Scrooge’s deceased business partner Jacob Marley.

There were numerous nice theatrical touches including two clocks that seemed to have a life of their own. Lighting and smoke effects were used sparingly but imaginatively and a considerable amount of furniture and props were smoothly moved on and off stage through the show and without any assistance from stage-hands. This was a very funny and enjoyable show which gave each of the four actors considerable opportunity to display their wide-ranging acting and musical talents. The show was fully accessible to all ages whilst not in any way dumbed down. If you want to see a fun Christmas show that is free of inane, panto childishness, this is the show for you; a very slick and funny show.

Reviewer - John Waterhouse

on - 12.12.22