A Christmas Carol, Derby Theatre Review
A Christmas Carol production image. Photo by Ali Wright
Written by Sam for Theatre and Tonic
Disclaimer: Gifted tickets in exchange for an honest review
This new version of A Christmas Carol has been written by Mike Kenny but still follows the much-loved story from Charles Dickens.
Directed by Tom Bellerby, the story focuses on Ebenezer Scrooge (Gareth Williams), a miserable, cold-hearted, and selfish old man who despises Christmas and all things related to kindness and charity. Scrooge is a businessman who cares only about accumulating wealth and is indifferent to the suffering of others, including his loyal and only employee, Bob Cratchit (Oliver Mawdsley), whose family struggles to get by and lives with a poorly child. Scrooge isn’t the kindest to his cheerful nephew, Fred (Oliver Nazareth Aston), who invites him to Christmas dinner, and he refuses the invitation.
On Christmas Eve, Scrooge is visited by the ghost of his former business partner, Jacob Marley (John Holt-Roberts), who has been condemned to wander the earth in chains as punishment for his own greedy, selfish life. Marley warns Scrooge that he will suffer the same fate unless he changes his ways. Marley tells Scrooge that he will be visited by three spirits that night – Ghost of Christmas Past, Ghost of Christmas Present and Ghost of Christmas Future.
Scrooge is taken on a journey back through time to reflect upon his actions and then transported into the future to see the outcome of those actions if he doesn’t change his ways. The outcome of these visits from the spirits wakes Scrooge up from his long-term hatred of Christmas.
A Christmas Carol is a timeless classic that encourages readers to reflect on their own values, the way they treat others, and the impact of their actions on the world around them. It's a tale of hope and transformation that remains relevant year after year and will continue to grow as more adaptations are developed.
The cast is made up of actor-musos and these types of shows are one of my favourites as I’m always left in awe of the talent I’ve just watched on stage. Oliver Nazareth Aston, John Holt-Roberts, April Nerissa Hudson, Sam Lightfoot-Loftus, Oliver Mawdsley, Ali Mylon, Claire Lee Shenfield and Gareth Williams are the stars of the show and absolutely deserve every single round of applause they receive. They all combine their multiple performance skills into an engaging experience for the audience.
The ability to sing, act, and play instruments requires not only a diverse range of technical abilities but also a deep understanding of storytelling and emotional expression across different mediums. This level of versatility makes this show seem effortless and portrays excellent collaboration between the cast.
The set, designed by Jess Curtis is stunning and extremely atmospheric. The Victorian buildings are slim yet versatile and the movement during each set change by the crew was almost angelic – it felt like you were travelling in time with the buildings and also portrayed Scrooge’s state of mind as at times, he was confused, agitated and unsure of what was next.
There was one particular scene that I thought was well executed due to the lighting designed by Adam Foley. The lighting in this particular scene was deliberately dim, casting long, ominous shadows behind the characters and creating a silhouette of each person stood in front of the doorway. We couldn’t see their faces and it was intentional because it was a scene from the future talking about the death of a certain character from the town therefore making it an emotional experience for said character. Although the lighting was bright behind the set, the front of the stage was dark, cold and almost created a depressing atmosphere because Scrooge was gaining a better understanding of his fate. I loved the lighting throughout this whole show, but this scene stood out the most to me because I thought the techniques used were effective.
Overall, I think this adaptation of A Christmas Carol is wonderful. It will bring you joy throughout because there are some well-known classic carols sung, including a few mashups and these are brilliant. Ivan Stott, Sound Designer uses music, eery voices and sound effects to complement the scenes whilst taking the audience through the motions and giving them an authentic experience.
It’s always so great to see familiar faces returning and performing on stage at Derby Theatre. The actors never play the same type of character which I like, and I feel as though I’m watching them evolve each time. That’s why supporting local theatres are so important because you become familiar with the people involved on and off stage.
If you are looking for a modern-day version of A Christmas Carol, then Derby Theatre has plenty of tickets for you to take a wonderous trip back through time up until January 4th. This show is a joy to watch, so buy your tickets here.
★★★★★
