A Christmas Carol
Derby Theatre
26th November 2024
Adapted by Mike Kenny
Directed by Tom Bellerby
Reviewer Rebecca Morris
Derby Theatre’s latest adaptation of A Christmas Carol directed by Tom Bellerby does a fine job of portraying the familiar Dickensian Yuletide story, in an ever-timely fashion.
Featuring a versatile ensemble and an outstanding Scrooge, this version of the famous ghost story leans heavily into the ‘spooky’ and puts children right at the heart of everything that it does, which is certainly an homage to the feel and intention of the original novella which was written by Dickens in response to an 1843 Parliamentary report by Dr Thomas Southwood Smith, on the plight of child labourers. Powerfully performed, and including a raft of actor-musicians who successfully create an evocative and ghostly atmosphere, this version of the tale is a smoky, creepy love story to all things Dickens.
The story of Ebeneezer Scrooge probably needs no recap but is ultimately the story of a miserly and bitter man, devoid of human kindness. On Christmas Eve, he is visited by the ghost of his former business partner, Jacob Marley, who advises him that he is destined to wear the chains he forged in life well beyond the grave, and urges him to repent by sending three spirits to haunt him—the Ghosts of Christmas Past, Present, and Yet to Come. Through these visits, Scrooge confronts the impact of his actions, his loneliness, and the grim fate that awaits him if he does not change.
Where the adaptation truly succeeds is in how it effectively draws the audience into Scrooge’s transformative journey, and it does so while delivering timely commentary on social issues that we cannot fail to recognise. Centralising children right from the opening scene of a group of young Christmas carollers fatefully singing under a streetlamp close to Scrooge’s office door, including them in pre-recorded whispers played throughout Scrooge’s journey through time, creating a large Cratchit family, and gathering them all at the end to fetch the turkey from the next street, they are never far from the narrative, represented by the many times Scrooge utters “children, children” under his breath and the Ghost of Christmas Present advising that “children are everywhere” reminding us of the intention behind the creation of the story.
At the heart of the production is Gareth Williams‘ as Ebeneezer Scrooge. Delivering a riveting and delicious performance which traverses from miserly and cantankerous, through transformation to giddiness and joy, he anchors the show capturing the emotional depth required to demonstrate the character arc of the title character. Particularly moving are the scenes with Ali Mylon’s Ghost of Christmas Present, which are often played for jollity and laughter, but which in this version very much include commentary on Scrooge’s gradual realisation of the missed opportunities and questionable personal choices he made throughout his life. Oliver Nazareth Aston makes for a joyful and empathetic Fred and also doubles up as the Ghost of Christmas Future “speaking” through the medium of the playing of a cello, distorting well known Christmas music into minor keys, which beautifully frames the terrifying discoveries that Scrooge makes. The Ghost of Christmas Past is played by one of the Young Company who presents a charming and mature portrayal of this character. A mention must also go to Oliver Ashworth as the kind-hearted Bob Cratchit and the versatile Claire Lee Shenfield as Belle and Lucy, and April Nerissa Hudson as Mrs Cratchit, both of whom multi-role several characters as part of the actor-musician ensemble.
Adam Foley’s lighting design helps to shape the production’s mood and atmosphere, complementing Jess Curtis’ beautiful modular set. The set, according to the programme, was inspired by a line in the novella describing Scrooge’s house looking as though “it must have run there when it was a young house playing at hide-and-seek with other houses and forgotten its way out.” Certainly, the combination of the three tall, skinny building facades, which open both sideways and end-on, evoke an atmosphere of the 19th century London which Scrooge inhabits, and serves as split-level reminders of the dark and cramped conditions which many of Scrooge’s debtors lived.
Sonum Batra’s music choices are wonderful, enhanced greatly by the incredibly talented cast of singers and musicians. Echoes of familiar Christmas carols and festive music combine to support the text in a spectrum covering joyful outbursts to melancholy isolation and every stop on the way, and the live nature of the music is pivotal in drawing in the audience to the soundscape on show. A note on sound, though, as some additional sound effects were superfluous and sometimes unnecessary – a door creaking open and closing with a bang not quite in synch with the action on stage, and several other sounds from the auditorium speakers which served to remove us from the stagecraft, rather than immerse us in it.
Where this production falls a little short is in occasionally trying too hard. Jacob Marley (John Holt-Roberts) is creepy enough without an over-the-top rendering of moaning and wailing, and the constant moving of the houses every couple of minutes in the first act is at times distracting. The Fezziwig scene is a touch too long, but does give the musicians a chance to shine. The script adaptation (Mike Kenny) is an interesting one, staying close to the text of the novella, omitting some of the more well-known passages, and allocating key lines to character-narrators to progress the story, which actually it could have withstood more of. It was interesting that in this version, Mrs Cratchit was named Joan and Fred’s wife named Lucy, when (although not given first names in the original) they are more frequently known as Emily and Clara respectively. Perhaps a nod to removing the legend of A Christmas Carol away from a certain adaptation involving muppets.
Derby Theatre have produced a solidly spooky and Dickensian version of this story here, which aligns brilliantly with their Acts of Kindness appeal which asks audiences to donate tickets for community partners of the theatre, including care-experienced young people. Given the stark foregrounding of marginalised children throughout this production, it is a timely reminder of what the original novella was about.
A Christmas Carol is a celebration of the power of change and of humanity, liberally scattering Christmas cheer and magic, with a backdrop of social and personal responsibility, and this new version by Derby Theatre certainly embraces all of those things. With a runtime of under two hours, and a near-constant supply of immaculate live music, this version provides a great evening out, ensuring that all who attend will leave with something of the original Christmas spirit.
