Writer: Charles Dickens – adapted by Jack Thorne
Director: Matthew Warchus
Reviewer: Christine Stanton
“Enchantingly Festive“
4.5 / 5
~This review was originally written for The Reviews Hub ~
The countdown to Christmas never truly begins until you watch a version of A Christmas Carol – Scrooge’s dramatic transformation a festive staple during the holiday season. The Old Vic is now in its eighth year of their annual production and it’s an absolute magical must-see.
Dickens’ classic story of the grumpy, money-hungry Scrooge being visited by the ghosts of Christmas, is well known but always adapted slightly differently. John Simm is at the helm this season, playing a traditional style Scrooge – impatient, dismissive and quick-tempered. Rather than being shocked into submission at the unexpected haunting, he views it as a mild irritation, an inconvenience that catches him off-guard as he’s stashing his money away in hidden alcoves in the floorboards. As he’s shown his disappointing transformation from an imaginative lonely child, to the heartless miser he’s become, towards the depressing future that lies ahead, he’s eager to make a change and right his wrongs – just in time for Christmas Day.
The most wonderful thing about this impressive production is how fantastically immersed the audience are from beginning to end. The stage is in the round, so there isn’t a seat that disadvantages anyone, with the cast entering, exiting and performing in all corners of the room. In addition to this, the second act especially, calls on the audience to help out as part of the brilliantly fun scene where Scrooge enlists assistance in setting up the giant feast for the Cratchits. Again, while this would often normally only apply to the front rows, everyone in the theatre are part of the experience, passing down huge plates of food and ribbons of sausage links down onto the stage, before a giant steaming turkey is sent hurtling towards the cast on a zip-line. It embodies the community spirit of the finale, and connects everyone with child-like awe and endearment.
Though Simm is a well-known name and the main character, the show doesn’t allow him to steal focus from the rest of the cast, with everyone fully involved and participating in the majority of each scene. The best moments are when the entire cast collaborate together, a key example being during the gorgeous Christmas carol renditions on a series of handbells, creating beautifully moving music that entrances the audience. Rob Compton (Bob Crachit), Juliette Crosbie (Belle), Alastair Parker (Fezziwig) and Mark Goldthorp (Marley/Father) all give a great performance that brings the story to life, with Vinnie Stone (one of four actors to play Tiny Tim) enjoyably undertaking the role with confidence, warmth and energy.
Rob Howell’s costume and set design, in conjunction with Hugh Vanstone’s lighting is ethereal – the swinging, low-lit lamps on the ceiling perfectly creating a Victorian candlelit atmosphere. The occasional bursts of lighting through the floorboards, and the door frames rising occasionally (creaking and slamming expertly on time with Simon Baker’s sound design) to implement the structure of Scrooge’s home are other enjoyable, detailed touches that note that nothing has been missed or rushed.
As the snow releases from the ceiling, coating the audience as they joyfully giggle and gaze around in astonishment, it’s hard not to feel incredibly festive with this magical, moving, magnificent production.
Runs until 4th January 2025
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