A Christmas Carol- Derby Theatre

****

An all new production written  and adapted from the Dickens original by Mike Kenny and directed by Tom Bellerby.

A clever set  (  by Jess Curtis who also designed the costumes) features the separate  façades of  three individual town houses which rotate to revolve the interiors.

The success of this evergreen classic hinges on the casting of Scrooge, played in this casting  by Gareth Williams.

I naturally empathise with Scrooges’s world view on Christmas. Williams is magnificent with lamb chop sideburns and doleful demeanour pouring scorn on bright eyed children and their adult acolytes. This leitmotif, epitomised by “Bah humbug”,  is adroitly deployed without veering into overkill.

There are a number of festive productions popular at Christmas time.  “A Christmas Carol” is a favourite, and with good cause. Its message of festive cheer and hope at the expense of parsimony and gloom is evergreen, its allure  hinging on the  conversion of grumpy Scrooge to fellow traveller with the festive hullabaloo.  It is the perfect entrée into Christmas which  ended with me following in Scrooges example and looking forwards to, rather than dreading, Christmas.

Scrooges’ opening rant about the poor having Christmas and the workhouse to look out for them could have been written by the speech writer for Kemi Badenoch, with him in full Victorian Curmudgeon, rather than philanthropist,  mode.

The lighting and mood is dim and dour with poverty, beggars and orphans omnipresent. What lifts the production is live on stage folk style music adapting traditional hymns, carols and  songs, Sound Designer is Ivan Stott working alongside Musical Director & Arranger Sonum Batra and deputy Musical Director Eliza Waters.

Although two hours long , director Bellerby maintains  a lively pace with something for everyone. The social commentary is faithful to Dickens’ vision in the novel, the script is humorous and witty, the Victorian sense of Christmas, both in spirit and stage presentation, will delight  older children in a family friendly production.

Charity and overseas aid have come under much media scrutiny recently in an era of financial austerity, Dicken’s reminder that it is our humanity which binds us together and can make us great is as pertinent now as it has ever been.

Scrooges’  faithful employee Bob Cratchit  is wonderfully  portrayed byOliver Mawdsley . The  ensemble cast delight,  not least with outstanding acapella harmonies ably augmented by a talented group of child actors all pleasingly choreographed by Movement Director  Jon Beney.

All contribute to an atmospheric graveyard scene impeccably  lit by  Adam Foley.  Two female voices impressed, Claire Lee Shenfield  as  Belle and April Nerissa Hudson as Joan Cratchit / now  deservedly a veteran and favourite  of the Derby stage. As a trivia note, that vocal pedigree is underpinned by   Gareth Williams’ history as a member of 1970’s hit vocal group The Flying Pickets.

 Younger children may need encouragement with the wordy narrative, older children will be pleasantly surprised by how much they enjoy it.

This is a lovely Christmas show which runs until Saturday 4 January 2025.