★★★★★

“The quality and theatricality of this production is unparalleled”

Few pieces of literature have had such a profound impact on how we think of Christmas today as Charles Dickens’ A Christmas Carol. Has the festive season truly begun unless you’ve read the book, seen a TV adaptation or listened to the Great Gonzo and Rizzo the Rat tell their version of events? With so many adaptations across different mediums it’s hard to pick favourites, or see in advance what another one might bring to the table.

Enter Matthew Warchus’ production at the Old Vic, now in its fifth year at the venue and with US, Irish and Australian versions on the roster. Having passed the poster for the show many times over the years, I have cynically thought this production would be more about fattening the goose of the Old Vic at a time of thin gruel for theatres. This may well still be true, but there are more joyful reasons I am now sure this show comes back, year after year.

The quality and theatricality of this production is unparalleled. The auditorium of the Old Vic is transformed with a cross-shaped stage to bring the audience in to the action, quite literally, with mince pies and satsumas handed out by ushers and actors before they seem to spontaneously start to perform. Recognisable carols are sung by the cast throughout, elevated by the tinkling of handbells and supported by a string quartet some of whose members occasionally grace the stage to play the fiddle alongside the chorus. It leans in to the best parts of live performance with aplomb – audience interaction, mesmeric set and resonant live sound to fully immerse the audience in Dickens’ Victorian Southwark.

“The final act is full of Christmas magic that will have you gasping in awe”

Eccleston is fearsome as Dickens’ miserly Mr Scrooge, a character whose name and exclamation of ‘Bah Humbug’ have become shorthand for anti-Christmas sentiment. He embodies the tight-fistedness of the role, striding across the stage sweeping his tattered coat behind him and adding a Shakespearean flair to his enunciation. Jack Thorne’s adaptation gives more depth to Scrooge’s backstory, finding the cause of his fastidiousness to finance in the debt-ridden woes of his father and desire to provide for his first love Mr Fezziwig’s daughter, Belle, artfully portrayed by Frances McNamee.

One of the reason’s this 180 year old story is so enduring is its message of hope and charity. Who couldn’t be moved by the Cratchit family? It’s not just Tiny Tim, adorably portrayed by Freddie Merritt as one of four actors on rotation, but the warmth and adoration of Rob Compton as Bob Cratchit for his darling wife despite the meagre mealtime offerings that warms the hearts of the audience and Mr Scrooge. His evolution to a man who “knew how to keep Christmas well” is delightfully uplifting with so much to see and be excited by. The final act is full of Christmas magic that will have you gasping in awe as a result of Rob Howell’s set and costume. Full credit due to the expertise of the full crew for delivering such a thrilling production.

Isn’t a production like this just what we love about Christmas? The ritual. The repetition every year of the same decorations, carols, movies. It allows us to live in a world where nothing has really changed, everything is simple, and there is promise that we can reset and start over again. No matter what there is to come or what has gone before, we are safe in the knowledge that at this time of year we know the next line, and the one after that. No matter if it’s Christopher Eccleston, Michael Caine, or Suranne Jones delivering it. Make this show a Christmas tradition, particularly if you have young children. It converted this Scrooge and will you too.

MATES IN CHELSEA at the Royal Court Theatre

★★★

“There’s a panto energy too, especially in Rory Mullarkey’s script which is laden with one liners”

I leave the theatre feeling a little empty. A play that set out as a call to arms for class warfare has fallen strangely flat. For a while I struggle to put my finger on what didn’t work. How did a play that should be such an easy laugh not quite manage it?

The concept is strong, if straight out of a PG Wodehouse. In modern day London, Tug Bungay (Laurie Kynaston) is a professional viscount. He, along with his fabulously posh, fabulously camp best mate Charlie (an absolute standout George Fouracres) is a profligate wastrel, ambling through his charmed life without aim or purpose. Until his mother (scene stealer Fenella Woolgar) informs him that the money is gone and she’s selling his castle to a mysterious never-photographed Russian oligarch. Cue a series of farcical antics to keep the castle in Tug’s hands, how handy that Charlie has the phone number of a cultural costumer…

It’s pacey, and Act II has some really strong comic moments – mistaken identity and ridiculously over the top impressions are always a laugh. Sam Pritchard’s direction makes the plays feel like a Victorian parlour game, with people popping out at convenient moments, only to return for punchline reveals. There’s a panto energy too, especially in Rory Mullarkey’s script which is laden with one liners – every line is a joke, which can be fun, but does emphasise how few manage to land.

The trouble is – what’s the point? If it were a PG Wodehouse it wouldn’t matter. His genius was writing a satire which never acknowledged being a satire, and simply existed on one level – the farcical ridiculousness poked enough fun at the British upper class that there was no need for Bertie Wooster to make wry remarks about mortgages. Anthony Neilson wrote an excellent article in defence of story on stage, arguing that plays need not have ‘a message’. This is something I wholeheartedly agree with, and this play might have worked better if it had just tried to do one thing. While there are some strong farcical moments, it gets a bit lost in a convoluted socio-political commentary. It winds up too toothless for a satire yet too worthy for a farce.

“There are some moments of great, silly fun, and some interesting social comment.”

The cast are strong. Woolgar is wonderful, subtly treading the line between comic and tragic. Also, Amy Booth-Steel as Tug’s Leninist housekeeper is fabulous, albeit in a part which is at best uncomfortable and at worst feels like a revamping of the old stereotype of the idiotic help.

Milla Clarke’s design conjures the tone well, the first half is a minimalist Chelsea apartment, complete with pop art portrait of Tug. The second half takes place at Tug’s castle, which is designed like an ‘80s Tim Burton film – high hedges and a hanging pop horror sign welcoming us to Digby Grange. Perhaps a bit of a mixed visual metaphor but it is fun, and in keeping with the tone of the play.

The irony of this play being at the Royal Court, situated in the heart of Sloane Square cannot be ignored. The biggest laughs were knowing insider chuckles, rather than at targeted anti-aristocrat barbs. Throughout, it is not clear who the intended butt of the joke is.

There are some moments of great, silly fun, and some interesting social comment. But the whole thing feels weighed down with intention, and that makes it hard to relax into the comedy, or enjoy it as a satire.

Tag Archives: Manuel Harlan

A Christmas Carol

★★★★★

The Old Vic

A CHRISTMAS CAROL at the The Old Vic

★★★★★

“The quality and theatricality of this production is unparalleled”

“The final act is full of Christmas magic that will have you gasping in awe”

A CHRISTMAS CAROL at the The Old Vic

Reviewed on 22nd November 2023

by Amber Woodward

Photography by Manuel Harlan

Previously reviewed at this venue:

Pygmalion | ★★★★ | September 2023

A Christmas Carol

A Christmas Carol

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Mates in Chelsea

★★★

Royal Court Theatre

MATES IN CHELSEA at the Royal Court Theatre

★★★

“There’s a panto energy too, especially in Rory Mullarkey’s script which is laden with one liners”

“There are some moments of great, silly fun, and some interesting social comment.”