Tag Archives: TopShow2023

A Christmas Carol

★★★★★

The Old Vic

A CHRISTMAS CAROL at the The Old Vic

★★★★★

A Christmas Carol

“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.


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

Click here to see our Recommended Shows page

 

Nutcracker

★★★★★

Tuff Nutt Jazz Club 

NUTCRACKER at the Tuff Nutt Jazz Club 

★★★★★

Nutcracker

“McOnie’s clarity of vision and impeccable execution results in a production that is fun, fanciful, and doesn’t take itself too seriously”

Entering the Tuff Nutt Jazz Club, squirrelled away underneath the Royal Festival Hall on the Southbank, you can already tell you’re in for a treat of a production. A cool terrazzo topped bar awash with warm and inviting diffuse lighting greets you whilst upbeat, mildly festive jazz plays through the speakers to get you in to the spirit for one of dance’s quintessential Christmas favourites, reimagined.

Director-Choreographer Drew McOnie has devised a fresh and modern take on the classic ballet that maintains much of the structure but plays with form. Rather than Clara, we have Clive, who is waiting for Christmas in his small flat with his financially stressed father who would rather Clive played with Action Man than the fairy on the top of the Christmas tree. These two do not understand each other, but over the course of the next hour, through fantastical imaginings in Clive’s dreams, they come closer together.

Part of The Nutcracker’s enduring legacy is Tchaikovsky’s 19th century score, with key pieces, such as the dance of the sugar plum fairy, instantly recognisable and memorable. In McOnie’s production, these classical pieces are interpreted with a jazz influence by composer Cassie Kinoshi. Many of the most-loved refrains still drive the score, but are saxophone forward, reflecting the composer’s own instrument of choice. The four piece band, casually dressed in pyjamas, are perched on a small stage at the top of the club and are a pleasure to watch alongside the main action of the dancers.

But it is, of course, the dancers that take centre stage. Mark Samaras is utterly charming in the lead role of Clive, believable as a young boy all wide-eyed with wonder, whilst displaying a maturity of movement through self-assured rhythm and flow, all the more impressive given he is covering the role due to injury. Amonik Melaco as the modern nutcracker, Action Man, gives us a convincing transition from stereotypical masculinity to a more nuanced and fluid expression. His pas-de-deux with Sugar Plum Patricia Zhou towards the emotional climax of the piece is uplifting, physically and spiritually. The small cast of six are all strong and supple with heaps of charisma, each bringing a unique flavour, quite literally, to the piece.

“a sense of excitement to keep you on the edge of your seat”

A large part of what makes McOnie’s production so engaging is the intimacy afforded to it through the jazz club setting meaning you are close enough to see the sweat and catch a wink from the ensemble. There’s also tongue-in-cheek humour employed in unexpected ways. An interlude after the entry to Dreamland and the Waltz of the Snowflakes sees two of the snowflakes, in sequins and ski goggles, re-enter the stage with gold foiled leaf blowers to clear the confetti snow to a muzak version of the previous piece. Those faint of heart beware the front row! The leaps and bounds of the performers will be a whiskers width from you, but do not fear – these dancers are so in tune with their bodies there will be no risk of a collision, only a sense of excitement to keep you on the edge of your seat.

It all comes together as a beautifully constructed and almost immersive production. Set and venue design by Soutra Gilmour and costume by Ryan Dawson Laight are a real mash up of eras and styles with orange and brown tones screaming 1970s, contrasting with the bubblegum brights and sequins of Dreamland. The combination gives a familiarity of the festive season whilst keeping it contemporary and in line with the themes of the piece.

Reinterpreting such an iconic piece may appear a daunting task, but McOnie’s clarity of vision and impeccable execution results in a production that is fun, fanciful, and doesn’t take itself too seriously, whilst still employing the highest standards of creativity and artistry. A jolly production to kick off the festive season.


NUTCRACKER at the Tuff Nutt Jazz Club 

Reviewed on 4th November 2023

by Amber Woodward

Photography by Mark Senior

 

 

 

 

Five star reviews from October:

 

Dear England | ★★★★★ | Prince Edward Theatre | October 2023
Elephant | ★★★★★ | Bush Theatre | October 2023
The Least We Could Do | ★★★★★ | Hope Theatre | October 2023
The Ocean At The End Of The Lane | ★★★★★ | Noël Coward Theatre | October 2023
This Is Not A Circus: 360 | ★★★★★ | Jacksons Lane | October 2023

Nutcracker

Nutcracker

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