A Christmas Carol (2019)
by Charles Dickens, adapted for the stage by Neil Bartlett
Performances: Thurs 12th to Sun 15th & Wed 18th to Sat 21st December 2019 (with Saturday and Sunday matinees), Old Fire Station
Contents
Introduction
Charles Dickens's classic tale of how rich people must be supernaturally terrorised into sharing.
Cast
- Justin Bikram - Ebenezer Scrooge
- Elena Markham - First clerk / a ghost in limbo / a bell of the City of London / Harry / Miss Belle Fezziwig (Scrooge's fiancée) / Belinda Cratchit / Fred's wife / first fat businessman / a shopper / woman selling bedclothes and nightshirt
- Susan Stillman - Second Clerk / Scrooge's watch / first portly gentleman / a ghost in limbo / Tom / Scrooge's sister / Mrs Fezziwig / Scrooge's ex-fiancée's daughter / a bell of the City of London / Mrs Bob Cratchit / a shopper / second fat businessman / Mrs Dilber
- Simon Gleisner - Third clerk / second portly gentleman / a ghost in limbo / a bell of the City of London / Dick Wilkins (Miss Belle Fezziwig's eventual husband) / The Ghost of Christmas Present / Old Joe
- Izi Miller - Fourth clerk / a hungry singing boy / a ghost in limbo / a bell of the City of London / Scrooge when he was at school / the other Miss Fezziwig / Martha Cratchit / a shopper / small boy with a large turkey
- Tom Melly - Fifth clerk / a bell of the City of London / Jacob Marley (dead as a door-nail) / Scrooge when he was an apprentice / Scrooge when he was engaged / a shopper / first rich man / Timothy Cratchit
- Josiah Phoenix - Sixth clerk / Scooge's nephew Fred / a bell of the City of London / The Ghost of Christmas Past / Peter Cratchit / a shopper / second rich man
- Ross McKenzie - Bob Cratchit (a clerk) / a ghost in limbo / Mr Fezziwig / a bell of the City of London / third fat businessman / a shopper
Crew
- Stage Manager - Graham Clements
- Lighting Designer - Carlos Guzman
- Assistant Director - Rob Wallis
- Assistant Stage Managers - David Clements and Jon Schick (2 nights)
- The Ghost Of Christmas Yet To Come - filming and video effects by Bryon Fear; skeleton hands makeup by Anna Rubincam and Bryon Fear; played by Rob Wallis
- Costumes - Jo Boniface, Grace Sutton, Panit Chantranuluck and the cast
- Tiny Tim puppet made by Bex Law and costumed by Lisa Thomas
- Impossibly large turkey made by Carole Ironside
- Construction - Graham Clements, Hans Mudlamootoo, Mark Ireson, Jon Schick & the cast
- Rigging - Sean Thomas
- Operator - Mark Ireson
- Poster designer - Bryon Fear
- Production photography - Jon Schick
Reviews
This Christmas Carol is a Must
'Twas the week before Christmas and all was still in the South London Theatre except the scratching of Bob Cratchit’s quill writing in Ebenezer Scrooge’s ledgers. This was Neil Bartlett’s adaptation of Dickens’ A Christmas Carol and Scrooge did not want his staff to enjoy one minute of Christmas cheer before they left his office on Christmas Eve. His team of clerks kept their spirits up with song while Ebenezer looked on without a smile. On a spartan stage the scene was set for a night of terror.
A cast of just eight – along with sound and visual special effects – manage to create crowd scenes, multi-ghost hauntings, family gatherings and parties replete with dance and song, as well as the intimate scenes of both horror and joy that are the light and shade of Charles Dickens’ most famous novel of greed and redemption; forgiving and change; guilt and repressed memories. Yes, there is sadness in A Christmas Carol but ultimately there is an ending of hope.
Other than Justin Bikram putting in a sterling performance on stage throughout as Scrooge, the rest of the cast work wonders playing everybody else, with each one standing out at some point or another in the play: Tom Melly as Marley’s ghost; Elena Markham’s singing; Ross McKenzie as Mr Fezziwig, Josiah Phoenix and Simon Gleisner in every role they played… All putting everything into making this a great production – But all had to up their game to compete with Tiny Tim who drew all the love and affection from the appreciative audience whenever he appeared. You could see how much fun the actors had with this and director Mark Ireson confirmed as much.
Personally, this is the best £12 I’ve spent on Christmas this year.
Michael Holland review in Southwark News Weekender:
Gallery
Reminiscences and Anecdotes
- Audience collections after each performance raised a total of £2,541 for Norwood & Brixton Foodbank
- A couple of members brought their kids to see the show. Afterwards one of them told a friend “we saw A Christmas Carol where the Muppets were played by people”
See Also
- A Christmas Carol (1985)
- The Farndale Avenue Housing Estate Townswomen's Guild Dramatic Society's production of A Christmas Carol (1996)
- A Christmas Carol (2006)
