“Taking the bar out of “bah humbug” and raising to a glorious level, ‘A Christmas Carol’ is a truly immersive, spellbinding night out for the whole family.“
Vincent Andriano
4.5 /5 stars
’Tis certainly the season, and what a joy it was to start off the holidays with the Ensemble Theatre’s ‘A Christmas Carol’. This adaptation is a vibrant circus of music, pantomime, rousing performances and spectacular stage trickery, all of which plunges us deeper into Dickens’ beloved classic.
The theatre house itself isn’t a huge space, and we audience instantly feel as if we are almost in arms reach of set designer Ailsa Paterson’s forgotten-attic aesthetic. Its dusty wooden floorboards, disused parachute draping and found-object dressing gives the air that the entire show is a hidden gem unearthed from some locked room of a Dickensian era home. Genevieve Graham’s costumes marry nicely with this approach, donning muted tones across the patch-work apparel, accentuating the ‘play’ in players. And the sense of play-time doesn’t stop there.
The show begins with an audience participated sing-a-long, followed by the cast introducing themselves as the Crummies family and their troupe of capers, whose mastery of storytelling is about to transport us into the world of their chosen narrative. By way of this delightful premise, director Damian Ryan and playwright Hilary Bell have created a stellar ensemble piece, with fabulous unity and exquisite synchronicity. From start to finish, the show was like an exuberant, artful and intricate dance.
Matt Cox’s lighting, with its mixture startling sharp cuts and warm glows, thrilled the audience with frightful shocks and heart swelling tingles. This was in stunning accompaniment to Darryl Wallis’s music direction and Phillip Johnston’s composition – and the sound design was, in a word: AMAZING. Whether by music, song, bell chime or gong, the show is an auditory adventure. But it was clear that this was a melodious machine was operated not only off stage but also on. As we took our seats, Wallis was tickling an aged piano, and played the instrument to perfection right through to the end, while each of the actors contributed tirelessly to the harmonious hullabaloo.
John Bell was very impressive indeed as the notorious Scrooge on his famous discovery to redefine the meaning of ‘living a rich life’. Although it’s the accomplished actor’s effervescent humour and roll-off-the-tongue treatment of an erstwhile way of speaking that made him feel merely plucked from Dickensian prose and placed on the stage.
Among her many roles, Valerie Bader was most notably the narrator of the tale and her very presence is quickly emboldened as the vital thread in the tapestry. Whether it was her deft delivery of a perfectly timed prop, her effortless shift in characters, or her beautiful oscillating between comedic and haunting – there is the sense, that there would be no play without her.
Emily McKnight was consistently strong in all the parts she played. I must say, however, her ability to enliven a nearly featureless little puppet with a childlike wonder and crippled fragility, absolutely brought Tiny Tim to life. When she sang about potentially waking up tomorrow with the angels, I was a blubbering mess. It should also be noted that the waltz between Scrooge and Belle interrupted by bank ledgers, calculators, mobile phones, and raucous stock market malarkey was an inspired effort by all involved. It perfectly captured how the closeness of two young lovers was both literally and physically being interrupted by Scrooge’s business ambitions, until they are torn apart entirely – the dance and romance coming to an end.
Jay James-Moody’s comedic chops were a brilliant highlight. Also playing his several roles, from narrator to Bob Cratchit to the ghost of Christmas Past, James-Moody’s performance charmed us so much that I trusted whenever he next appeared on stage we would be mightily entertained. And he delivered.
Last but definitely not the least, Anthony Taufa is a powerhouse whose stature, baritone and mountain of talent will capture your every attention – and it’s worth it. I especially enjoyed his wraithlike entrance as Marley’s ghost, where he slowly emerged from behind one of the sheer curtains and served an explosively scary rendition. Then later when he entered as the ghost of Christmas Present (which I won’t fully reveal), his long limbed, boom of a presence escaping from where it did only enhanced the perpetual sensation of live wizardry that this show had to to offer.
Taking the bar out of “bah humbug” and raising to a glorious level, ‘A Christmas Carol’ is a truly immersive, spellbinding night out for the whole family. This utterly magical production is playing at the Ensemble Theatre from 25th November to 29th December.
Vincent Andriano, Theatre Now
