A Christmas Carol, RSC, Stratford - review with pictures
The first public reading of the book was by Dickens himself at a packed Birmingham Town Hall in 1853.
Nice then, that the author is heavily involved in this latest performance of his seasonal favourite but this time as a character, playing himself and revealing the inspiration behind the story – a damning parliamentary report on child labour.
It was his friend and editor John Forster who encouraged him to turn from his original intention of having a rant in a political pamphlet to instead writing a novel 'to have greater force and echo down through the ages' as Forster put it.
Cue snowfall and curtain-up on a bustling street scene, alive with music and swirling with colour against a backdrop of charcoal-black Victorian tenements.
At different points in the show, Forster and Dickens discuss what should happen next, looking for a balance between morality tale about social inequality and an entertaining read.
This adaption by David Edgar treads that same path and finds an equally satisfying balance – a show that is powerful but never finger-wagging, heart-warming without being syrupy, faithful to the book but with modernday twists.
And most importantly, it's a wonderful spectacle, as festive as figgy pudding and no mistake.
Aden Gillett, probably best known for the BBC's House of Eliott series in the 1990s, takes over the role of Scrooge from Phil Davis, who starred in last year's debut. He is a leaner version of the old skinflint, thin but somehow not pinched enough. His eyes are too kind to play the monstrous, cold-hearted moneylender but Gillett is thoroughly engaging as the man who learns the values of compassion and community.
Among the show's highlights are Mr Fezziwig’s party, an ensemble delight of dancing and song, and the Cratchit family’s Christmas lunch. All the children, particularly Tiny Tim and the Ghost of Christmas Future, play a blinder. The three ghosts, who are not gender specific in the novel, are all played by females.
In a nod to Dickens' flair for memorable character names, Edgar creates small parts for Mrs Snapchat, Master Tinder and Herr Uber. He also throws in a joke about the US president and in a piece of stage trickery has Scrooge apparently place his hand all the way through the ghost of Marley.
He also namechecks Birmingham and Wolverhampton, another nice touch from Brum-born Edgar, whom the RSC describe as one of the UK’s 'greatest living writers'. Few people, on this showing, will argue with that.
Runs until January 20.
