“Bah, Humbug!”
Celebrate Christmas with this classic tale, beautifully adapted for stage by Neil Duffield. Capturing the magic of Christmas in a universal tale of redemption, Dundee Rep’s award-winning Ensemble bring the colourful cast of characters to life - the familiar names of Bob Cratchit, Jacob Marley, Mrs Fezziwig, Tiny Tim and, of course, Ebenezer Scrooge as you’ve never seen them before.
A lovely piece of theatre.
There’s plenty of brilliant theatrical fun in Andrew Panton’s production, with flying bedsteads, flaming gravestones, and a superb ensemble of eight actors whisking us seamlessly from scene to scene on a terrific Victorian set by Richard Evans.
Overall A Christmas Carol is a triumph, a heart warming production that offers just enough audience interaction and sparkle to create a festive mood while also offering stunning performances and a truly inventive and enjoyable retelling of a classic.
A story as pertinent now as ever, and as elegant as it is engaging.
What the production lacks, curiously, is a sense of real darkness.
As a flaming gravestone rises up to make clear to Scrooge where she'll end up, for all the show's warmth, this is a plea for the rich to wake up to what's on their doorstep, whatever the century.
For all its inconsistencies, the production wins one round, not least with its regular recourse to the Christmas songbook. Indeed, there’s a lovely surprise in the closing number, which sends the audience home filled with festive good cheer.
Dundee Rep Theatre, Dundee from Thursday November 30, 2017, until Sunday December 31, 2017. More info: www.dundeereptheatre.co.uk
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