Review of A Christmas Carol at The Rep in Birmingham
I felt like I was transported back to a Victorian times when I went to see Charles Dickens’ Christmas Carol at The Rep in Birmingham.
As I walked into the auditorium Christmas carols were playing – but don’t be fooled – the dimly lit stage set with towers of filing cabinets and strewn with dusty books revealed this play was not going to be about mince pies and holly.
In fact it is advertised as ‘A Christmas Carol: A Ghost Story’ and this adaption by Mark Gatiss brings out the eerie and sinister aspects of Dickens’ tale.
The Rep have issued guidance that the play is suitable for ages 12+ and say the production is highly sensory with flashing lights and jump-scares and that no under 5s will be admitted to the auditorium.
Parents will know themselves what their tweens can handle but for families who have teenagers it provides a great experience to visit the theatre together with the added bonus that A Christmas Carol appears on many GCSE exam syllabuses.
There are ghostly rasps and groans, ominous bells sounding, swirling mist, startling lights and ghosts a plenty helping to create an ominous atmosphere.
This better sets into contrast the jollity, love and compassion shown in the scenes where the ghosts show Ebenezer how his family and that of Bob Cratchit celebrate Christmas happy in the presence of each other.
In these scenes and in the flashbacks to a young Ebenezer when he falls in love with Belle (later to spurn her when he discovers he loves money more) there is enthusiastic dancing and singing.
Matthew Cottle is fantastic as Ebenezer Scrooge whose glances and asides to the audience are amusing and help you to understand his character.
Rufus Hound is equally fabulous as his business partner Jacob Marley who returns as a ghost to offer Ebenezer the chance to change from a man who is self-absorbed, selfish and cruel to one that embraces charity, kindness and compassion.
All the cast – including the child members – all work hard to play over 50 characters in 30 scenes over the 2 hours and 5 minutes of the play.
My favourite was the Narrator played by 80-year-old Geoffrey Beevers who speaks Dickens’ words as they appear on the page, so it feels like you could be listening to the author speaking them himself.
This play may have started out as a ghost story but like Scrooge himself, it transforms before your eyes into a celebration of what Christmas is really all about.
To find out more and book tickets click here
A Christmas Carol runs from now until Sunday 5 January 2025 at The Rep in Birmingham.
