Ever the businessman, I reckon Charles Dickens today would be pretty satisfied with how his Christmas Carol franchise was performing, 183 years since it was first published. From Alastair Sim to the Muppets, from the musical Scrooge to the regular Old Vic production, old Ebenezer and those ghosts are never going to go away. One of the most influential books ever written, its legacy truly lives on. And now, Aisha Khan has adapted it with a unique Sheffield twist for the Crucible stage.
In this production, Jack – a kind of Artful Dodger, briskly played by Mel Lowe – tells three young scallywags about Scrooge’s extraordinary tale, creating a distancing framework and a setting for the story. Once the story starts to unfold, it’s told in a very traditional and straightforward manner, with the revelations of Scrooge’s humble beginnings and how he threw away his chance of happiness with Belle, how he mistreated his kindly boss Mr Fezziwig, and his encounters with those oh so important ghosts.
As an aficionado, rather than a native, of Sheffield, I wasn’t aware of the area’s carol tradition. Dickens saw his story of the redemption of Scrooge as the embodiment of a carol, hence his choice of title. What could be more relevant, then, to incorporate the local tradition of carols into this show? Every year come November, local pubs ring out with the informal singing of songs like Six Jolly Miners, Hail Smiling Morn or Sweet Chiming Bells, known by all so that everyone, unrehearsed, can join in – but totally unknown outside the local area. Aisha Khan’s adaptation includes many of these rousing numbers, helping to take Dickens’ original tale away from its traditional London setting and bring it to Sheffield. This local influence is also seen in the inspired decision to make the Ghost of Christmas Past a miner, leading Scrooge through his history with the aid of his torch-equipped helmet.
Rose Revitt and Kevin Jenkins’ alluring set combines a grim, rickety, upstairs office garret with a more comfortable room downstairs, contrasting Scrooge’s solitary workplace for one with a sociable space for the Cratchits to enjoy their meagre Christmas lunch or for Scrooge’s nephew Fred to host his Christmas party. Bob Cratchit’s desk is placed centre stage, virtually cut adrift from the rest of society, with no creature comforts; just a target for Scrooge to hurl his bundles of documents from a height above so that they come crashing down next to Cratchit to work on – a very nice touch to display the inhumanity of Scrooge’s treatment of his employee.
The costume design is perfect for its era, and the production requires over 100 costumes in all, so the Crucible’s Wardrobe department had its work cut out to recreate the times so credibly. Richard Howell’s lighting design is evocative and inventive, including an ominous creation of Scrooge’s grave, and John Bulleid’s illusion designs work very effectively, adding a touch of eerie magic to the proceedings. Trundling large and heavy elements of the set into place, however, was unfortunately noisy and distracting – just a minor quibble.
Director Elin Schofield created a superb ensemble feel to the entire production, with many cast members adopting several roles, as well as joining in with the songs and choreography. Everyone gave a great performance; stand-outs are Adam Price combining the roles of Fezziwig and the Ghost of Christmas Present, Nitai Levi as the Ghost of Christmas Past, and Ryan O’Donnell and Kimberly Blake as Mr and Mrs Cratchit, the latter’s refusal to raise a toast to their employer sending a thrill of righteous indignation in agreement with her down all our backs. The a cappella singing is electric – and put me in mind of the production of One Big Blow at the Liverpool Everyman more than forty years ago, which gave rise to the successful group The Flying Pickets.
Ian Midlane is excellent as Scrooge; this is no pantomime villain but a believably complicated and self-deluding soul who fell back on his complacency and saw no need to treat the world kindly, when he thought money was the answer to everything. His change into a charitable chap is great fun to watch and gives the audience a feelgood pickup.
A well-constructed, innovative approach to a familiar story; sadly, now closed, but it is an excellent addition to the Crucible’s ever-growing list of successful Christmas shows.
Four They’re Jolly Good Fellows!