Vanity publishing, which in recent years has metamorphosed into the far more respectable “self-publishing”, was once a much frowned upon indulgence reserved for potty poets and rich romantic novelists who didn’t need to make any money. However, it seems a number of well-known titles emerged from the self-funding route – “Paradise Lost”, “Sense and Sensibility”, “The Tale of Peter Rabbit” and Charles Dickens himself wasn’t beyond dipping into his pocket and splurging a few shillings to get a book on the shelves. His investment in A Christmas Carol would make many modern day self-publishers jealous – having never been out of print since 1843.
Scrooge must be one of the most portrayed characters on stage and screen after Sherlock Holmes and Jesus and has been played by all and sundry. The tale has ascended to the level of a folk story and woven itself so completely into our cultural DNA – including a stunning version which ran at the Royal Shakespeare Company penned by Birmingham’s own, David Edgar.
The Birmingham Rep have opted for Mark Gatis’s version starring Matthew Cottle as Scrooge’s latest incarnation and Rufus Hound as Jacob Marley. With all the Rep resources and reputation, it’s a shame something more juicy hasn’t emerged. The story intact is given us without surprises or invention, Scrooge himself seems just a bit grumpy rather than a vituperative taskmaster deserving of a lesson.
Rufus Hound is haunting as Marley but underused for the remainder of the play. The ensemble cast (some of whom quadrupled roles) weren’t given enough chance to explore the vast Dickensian landscape of characters and gave dependable, if not inspired, performances. Lance West tripled as Fred, Young Scrooge and Peter Cratchit. Ryan Weston doubled as not-so-Tiny Tim and Young Marley. Ghosts were manifested by the towering Mark Theodore as the Present and the uncanny, other worldly Grace Hogg-Robinson with a spiky physicality as Past. Geoffrey Beevers seems to tap closest to a Dickensian-vibe and his narrator added a nice, original twist at the end.
If you’ve never seen or heard go Christmas Carol this is a great introduction, the story trips along, there are simple dances and songs, and the special effects are fine. And despite my Scrooge-like gripes it is funny in parts and garnered a standing ovation. Perhaps I’m being too grumpy. Perhaps I need a lesson. Perhaps I need to be visited by ghostly critics of plays Past, Present and Future to help me mend my ways…
Reviewer: Peter Kinnock
Reviewed: 20th November 2024
North West End UK Rating: