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19 December 2024
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4****
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So, the reviewing year comes to an end and how appropriate to have a production of A Christmas Carol as the finale along with a first visit to the Marine Theatre in Lyme Regis.
Charles Dickens would, no doubt, be astonished by the sheer number of versions and variants of his beloved tale and it is always interesting to see another. With adaptations of any well-known books, the story is the thing and with a Christmas Carol you want all your emotions to be engaged as Ebenezer Scrooge’s story of redemption plays out.
Presented by the professional actors of Gilroy Theatre and the Marine Youth Theatre this has a wonderful community feel about it – and the packed house emphasises this. The narrative structure of the story is reproduced here with the main company taking on those duties with the younger performers taking on some of the smaller roles and singing carols as small interludes between scenes. It works a treat. The use of narration can result in dull and unengaging story-telling, but here the actors diction is so clear and the length of each passage kept to a perfect length – the audience is captivated.
A variety of different sized portable cloth covered boxes are used throughout to create, desks, beds, chairs etc – moved into position, without fuss, by the performers, this is a very effective staging device. The action is played out against a backdrop showing a large book, the blank pages providing a screen for projections; which work well enough, but it would have been great to see a few more images presented – the snow was particularly effective. Costumes are generally fine with the main actors (apart from Scrooge) having a basic outfit which are augmented according to the character they are playing – a few rogue pieces of modern clothing, though, rather clash with the period attire.
Any production of this story can rather live or die by the portrayal of the central character; in Malcolm Ward there is the perfect Scrooge. An actor blessed with a wonderfully expressive face and voice which captures the miserable and the overjoyed with ease – as soon as the play starts you know you are in safe hands. As mentioned, the other actors provide a variety of roles. Nickie Johnson an ethereal Christmas Past and has a lovely time as Mrs Dilber. Neil James full-voiced as nephew Fred and the bechained Jacob Marley. Victoria Porter a wonderfully joyful Christmas Present – the final speech of which is very powerful. Jessica Olim gives great depth to Mrs Cratchit and Belle and Pamela Flanagan statuesque as Scrooge’s niece. Alex Ansdell is also blessed with a great voice and his Bob Cratchit is a well-rounded portrayal.
The young company perform wonderfully – a little hesitant here and there, but it matters not – they act and sing their socks off; the dancing at Mr Fezziwig’s party is huge fun. There are three teams of from the Marine Youth Theatre alternating during this production and it says a huge amount about them that they have such a large and vibrant membership – having the experience of working with professional actors will be a memory for many years.
If you want to set yourself a challenge then take a leaf out of Su Gilroy’s book. As producer and director of the production, it is Su who created the adaptation; it is lucid and faithful, but with elements often left out of other versions, this has a freshness about it and it works beautifully. The power of the original is undimmed and your heart is touched throughout.
The production is a joyous one and tells the great story very well – you can’t ask for more than that.
Cast
Ebenezer Scrooge – Malcolm Ward
Jacob Marley – Neil James
Bob Cratchit – Alex Ansdell
Christmas Past – Nickie Johnson
Christmas Present – Victoria Porter
Belle – Jessica Olim
Scrooge’s niece – Pamela Flanagan
Carolling Choir – Marine Youth Theatre
Creatives
Adaptation – Su Gilroy
Producer & Director – Su Gilroy
Lighting, Sound & Projection – Steve Miller
Stage Management – Pamela Flanagan
Production Assistant – Gary Fish
Photo Credit – Maisie Hill
