Extra!_Extra!_Theatre_Review_B_Grantham_A_Christmas_Carol_Greenwich_Playhouse

Presented by Flat Pack Productions

A CHRISTMAS CAROL

Dramatised by Brian Sibley

From the story by Charles Dickens

Directed by Toria Banks

Greenwich Playhouse

4th Dec 07 - 6th Jan 08

Having attended the press night of Flat Pack’s production of ‘A Christmas Carol’ let me assure you that everything turns out well in the end; Little Tim lives on, the big goose is still to be found hanging in the butcher’s window, and the old miser has been welcomed into the bosom of his nephew’s family. With a lump in the throat and a tear in the eye, we applaud heartily and the cast can feel content that they have achieved a job well done.

But what a strange lot we theatre folk are. Why on earth do we do it? And there are some fundamental ‘Whys’ to be asked about the present production. If there are any ‘Joe Public’ reading this review, believe me, the cast, director and all concerned worked damn hard to mount the present show. It is well rehearsed, word perfect, the writer provides a serviceable vehicle and the director keeps up a lively pace. Complex props are handled assuredly, and for a fringe event it is a generous production, well costumed and designed, with a large cast. But why have they chosen to spend their skill and energy on the Dickens’ story. Yes, it’s Christmas and every child should know the tale and heed the moral. The trouble here is that there has been no attempt, or it seems even awareness of the need to make it child friendly. The universal black of the costumes, effective though they are, with echoes of oriental puppet manipulators, and the Victorian’s obsession with death, would be incredibly oppressive to a child. And the puppets, though showing skill in the making are very sinister. Children enjoy things a little scary but they do not like to be frightened out of their wits.

So the show is limited to an adult audience, and must be reviewed from that angle. The story is told in a sort of physical theatre style and there is no reason why it should not be so. However, the cast are somewhat lacking in physical theatre skills.

It is part of the critic’s brief to point out errors that the cast and director for all their care and devotion failed to notice; errors that are correctable, and, if this notice is read before the end of the run, amended. So…

Please, individually and collectively, learn to move quietly. This is a skill that trained dancers and mimes learn, so that, however difficult the conditions – in this case a floor that acts as a sounding board for every footfall the actors make – all movements, like good Victorian boys and girls should be seen but not heard. The technique, when running and even walking, is to make each step toe first instead of heel first – incidentally Victorian women always walked that way when at home so as not to disturb their lords and masters.

Another observation also concerns sound and that is to modulate the voice to the acoustics of the venue. In their effort not to fall into the cardinal sin of inaudibility the cast, with one notable exception, play most of the text at a shout. The exception being Rufus Graham, who in the narrating role of Dickens, comforts our ears with a beautiful modulated voice worthy of emulation by the rest of the cast. Oh, and another exception, a lovely quiet scene from Rebecca Stoddart as Scrooge’s early love, returns his ring. Eddie McNamee makes a good job of Scrooge, though I felt that the actor was more comfortable as the reformed character, than the mean and ornery miser. David Millard gives a series of good Dickensian characters and raises a few laughs in which the production is rather deficient Director Toria Banks comes up with some inspired solutions – like the scene near the end where, Scrooge from an upstairs window talks to the little boy in the street below. She places them either side of the stage, turned away from each other; Scrooge looking down and the little boy looking up – Such a pleasure to see how such things work in the strange make-believe of the theatre.

I hope ‘A Christmas Carol’ draws reasonable audiences during its run. It deserves to be seen, and if you are interested in what’s going on in the present fringe do go and see it. The only thing I am not able to do, is recommend it as family entertainment