Writer: Charles Dickens
Director: Nicky Diss
There are two absolute certainties at Christmas time: the first is Mariah Carey’s steady, but ultimately unstoppable climb up to the Christmas number one (a feat which at time of publication, she may already have achieved). The second is a proliferation of productions of Charles Dickens’s festive favourite, A Christmas Carol.
Such familiarity with the story presents a challenge for the Open Bar production team. On one hand, they can rely on the favourable feelings that audience members associate with the story. On the other hand, because people are so intimately familiar with the tale, originality and inventiveness are essential to make any production stand out. In this version, directed by Nicky Diss, you will find both: a Dickensian production that is both original and one that successfully conjures up the elusive ‘Christmas spirit’ (along with a few other ghosts).
The first original choice is to deploy a minimal cast of four actors, who must attempt to inhabit a vast array of eccentric Dickensian characters (ranging from Fred to Fezziwig). There is a clear challenge here, in the requirement for rapid switching between roles, which could easily make for a chaotic or confusing retelling. So, rather than making these changes subtly, behind curtains or closed doors they choose to proudly recast themselves in front of the audience, switching between characters with drop of a cape or the donning of a hat.
With the exception of Ben Galpin (whose role as Scrooge requires him to display a significant emotional range anyway), all of the actors demonstrate a remarkable ability to switch seamlessly. With a magician’s sleight of hand, one actor draws the audience’s attention with a monologue whilst the other changes, before our very eyes, into another character, which leaves the audience confused as to when the changeover actually happened. This is a remarkably understated achievement, and is testament to the unity of the cast. Particular mention might go to Thomas Judd (as the narrator/ghost of Christmas present/ghost of Christmas yet-to-come/Fezziwig/a host of other characters), whose self-proclaimed ‘dulcet tones’ add gravitas to a light-hearted production, although this is very much a team effort.
Perhaps what stands out most of all, however, is the set design: a collection of vintage trunks and suitcases, each containing elements of the set. These suitcases effectively function as modularised building blocks, allowing the team to reveal or dismantle scenery in a matter of seconds, simply by opening or closing one of the trunks. For example: one suitcase, when stacked on top of others looks like the front of an old Victorian door; another contains an old Victorian streetlight; a third contains a snippet of pastoral scenery. One of the most innovative sets, it requires a significant amount of stage-management from the cast themselves, who have to continually stack, disassemble and rotate the suitcases according the scene configuration – yet another testament to their unity.
At times the production strays into pantomime territory – inviting a sing-along, bringing children temporarily onto stage to play small roles, and even selecting random audience members to dance on stage (much to the terror of many in the room). With another production, the audience participation element might not work, but this only adds to the festive cheer of the occasion. Towards the end, the story feels a little rushed (leaving little time to explore Scrooge’s reformed character, which is, after all, one of the most joyous moments of the narrative), and perhaps the interactive elements could be cut down to extend the narration a little longer.
But this is only testament to how enjoyable this innovative version of a now-cliché Christmas tale is and whose retelling in the cosy light of the King George IV brings a welcome warmth to the Christmas chill. And after all, what more can you ask of a Christmas production, than to conjure up the ghost of Christmas present.
Reviewed on 20 December and continues to tour here until 23 December 2022
