'A Christmas Carol' Review
"This carefully crafted production is haunting at times, making the moments of joy even more uplifting."
Venue: The Old Vic. Get directions.
Our verdict:
Manuel Harlan
Reader, I have a confession to make.
I have seen The Old Vic’s production of A Christmas Carol every year since it premiered in 2017. That’s a total of five times (although some years, I might have gone twice…) and having just seen 2022’s iteration, I am pleased to tell you that it has lost none of its magic.
Adapted for the stage by writer Jack Thorne (Harry Potter and the Cursed Child, Enola Holmes, His Dark Materials) and directed by The Old Vic’s artistic director Matthew Warchus, together the pair have created a moving and magical version of Dickens’ enduring ghost story, whilst managing to avoid too many twee Christmas clichés. Instead, their carefully crafted production is positively haunting at times, but this only makes the moments of joy even more uplifting.
I remember seeing the show for the first time and being blown away by it, and now, as something of a veteran, this slick production feels more like slipping on a cosy pair of much-loved slippers.
Manuel Harlan
Festivities start as soon as the auditorium opens; mince pies are handed out and satsumas are tossed cheerfully from the stage.
The music – a mixture of carols, bell ringing, a live band and more – is wonderful throughout, and the in-the-round set (by Rob Howell) is ingenious, with its mass of twinkling lanterns, put to clever use throughout.
My sixth Scrooge is Welsh actor Owen Teale, who you might know from the likes of Game of Thrones, Line of Duty, and the recent A Discovery of Witches. He is often cast as the bad guy, so is well-suited to the mean, cantankerous Scrooge. Teale’s version is spitting with rage, and brilliantly petulant when the pram-pushing ghosts of Thorne’s production come to show him the errors of his ways, his painful resistance is palpable.
He plays heart-breaking moments of vulnerability with ease – when sitting on his own (future) coffin, he hugs his younger self (played skilfully by Samuel Townsend) and whispers “I do not want him to turn into me…” - at which point the tearful sniffs across the auditorium were audible (mine included). And of course, the “I will honour Christmas in my heart…” moment is incredibly moving, and Teale’s energetic transformation is both enchanting and utterly joyful to watch.
Manuel Harlan
Much of the company I recognise from previous years; Melissa Allan is once again wonderful as Little Fan, filled with warmth and wide-eyed innocence, her love for Scrooge resounding. Alistair Parker also returns as a perfect Fezziwig; sincere, jolly and generous.
Jenny Fitzpatrick is a commanding new arrival, playing the hard-hitting Ghost of Christmas Present with menace and satisfying sass. Julie Jupp – the Ghost of Christmas Past – is excellent too. Meesha Turner is a delightful Mrs Crachitt – filled with endearing modesty about her small Christmas bird, and Lydia White’s stirring performance as Belle is another highlight; her touching doorstep scene with Scrooge had the audience once again reaching for the tissues.
Special mention must also go to Casey-Indigo Blackwood-Lashley for her beautiful, gentle performance as Tiny Tim.
Manuel Harlan
Scrooge’s hefty chests of gold, candlelit carols, gleeful dancing, atmospheric bellringing, and the ghostly Jacob Marley (deftly played by Sebastien Torkia) with his impossibly long chains all add to the atmosphere of this fantastic production, but the last 20 minutes or so are truly unforgettable, with parachuting brussels sprouts, a flying turkey and cascading snow all adding to the magic.
Fewer Christmas stories tug on the heartstrings like A Christmas Carol. It is the ultimate festive tale of redemption, charity and compassion, and as relevant today as it was back in 1843.
This brilliant production really does do Dickens’ insightful and meaningful story justice. The Old Vic experience brims with heartfelt festive joy; enough, I suspect, to convert even the hardiest of Scrooges.
Recommended for ages 8+. Tickets £12 - £67.50 (Premium and Old Vic Plus tickets available). From now until Jan 7 at The Old Vic, The Cut, SE1 8NB oldvictheatre.com
