Royal Lyceum Theatre,
Edinburgh
Four stars
There are few better
symbols of the early twenty-first century's ongoing era of recession
and austerity culture than Charles Dickens' nineteenth century
meanie, Ebeneeza Scrooge. Neil Duffield's stage adaptation of
Dickens' novel is brought to life in Andrew Panton's production in a
way that emphasises the error of Scrooge's greedy ways without ever
losing sight of the story's power as family entertainment.
With the narrative
spread out between an eight-strong ensemble cast, who play assorted
musical instruments to accompany their singing of traditional carols,
Scrooge's Christmas Eve epiphany is conveyed in an impressionistic
fashion by a magnificently pop-eyed Christopher Fairbank. As he
humbugs his way through the streets, Fairbank's Scrooge resembles the
sort of mean-spirited and compassion-free politician who believe poor
people are penniless by choice, and that beggars are little more than
scroungers on the make. It takes the ghosts of past, present and
future to remind Scrooge of where his pain comes from and where it
will lead if he doesn't let love in.
For these scenes,
Fairbank is wheeled around Alex Lowde's expansive set on his
four-poster bed as he observes his younger self as well as the
greater gifts bestowed on his much put-upon clerk Bob Cratchit and
his young family and his nephew Fred. It is here that Fairbank's
portrayal of Scrooge goes beyond the merely grotesque to reveal the
full pathos of a man who has shut out happiness from his life with no
more than a sad-eyed look.
While Anthony Bowers'
Ghost of Christmas Past could have stepped out of a Mighty Boosh
sketch, Lewis Howden's Ghost of Christmas Present is a more genial,
Santa Claus-like incarnation. It is the Ghost of Christmas Future,
however, a damningly silent projection of a little girl's face, that
really brings home the horrors of poverty. If such an image sounds
dark, it's never overplayed, and when Scrooge opens his heart to the
world at last, it ushers in a musical finale that's worthy of an
old-time variety show, and resembles a Christmas card brought
joyously to life.
The Herald, December 2nd 2013
Ends
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