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A Christmas Carol

Assembly Roxy, Edinburgh

Four stars

 

Charles Dickens has never just been for Christmas, but at this time of year his seasonal masterpiece comes fully into focus. This was proven over the weekend in glowing fashion by Guy Masterson, the indefatigable Edinburgh Festival Fringe veteran, whose solo rendition of Dickens’ tale adapted by director Nick Hennegan gets back to the storytelling heart of Dickens’ own live renditions of his work.

 

Hennegan’s production for Theatre Tours International and Maverick Theatre Company is no piece of ornate Victoriana. Masterson embodies Dickens’ bustling world with gravitas and grit, using little more than a wooden chair and an old grey raincoat hanging from the rafters. Once he puts the latter on, it gives his  performance a swish, a swoop and a sweep that are captured like rapid fire snapshots in the moody lighting that accompanies it. 

 

Masterson moves from narrator to the Dickens universe of characters with the aid of microphone effects and some nuanced physicality. This sees him flit from the humble but happy Bob Cratchit and his wide-eyed youngest son Tiny Tim to assorted ghostly revelations with ease as Robb Williams’ brooding panoramic score drives things.

 

At the story’s heart, of course, is Ebenezer Scrooge, the unhappy miser who is his own worst nightmare before the midnight wake-up call when all his Christmases coming at once causes him to become a friendly neighbourhood philanthropist. Masterson plays Scrooge, not as some crotchety grotesque, but as a geezerish spiv whose exposure to the consequences of his darker side’s actions reveals his more vulnerable nature in a refreshingly multi-faceted portrayal.

 

Hearing Dickens’ tale return to its gloriously wordy roots is a treat, especially when delivered by Masterson with such relish. This show has been in his repertoire for a good few years now, but is so full of life it could be the first time he’s done it. It was an all too brief Edinburgh run for this latest tour, but with any luck it will be back next year. Christmas wouldn’t be the same without it.


The Herald, December 16th 2024

 

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