‘Bah, Humbug!’ – A Christmas Carol, The Old Vic, London 16.12.2022
Christmas 2021 was not a good time for theatre-goers, and my trip to A Christmas Carol at the Old Vic was just one of many to fall victim to covid cancellations. Fast forward a year and we finally made it! Not even the train strikes would make us miss it a second time.
I’m sure most of you are familiar with the story of A Christmas Carol in some form or another (my most recent watch was the Muppets version). The elderly miser Ebenezer Scrooge is visited by the ghost of his former business partner Jacob Marley on Christmas Eve, who warns him he will be visited by three spirits that night, and that he will face damnation if he doesn’t change his mean-spirited ways.
The Old Vic promised to ‘fill the auditorium to the brim with mince pies, music and merriment’ and that’s exactly what they did. The festive mood hit before we’d even entered the theatre, which was lit up outside in red and green lights. As we took our seats, we were offered a delicious mince pie by ‘street sellers’ in Victorian costume. A string quartet are playing Christmas carols in the middle of the very simple wooden stage in the centre of the theatre, and hundreds of old-style lanterns hang from the ceiling. The Victorian street scene is well and truly set.
A nice addition to this festive piece, and our opening, is handbell ringers, who are also our cast. They play us in and out beautifully, finishing our evening off with a rendition of ‘Silent Night’. The story is interspersed with a good list of traditional carols that help to put everyone to in the festive spirit.
The main focus is obviously on our Scrooge, played by Owen Teale. It took me a moment too long to realise that I recognised him from his stint in the Nightswatch on Game of Thrones; even as the miserly Scrooge he is a more likeable character in this.
In fact, it is a rather masterful portrayal. We really feel his disdain when he utters the infamous ‘bah humbug’ when addressing his nephew Fred and employee Bob Cratchit, his fear when the ghost of Jacob Marley appears, and his joy when he realises he hasn’t missed Christmas Day. Some of the funniest comedic moments in the play come from his clear improvisation, earning real laughs from the audience.
As you would expect, there were some tearjerking moments too. Seeing the treatment of Young Ebenezer by his father, played by Samuel Townsend, and his interactions with his sister Little Fan, portrayed by Melissa Allan, you can’t help but be moved. Of course, everyone’s favourite moment came when an adorable Tiny Tim pipes up with ‘God bless us, everyone’. We all ‘AWWWWWWWW’ed in unison.
What I didn’t expect was the comedic chaos that ensued as Scrooge found his way to the Cratchit’s house for Christmas dinner. Suddenly the cast was in the crowd, the turkey was being thrown all over the place, and all manner of vegetables were sliding down fabric shoots from the upper levels, or in the case of the Brussels sprout parachuting in from the ceiling. It really lightened the more sombre mood inspired by the earlier appearance of the three spirits.
It being Christmas, and in keeping with the theme of the play, we were rightly brought back down to earth with a reminder of the difficult times the UK is currently experiencing, and a plea to support City Harvest London, which redistributes food that might otherwise be wasted to charities that help those facing food poverty. A very worthy cause, which you can learn more about here: https://www.cityharvest.org.uk/
This Christmas season is almost over, with the last performance on Saturday 7 January 2023. But fear not, Jack Thorne’s version of A Christmas Carol has become an annual fixture in the Old Vic’s calendar. Keep your eyes peeled for tickets going on sale for Christmas 2023; information on what’s on at the Old Vic can be found on their website: https://www.oldvictheatre.com/stage/in-person/
