A Christmas Carol – Review – East Riding Theatre
By Karl Hornsey, December 2024
To mark their 10th anniversary, East Riding Theatre in Beverley has gone back in time. Back to 2014, when the theatre opened with the very same story, and back to 1843, when Charles Dickens’ timeless classic was first published. The latter has stood the test of time remarkably well and created much of what the modern festive period still represents, while the former goes from strength to strength despite challenging times over the last decade.
I was privileged to have seen the 2014 version at the newly opened ERT and blown away by the power of a production that brought something new to the story. As a huge fan of the novella, which I read around this time every year, as well as the Alastair Sim film version (everyone has to have a favourite version and the Muppets don’t quite cut it for me), I’m always intrigued to see what anyone can add that’s new to the story.
“Outstanding”
I’m also delighted to say that the 2024 version is an outstanding production that should be on the to-do, or rather to-see, list over the festive period. It’s been adapted by Vincent Regan, which also offers up a nice symmetry, as it was he who was responsible for bringing the first one to life a decade ago. In a further delightful turn of events, Ebenezer Scrooge is played once more by Malcolm Tomlinson who, yes, you guessed it, did the very same thing in 2014.
There is a different feel to this production, though, which seems more stripped back, with the plain set, often empty but for the cast or just Scrooge’s bed, and the set-pieces don’t feel as lavish or colourful. That’s from my recollections of 2014, but the more monochrome nature and bleakness seems to work and, while representing the darker nature of the tale to be told, the humour that is in so many of Dickens’ works still shines through. Much of that humour and general air of festive tidings comes from Peter McMillan as Bob Cratchit (and assorted other characters) and Peter McGovern, whose turns as a young and friendless Scrooge and nephew Fred are excellent.
“Something new”
Elements of the novella that are often left out of productions make it into this one, such as the Ghost of Christmas Present (a spectacularly shirtless Samuel Edward-Cook) taking Scrooge out to sea, as well as the guessing game that paints the old miser in a less than favourable light. As I said, there’s always something new in any production of A Christmas Carol, and that comes here in the form of puppets, which work well thanks to puppeteer actors Daisy Mary Morgan and Aidan Thompson-Coates. Tiny Tim as a puppet is a great idea and still allows for the emotion of his precarious status to be portrayed.
It may be a cliché at this time of year, but there really is something for all the family in this production. It doesn’t come across as overly terrifying for youngsters, yet still gets across the messages at the heart of it, and that’s something that everyone involved can be very proud of achieving.
‘A Christmas Carol’ is at East Riding Theatre until 28th December
images: Sara Kruger Photography
