A Christmas Carol (Great Northern Playhouse, Manchester)

Charles Dickens’s A Christmas Carol has inspired films, musicals and parodies. Now The Flannagan Collective uses the novel as the basis for a Christmas Party.

A surprisingly ebullient Jacob Marley (John Holt Roberts) greets the audience waiting to enter the hyper-cool pop up theatre The Great Northern Playhouse. He explains that we are to try and help his former partner Scrooge (Al Barclay) learn the meaning of Christmas and so save his soul. Oh, and there might be food involved.

Alexander Wright’s adaptation seems to have been inspired by the sequence in the novel where a spectral Scrooge enviously watches the party games being played by his nephew and his friends. Al Barclay gives a strong sense of a bewildered man out of step with the festivities but curious and willing to join in if someone will explain the rules.

Wright describes his work defensively as a ‘loving bastardisation’, which may be an anticipation of criticism from purists who object to the idea of Scrooge singing along to songs by Slade. Actually the adaptation is respectful of the source material apart from the use of the occasional modern vernacular phrase and Scrooge mumbling the odd mild swear word which seems out of character for someone so sure of his position.

A consistent atmosphere is out of the question with a production of this nature. Director Thomas Bellerby faithfully reproduces parts of the novel and sets a suitably spooky mood with only minimal props – a chair that moves by itself and lights that suddenly extinguish. But the concept of the production – that Marley alone, without the three Ghosts, haunts Scrooge- dictates that the overall tone is that of a party; albeit with a sinister edge and one in which the guests are not made particularly welcome.

John Holt Roberts fulfils the roles of narrator and jovial master of ceremonies; leading the audience is sing-alongs and quizzes and cheerfully introducing an unimpressed Scrooge to his guests. The audience takes a very active part in proceedings, making spooky noises, taking on secondary roles and playing silly party games. As guests we also get to stuff ourselves with some very fine grub; which is served at the mid-point of the play.

The mood is that of a boisterous picnic with the audience is seated on benches around a rough table and candles providing minimal lighting. The cast mingle throughout the meal passing around the dishes and showing the thawing of Scrooge’s frosty nature. The party songs and games that follow overstay their welcome by a least one song but Bellerby manages to bring the show back on course for an atmospheric conclusion as well as making imaginative use of the courtyard outside the theatre.

Although this version of A Christmas Carol could be seen as lacking the respect due to a classic the manner in which it is performed makes clear that it is very much in line with the spirit of the source material and with that of the Festive Season. And the food is terrific although if you sit near the pie tray you may end up serving forty people.

A Christmas Carol is at the Great Northern Playhouse until 19 December.