Review: A Christmas Carol at Northern Stage
The timeless tale of yuletide redemption is being told in Newcastle this season of goodwill. Michael Telfer reports back from the snow covered streets of 19th century London
Despite loving Charles Dickens’ festive classic and many of the film adaptations that have graced or at least occupied screens over the years, until this week, I’d never seen A Christmas Carol performed on stage.
Thankfully for me it’s the final show in Northern Stage’s 2024 calendar, and better still it’s a real treat. The larger than life, supernatural story is wonderfully brought to life on the stage, with trapdoors and aerial silks just some of the tools and tricks used to keep the audience guessing throughout.
Karen Louise Hebden’s 2003 adaptation of Dickens’ story is one of the most faithful versions of the much-loved novel, but also feels fresh and modern. Traditional Christmas carols are woven into the story, giving the show a bit of festive bounce and the cast a chance to show off their impressive singing chops.
Michael Hodgson is fantastic as the Victorian antihero Ebeneezer Scrooge, a man who has dedicated his adult life to the pursuit of wealth, without ever learning the value of anything other than gold.
At the outset he is viscerally cold to all that have the misfortune to come into contact with him, including his long serving clerk Bob Cratchit (Gabriel Akamo) and indefatigably upbeat niece Frederica (Holly May Austin).
As the miserly Scrooge is forced to relive the mistakes of his past in glorious technicolour, Hodgson’s physical manifestation of the old man’s torment is almost uncomfortable to watch.
The three spirits that visit Scrooge are all portrayed by mime and physical theatre artist Malik Ibheis, and if he sometimes seems closer to Harry’s Potter’s Voldemort than the apparitions in the source material, he is no less captivating.
Press night was attended by several school parties and the ghost of Christmas Yet To Come had many of the children around me watching through their fingers as he clicked and twitched his way across the stage.
The small extended cast (Taku Mutero, Gigi Noel-King, Alicia McKenzie and Benjamin Storey) do a brilliant job of giving the production real heart and warmth throughout the 2hr 15m running time (including interval), whether they are playing the Cratchit family, revellers at Frederica’s party or Geordie carol singers.
Director Natalie Ibu makes excellent use of the traverse stage in the Epic Space to create an immersive experience for the audiences on both sides of the action.
A Christmas Carol is at Northern Stage until January 4, and tickets are available from the website.