CHARLES Dickens’ much-loved and heart-warming tale of repentance has undergone a festive reimagining, taking place against the background of the streets and alleyways of Dickensian Belfast.
With Dan Gordon in the lead as Ebeneezer Scrooge, A Christmas Carol has been adapted by Marie Jones and directed by Matthew McElhinney, and brings the much-loved festive ghost story to the Belfast Lyric audience.
First published by Dickens in 1843, he wrote several Christmas stories in its wake, but none proved as popular and it remains one of his most admired and enduring works. The classic tale brought us characters which are timeless and as instantly recognisable today as they were 180 years ago when they first jumped off the page and onto the hearth of homes wherever it was read. And with that The Lyric audience is reacquainted with Ebeneezer Scrooge, Bob Cratchit, Jacob Marley, the Fezziwigs, Tiny Tim and the Ghosts from Christmas Past, Present and Future.
Having read the novella and seen several cinema and TV productions of the tale this was my first time watching a stage production of A Christmas Carol and those in the audience – including myself – were not disappointed.
We all know the story of miserly Scrooge burning one lump of coal on Christmas Eve while making his badly paid and put-upon clerk Bob Cratchit work as good cheer echoes from the streets outside. But there's no cockney accents here. These aren’t the streets of London: these are Belfast entries. The accents are local and Clifton Street graveyard, Kelly Cellars, St Peter’s Cathedral and White’s Tavern are the landmarks. Leaving the Dickens text behind, familiar colloquialisms abound.
Dan Gordon, of course, brings his own inimitable style to the curmudgeon Scrooge, Bah-hugging everything that moves – and even some that don’t. However, it’s only through the visits of the three ghosts that Scrooge sees the error of his ways. Other standout performances include Mary Moulds who plays Mrs Fezziwig among others, as well as Marty Maguire who impressed as Marley, the Ghost of Christmas Present and the jovial Mr Fezziwig.
If panto isn’t your thing but your hoping that a little Christmas theatre will get you in the festive spirit, then A Christmas Carol will set you up for the month ahead. And if Christmas is not for you, maybe, like Scrooge, you’ll learn that the season of goodwill is about giving and not receiving. After all, as he is reminded, there are no pockets in a shroud.
A Christmas Carol runs until Saturday 11 January 2025. For tickets click.
