From Theatre Calgary’s Christmas Carol
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Max Bell Theatre
Friday, November 23 - Sunday, December 23
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December is finally here and around every corner is someone or something touting itself as Calgary’s definitive holiday tradition. Who to believe amidst the commercial masses of red and green? Rest assured that Theatre Calgary is not trying to pull the wool from one of grandma’s Christmas sweaters over your eyes. Its annual production of A Christmas Carol is not to be missed, and has clearly become a significant part of Calgary’s Christmas season.
This year marks the 19th consecutive year that Theatre Calgary has staged an adaptation of Charles Dickens’s famed tale and there are certainly no signs of this annual run ending. Many shows played to a sold-out house last season and the trend is continuing. Last year’s new set, designed by New York-based Alexander Dodge, thoroughly impressed audiences and graces the stage again, carrying with it as much innovation and spectacle as ever. Directors Dennis Garnhum and Barry Thompson have also ensured that there are a few surprises to eliminate a “been there, done that” feel. That said, we are creatures that love a bit of familiarity and there is an inherent comfort woven into this production that is sure to please everyone.
The play moves along at a quick pace and, in spite of the fact that 99 per cent of the audience knows what will happen next, the fresh energy that the cast exudes is contagious, making the performances a joy to watch. Unravelling with a sense of magic is the set, and it becomes clear even before the curtain rises that Scrooge is not the only one transported through time and space. Each of the ghosts escorting the old miser toward his transformation is portrayed with elegance and creativity. Seeing Stephen Hair reprise his role as Ebenezer Scrooge for the 14th time is nothing short of a delight — though he is as gruff as a Scrooge needs to be, he is fantastically funny, and those not smiling in the final scenes need to check their pulses.
Dickens’s tale has been part of the Christmas season for more than 150 years. He published the story on December 19, 1843, selling more than 6,000 copies in the first week. Not too shabby for a story he conjured up in order to pay a few debts. It quickly became loved for what is was — a staunchly Victorian tale of morality. With at least 37 film versions of the story, the earliest filmed in 1908 with the help of Thomas Edison, it is not surprising that the original ferocity of Dickens’s message has been filtered through the ages. The original working title for the tale was actually The Sledgehammer, and it was later published under the name A Christmas Carol in Prose, Being a Ghost Story of Christmas. Poverty and social injustice are the root themes of the tale and can still be seen in glimpses in most versions, including Theatre Calgary’s production. Victorians loved tales with a message, and this story rekindled and solidified the sentiments of the season for many people: charity, family and love.
Whether you like it or not, A Christmas Carol definitely is a part of our collective Christmas experience. Catch it at the Max Bell Theatre where you can get spiked eggnog, with a candy cane if you ask nicely, and even go skating to finish off a Christmas-y evening.
