I must hand it to the Russell family. A Christmas Carol is the fifth Judy Russell production I have seen, and once again I am amazed at what they can accomplish in our little Prince George Playhouse, along with the ever-enthusiastic and talented members of our local performing arts community.
The story of A Christmas Carol is really the modern-era definition of Christmas itself. Written and published in the mid-1840s during a popularist revival of interest in the secular Christmas holiday, Dickens' novella has consistently driven the annual revival of the English interpretation of Christmas for almost two centuries.
The ideas of family togetherness, a day of gift-giving, charity and delicious feasts, are all perfectly manifested in his story. It is almost a picture postcard. Too good to be true? Who can say?
A quick reality check reminds us that the era in question was as much about poverty, incurable illness, colonialism and mid-Victorian era prudish social constructs, as it was about Christian-themed aspirations.
Now, don't get me wrong, even though I value the themes of good will towards your neighbour and the benefits of living an ethical life, the thing I really dig about A Christmas Carol are the ghosts and I can honestly say I got goosebump-quality scared at least twice during the performance.
The Anna Russell adaptation which opened Thursday night packs so much onto the stage that at times I felt a bit distracted, but only because I'm inclined to want to peek behind the curtain to figure out "how did they do that?"
Gary Chappel quite literally works up a sweat as the snivelling and fretting Ebenezer Scrooge.
At times I wondered if he might give the audience a moment of repose from the persistent neuroses oozing from Scrooge and provide some glimpses into the damaged soul we only get to see rehabilitated in the final moments of the play. But he works the character deeply into our senses and ensures that we stay with him, as he travels around the elaborate and ever-rotating double set that supports most of the on-stage action.
And again, how about those ghosts!
Perhaps it might seem a bit curious that I somewhat classify A Christmas Carol as a winter-themed ghost story - the reasons for that belong to a whole other conversation - but I have to say I was genuinely spooked by the interpretations of both Jacob Marley and the Ghost of Christmas Yet to Come, with Melissa Glover absolutely spectacular as the Ghost of the Present, and young Sofia Pellegrino beautifully ethereal in her role as the Ghost of Christmas Past.
And of course, there are the party scenes. I love seeing the community get involved with live theatre.
I've attended and worked with hundreds and hundreds of professional productions over the years, but none of them bring a smile to my face as when I see my neighbours and friends up on stage, singing and wearing delightful period costumes. Anna and Judy Russell have once again engaged some amazing local talent in this production and I cheer them all on.
As well, Bill and Jon Russell and their production team members have performed near-miracles with the lighting and sound designs. A rich sound design is imperative to creating the vast repertoire of moods that are integral to Dickens' story. Dread, fear, nostalgia, sadness and loneliness all comprise the premise of the storyline and the Russells have pulled out all the stops to highlight these through imaginative sound and lighting effects.
Once again, my congratulations to everyone involved with this year's presentation of A Christmas Carol. I hope folks of all backgrounds consider taking a break from the December hustle, to take a walk down 1840s London memory lane.
Tickets are a real value at $38 and are going fast at centralinteriortickets.com. The show runs until Dec. 22.
