A Christmas Carol: A Ghost Story

Charles Dickens’ A Christmas Carol gets a new adaptation by Mark Gatiss in what proves to be a pacy production which both chills the bones and warms the heart.

With Geoffrey Beevers narrating the action from a suitably period crimson chair stage left, we’re introduced to towering wooden filing cabinets and candlelit desks as Scrooge and Marley work through their ledgers, the latter shouting “humbug” at any mention of Christmas, leaving poor Bob Cratchit only hoping he can have the festive day to be with his family. Scrooge’s reaction when his partner suffers a heart attack is as cold as the atmosphere which permeates the subsequent scenes.

It’s a nice scene-setter before the classic opening line of the book “Marley was dead”.

What follows is, quite simply, beautifully done. Despite the vast Birmingham Rep stage, it’s a feast for the eyes with period dress and multi-functional pieces of set which twist and turn to move the action along.

Ghost of Christmas Past appears within the curtains of Scrooge’s bedframe, a slight young woman with a singsong voice, with an appearance akin to something from horror’s the Ring. Ghost of Christmas Present is all opulence and colour, and Ghost of Christmas Yet to Come simply a faceless, hooded shape not unlike Harry Potter’s dementors.

All three spirits are in wonderful contrast to the energy and colour of the “real” world in which Scrooge exists. The poor scurry about the streets trying to make ends meet, along with charity workers trying to give them a better Christmas, while the better-off, including Scrooge’s nephew, enjoy parlour games and dancing in their wealthy homes.

Paul Wills’ set and Philip Gladwell’s lighting create an atmosphere which flips from one almost claustrophobic in its gloom to firesides, warmth and glow, while sound designer Ella Wahlstrom adds effects to the voices of the spirits, as well as eerie wails, clangs and sounds which literally make you jump in the darkness.

Rufus Hound’s Marley warns Scrooge of the fate which has befallen him, clad in heavy chains and wailing his sorrow, while Oscar Batterham’s Cratchit is an all-round likeable chap, refusing to be worn-down by his employers, and a loving family man. Our hearts break when he finally cracks, kneeling at the side of the body of Tiny Tim.

But it is Matthew Cottle who takes all the plaudits, with an Ebenezer who physically and emotionally travels from stooped miser, via frail and fearful, to delirious with relief, and finally humbled and redeemed.

It’s a wonderful performance which brings fresh eyes and ears to a well-loved tale.

Add in a festive choir singing Oh Come All Ye Faithful (with a descant that would make angels weep with joy), as snow falls across the stage, and you have a very real reminder of the meaning behind the story. Do unto others. Spread love and joy. Share what you have.

It’s a lesson for us all and a Christmas Carol to remember.

A Christmas Carol: a Ghost Story, at Birmingham Rep to January 5, 2025. All images by Ellie Kurtz.