A Christmas Carol
Review by Sam
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Taking over the Old Vic for its 8th consecutive year is Matthew Warchus’ and Jack Thorne’s festive production of the Charles Dickens classic.
The hit production has become somewhat of a Christmas tradition at the Old Vic, with the production team transforming the proscenium stage into the round for this immersive staging of a festive favourite. With seating onstage, a walkway that runs through the stalls and lanterns ominously hung from the ceiling, the show invites audiences into the heart of the narrative and the Christmas spirit from the moment they enter the theatre. Actors offer out free mince pies and satsumas, there’s a pre-show orchestration and ensemble mingling amongst the crowd, easily cementing this as the most immersive theatrical Christmas experience for the whole family.
Rob Howell’s incredible set design is simple yet deeply effective, with a stage that creatively reveals so many hidden secrets over the duration of the play. As a stroke of genius, he cleverly uses timed sound effects in order to vividly create sets and props from nothing. Along with this incredible set, the production is brought to life with an ensemble who clearly are having the time of their merry lives performing this text.
This year’s star taking on the infamous role of Scrooge is the widely acclaimed and incredibly talented John Simm. Simm has a commanding stage presence which he uses to powerfully bring the character to life. He transforms from a grumpy Ebenezer into a joyous gentleman through a performance which showcases the depth of his acting ability to its fullest. Alongside Simm is a strong ensemble who all work in perfect unison to collectively tell this magical story in an extremely polished and beautiful way.
Matthew Warchus has directed a perfect version of this story that fully embodies the spirit of Christmas in every way. The entire cast and crew help to bring Jack Thorne’s joyous adaptation to life in a dizzyingly perfect festive delight that rings in the holiday cheer once more.