If you’re looking for a surefire, spellbinding feelgood, fantastic Christmas show to share with friends, family and other fellow passengers in life’s journey, make haste to The Old Vic this year.
A Christmas Carol, starring John Simm (pictured above) with an accomplished cast of amazing all-round performers, is guaranteed to put a smile on your face, a tear in your eye, a hug round your heart and a spring in your step.
This familiar tale, now in its eighth Christmas outing at the theatre close to London’s Waterloo Station still has plenty of surprises in store.
Whether you’ve read the book or seen one of the dozens of film productions, you’ll be astounded by the dexterity with which Director Matthew Warchus and writer Jack Thorne have taken the essential elements of Dickens’ story and, like alchemists, spun the tale into pure gold.
The show starts with warm mince pies for all, and up close and personal seating – still all easily accessible for Living with Disability readers.
There are fiddle bands playing carols with a Celtic flair, superlative handbell ringing and dancing on stage and in the aisles – and that’s all before the show starts.
John Simm as Ebeneezer Scrooge is compellingly watchable, with an utterly credible transformation through ghostly visitations, from scrimping debt collector to beneficent man-about-London.
The three Christmas spirits are beautifully realised, with a heart-rending performance from Ahmed Hamad as Fred and a charismatic turn from Freddie Marshall-Ellis as Tiny Tim.
The staging is deceptively simple, with supremely clever doors and crates. The whole production is underpinned by Hugh Vanstone’s simply beautiful lighting design, bringing an ethereal beauty to every scene.
Oh, and we mustn’t forget to mention that it snows. And that there are Brussels Sprouts on parachutes. That’s amazing too.
The Old Vic’s Christmas Carol this year is that rare thing: a production that’s greater than the sum of its already impressive parts. If you’re in the mood for a feelgood festive feast, and to embrace Christmas past, the present and the future, A Christmas Carol will ensure you’ll want to ‘honour Christmas in your heart, and try to keep it all the year’.
A Christmas Carol runs until January 4, with specific Access Performances on;
British Sign Language (BSL) interpreted: Wednesday 11 December at 7pm
Audio described: Friday 13 December at 7pm. Touch Tour at 5pm
Relaxed (also audio described, captioned and BSL interpreted): Saturday 14 December at 2pm, Touch Tour at 11.45am
Captioned: Monday 16 Dec at 7pm
For further details visit www.oldvictheatre.com
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