Review: A Christmas Carol, Old Vic - In Camera

Photo credit: Manuel Harlan

The theatre industry has been continuously knocked down this year, with chances of recovery snatched away and constant rules seemingly determined to keep our beloved performance venues closed but through all of this, there is one thing that I urge you all to remember. The theatre industry has never stopped fighting and no matter what, it continues to fight back, it continues to find ways of pushing forward and against all the odds, the incredible people who work within this industry have continued to bring theatre into our homes whilst we remain unable to attend venues in person. 

The Old Vic launched its ‘In Camera’ series a while back with Lungs, streaming live theatre from its empty auditorium into our homes and after the success of this production, the scheme pushed on with more ideas, revealing that the venue’s critically-acclaimed production of Jack Thorne’s A Christmas Carol would be live-streamed over the festive season. With London theatres now closed once again, this production is a beacon of light in the darkness and something that deserves to be celebrated. Filmed with Covid-secure procedures in place, this take on the Dickens classic feels fresh and new, and you can look past the social distancing and careful positioning, becoming entranced by the story. 

Andrew Lincoln leads the cast as Ebenezer Scrooge, on stage throughout and handling everything with ease. It’s a big, famous role to take on yet he makes the character completely his own. As he is shown the error of his ways, you can see the character learning and growing as a person and you find yourself becoming somewhat attached to him. Lincoln makes the character likeable and makes you feel for him as he is forced to face up to his mistakes. John Dagleish plays Bob Cratchit with heart and softness, showing two sides of him, both the nervous worker endlessly answering every demand of Scrooge and the loving family man who wants to make the best of everything for his family, even though it may not be much.

Melissa Allen’s Little Fan is sweet and charming during the flashbacks to her youth with Ebenezer, with the character taking on a more sombre tone as the Ghost Of Christmas Yet To Come, whilst Clive Rowe’s Mr Fezziwig is a bundle of energy and light. Julie Jupp and Golda Rosheuvel impress as the Ghosts of Christmas Past and Christmas Present respectively, with Michael Rouse playing the roles of Ebenezer’s Father and Marley with great gravitas. Eugene McCoy’s performance as Fred and Gloria Obiyano as Belle must also be mentioned, both well-developed characters each with their own story to tell, with Rayhaan Kufuor-Gray’s Tiny Tim pulling at the heartstrings. The ensemble cast play different characters throughout, from carol singers in the streets to party goers, performing with bundles of energy and keeping the action moving forwards, all whilst making it look incredibly easy to play a plethora of carols using hand bells. 

The staging of this production is simplistic yet highly effective with a series of doorways, boxes and walkways, enough to create the world of the story and with no actual doors, thats one less thing to worry about when it comes to all of the current rules and regulations! Handshakes are mentioned a couple of times but you never actually see any happen, thanks to the clever use of split screens and conveniently placed door frames. I have to congratulate the team who put this production together for online viewers; using split screens to capture performers who cannot stand too close to one another and putting them into the same shot together. It’s all very cleverly done.

A Christmas Carol is a classic for the festive season and thanks to the hard work from the team at The Old Vic, we are able to enjoy it from the comfort of our own homes. This innovative streamed production is clever, fresh and new, with its excellent cast bringing the much-loved characters to life in a way that captures the imagination. It’s been a very challenging year for the theatre industry but this production reminds us of the magic of live theatre, especially in the joyful moments towards the end of the show. No spoilers but it’s a beautiful moment that highlights the beauty of theatre, something that we have all been missing. 

**** Four stars

Reviewed by: Rebecca Wallis