A Christmas Carol: The Musical – Review

The standing ovation said it all really. I was on my way up anyway, but my nine-year-old positively wrenched me the rest of the way out of my seat at the end of A Christmas Carol The Musical.

He’s watched a good bit of theatre over the years, but I don’t think I’ve seen him so completely captivated and mesmerised for a long time. As we left, he told me he thought the production was “outstanding” and “top-notch”.
I couldn’t agree more.

Alane Menken’s brilliant music was delivered with aplomb. The solo performances were great, and the many layered harmonies in the crowd scenes were an absolute joy.
The sepia-toned, pared back set and projections were beautifully evocative, with aged pages of books adorning the sky, walls, furniture, and gas lamps which transported us back to Dickensian times viewed through the eyes of the joyless Scrooge. It worked as the perfect backdrop and helped highlight the subtle costume detail, such as the barely perceptible touch of sparkle in the scarves of the characters who embody love and life.

Now about Scrooge…..while there was much that was very traditional about this production, Scrooge wasn’t one of them.

Directors Joseph Houston and William Whelton took the decision to have their Scrooge as a woman after reading about females in history who became infamous because of their miserliness. I was intrigued to see how this would work with such an iconic, traditionally male role.

Claire Moore’s “Evelina Scrooge” was great..as horribly heartless as we’ve all come to expect of Scrooge and with a giddy glee on Christmas morning that the great Alastair Sim would have been proud of. And her transformation was as seamless as the revolutions of the hands on the giant clock projected onto the set.

The directors chose this version of the famous Dickens’ story because of its “splash of Broadway pizzazz and dusting of Sondheim-esque storytelling.” It worked brilliantly.
One of our favourite comic scenes was when the charity collectors from the “Hope Foundation” asked the stingy Scrooge for a donation. The barbershop style harmonies were brilliant and the shocked faces of the collectors when she turned them down were hilarious.

It feels unfair to pick and choose from such a great show packed with amazing talent, but space it tight.

James Hume gave us a cheeky, larger than life cabaret style Christmas Present/Mother Goose, who together with his Moulin Rouge-style cabaret chorus line, literally lit up the stage in a sparkly play within a play scene. The baffled face of Scrooge as she was pushed to look out on to the audience was a picture.

And Barry Keenan’s Marley was just the right side of scary with his arresting Beetlejuice style hair and make-up.

The young cast members did a brilliant job too and there were some lovely poignant and humorous moments thanks to these up-and-coming stars.
A Christmas Carol is one of my favourite stories, and I’m quite precious about how it’s treated, but this Hope Mill Theatre production was an absolute triumph.

Hope Mill Theatre has won lots of awards since it began back in 2015 and it’s easy to see why. Normally performances take place in the Grade II listed former textile mill in Ancoats. This is the first show to be created and produced for another venue, with plans for more.
Aside from all the charity does to support young and up-and-coming talent, the quality of the stagecraft is such that we’d be happy to watch one of their productions anywhere they decide to take it.

A Christmas Carol: The Musical a Hope Mill Theatre Production is at Lowry, Salford from 14 December 2024 to 5 January 2025 Age guidance 6+