What the Dickens would Christmas be without A Christmas Carol in some form or another. This year we were treated to a wonderful performance of the classic by Northern Ballet, Directed and Devised by Christopher Gable CBE and Choreographed by Massimo Moricone to Music by Carl Davis. A formidable trio indeed.
For those of you unfamiliar with the novel by Charles Dickens, first published in 1843, I will give you a brief synopsis as it relates to the ballet
It is basically a tale of redemption centred on a businessman, named Ebenezer Scrooge, whose only passion is the accumulation of money, regardless of the effect on anyone else. Act One opens with the funeral of his partner, Jacob Marley, at which Scrooge is the only mourner.
Fast forward seven years to Christmas Eve and Scrooge is heading for his counting house, which still bears the name of the partnership, when he is approached by people collecting money for the poor. He sends them away. Scrooge’s clerk, Bob Cratchit is engaged in merriment with the shoppers in the street, but when his boss appears he has to leave to go to work. Even the arrival of Scrooge’s more affable nephew and his wife (Jun Ishii and Sarah Chun), only lightens the mood for a minute, at which point they are kicked out so that work can resume. The office is not heated and freezing cold. At close of business, Scrooge lets his clerk leave and returns home to his cold, dark run down mansion. As he is eating his dinner of gruel, the ghost of Marley appears with a warning that he too will be doomed to becoming a phantom, unless he changes his ways. Scrooge buries his head in the pillows to escape the awful sight.
Act Two begins with Scrooge getting a visit from The Ghost of Christmas Past who takes him back to a Christmas party many years ago in the counting house of Fezziwig & Family, his first employer. It recalls the incident when his first love, Belle, gave him the elbow for loving money more than he loved her. This flashback upsets Scrooge as he realises he is powerless to rectify his mistakes and, at his wits end, he covers the light of the ghost.
Harry Skoupas as The Ghost of Christmas Present, with Scrooge
He then has a visit from the Ghost of Christmas Present, who takes him to the Cratchit household, where, although only being able to afford one sweet for each of the children, including the disabled Tiny Tim, they were happy and enjoying the day. They follow the ghost, who leads them from the house, but Scrooge is unable to join them so is left behind with the phantoms, who grow stronger.
Andrew Tomlinson as The Ghost of Christmas Yet To Come
Act Three sees The Ghost of Christmas Yet To Come, lead Scrooge back to the Cratchits’, where they are grieving for the loss of Tiny Tim. He has a vision of three hags ransacking the bedroom of a corpse, disposing of his possessions and he realises that it is his chamber, which is also being visited by the Angel of Death. He throws himself at his bed, which has now become a coffin, complete with headstone bearing his name, and vows to change.
Scrooge with the Ghost of Christmas Present visit the Cratchit family where Tiny Tim, Leon Sumi-Cathcart, is telling stories. Mrs Cratchit was danced by Harriet Madden and the other children were Julie Nunès, Sean Kitano and Albert Gonzalez Orts.
On Christmas morning Scrooge leaps out of bed, gets dressed in his best clothes and rushes out into the street to prepare an enormous feast for all to share, including the guests of honour, the Cratchit family. As they begin the celebrations the first flakes of snow fall and turn it into a wonderful Christmas.
The cast in a good old fashioned street scene.
As you would expect, the dancing is amazing, although it was a cross between classical ballet and the kind of set pieces you might find in a musical, especially in the street scenes which were straight out of Oliver! or Mary Poppins, although much more skilfully executed.
Jonathan Hanks, as Scrooge, was phenomenal. His make-up aged him no end, as did the slight stoop and staccato walk, but when he was firing on all cylinders his physical prowess came shining through. His transformation from crotchety old git to reformed character was beautifully done, especially given that he was on stage for almost the whole time. He also provided the unintentional comedy moment, which didn’t get the audience laughing as I am not sure many of them noticed, but, when in a fit of depression in his room, illuminated only by a candle, he blew it out and the stage went into total darkness. The problem was that the candle was still lit! It wouldn’t be a Christmas show without a little hitch.
The Young Scrooge, George Liang, dancing with Belle, Dominique Larose with the Old Scrooge pondering what might have been.
There was also a fair amount of singing done by the cast, which was a very good addition to the dancing and added atmosphere, especially in the carols. Harris Beattie, as Bob Cratchit, was by turn downtrodden at work and lively and affectionate when with his family. His dancing, which was amazingly agile, reflecting his moods.
The set was obviously very bleak but extremely adaptable, with various elements being used for multiple purposes. Likewise the costumes which seemed to be to be very accurate, although even I wasn’t around in 1843 to verify, and also easily changed to facilitate the performers transforming almost instantly. In that department Jonathan Hanks achieved what to me seemed impossible, he changed his whole outfit whilst dancing on his bed! I have enough trouble putting on my trousers whilst just sitting on mine. The Ghost of Christmas Past, danced by Saeka Shirai, was understated in a diaphanous dress, the Ghost of Christmas Present – Harry Skoupas – cranked up the drama in his red breeches and long green hooded robe, with the ominous Ghost of Christmas Yet To Come – Andrew Tomlinson – really very scary in a kind of skeleton suit, I could see how that would get someone on the straight and narrow pretty effectively. Not half as much though as Mr Tomlinson’s other character, Marley’s ghost, who was grotesque beyond description.
You Wakizuka as The Fiddler
As well as the dark side, there was a great comedy dance done at the Fezziwig’s party, with the couple, Bruno Serraclara and Amber Lewis, doing a drunk dance whilst the others engaged in a more formal version. Yu Wakizuka, as the Fiddler pulled off some incredible moves whilst ostensibly playing his violin, but, don’t tell anyone, I think he might have been miming.
The full cast at the big finish with Tiny Tim sitting on Scrooge’s knee. The Fezziwigs, far left, Bruno Serraclara and Amber Lewis, still seemingly half cut.
My one disappointment, which is more a comment on the state of the arts in this country at the moment, was that the brilliant score of carols, traditional Christmas songs and modern music, composed by Carl Davis, was recorded rather than played live. This might not sound like much but it means that the production is devoid of flexibility. There were bursts of spontaneous applause after some of the set pieces but the music continued relentlessly, rather than pausing for a couple of bars. Not only that, but the recording was made in 2014 at the St James Theatre, Wellington, New Zealand, by Orchestra Wellington, conducted by Nigel Gaynor and used courtesy of the Royal New Zealand Ballet. I have no criticism whatsoever with the quality of the performance but, even if it is not possible to have a live orchestra, has it come to the woeful situation that Northern Ballet has to rely on the generosity of a company on the other side of the world in order to put on a work of this quality. Grumpy old man moment over!
I really recommend this production to you as I am sure it will be equally as impressive to ballet buffs as to we newcomers to the medium.
A Christmas Carol, from Northern Ballet, is at Leeds Grand Theatre until 4th January, 2025. For more details, and to book, please go to https://leedsheritagetheatres.com/whats-on/nb-a-christmas-carol-2024/
To see a trailer it is https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1oNrBBmPd2E&t=5s
Feature image provided by Northern Ballet. Photographs 1 and 2 by Tristram Kenton, 3 by Colleen Mair and 4 to 9 by Emily Nuttall.
Tyke It To The Limit 