Ebenezer Scrooge

Think of Christmas (even if it is celebrated in July) Charles Dickens and A Christmas Carol. There have been many adaptations, in theatrical works and film versions, that have shaped how people celebrate Christmas. The Huon Valley Theatre production of Ebenezer Scrooge presents a new, reworked, slightly different slant on the traditional Christmas Carol story, showing more of the character of that archetypical grump, Scrooge.

This local version and large scale production gives us more of an insight on Scrooge, and shows that people can change for the better. This latest HVT production is an ambitious undertaking, and featured so many elements it was almost overwhelming. This is a musical, but it doesn’t have the cliché Christmas carol music that we have come to expect. In most musicals, the musicians are separated from the cast and stage . . . in this show, some of the musicians form part of the cast and perform on stage. The sides of the hall form part of the street scenes, and action flows from the sides onto the stage. The sides have Dickensian shopfronts, and at interval, they become stalls from which patrons get refreshments. Another element, and quite a revolutionary one, is the mixture of live and videoed action. This is the first major HVT production to (fully) make use of their new digital lighting system. Director Liz Connor got the most out of the cast, particularly as it is such a wordy play, especially for Rod Gray, who ably played Ebenezer Scrooge. In two acts, with a total of 24 scenes, Ebenezer Scrooge was an extraordinary workload to put on the cast and crew. Big plaudits to the cast of children, many who had their first stage experience in this production. Musicians, under musical director Judy Younger, did a terrific job. The technical crew was tireless, as usual.

Congratulations to all concerned for an entertaining production.

Merlene Abbott

Image: Rod Gray and Rob Nicholls in Ebenezer Scrooge