Some places of the world are still forbidden from gathering together for live theatre. Thankfully the Bristol Old Vic is aware of this and for a limited time, they have made their adaptation of A Christmas Carol available to all interested audiences for free! That’s right. Until January first, A Christmas Carol will be streaming online with no cost to anyone regardless of their area of residence. The award winning musical of the famous Christmas tale was taped in front of a packed house, continuing the yearly tradition of telling Ebenezer Scrooge’s tale of redemption from his selfish and greedy ways.
The original A Christmas Carol story is a moral one, one of which few of whom celebrate Christmas are ignorant of. Up until the ending, it’s also not much of a light hearted tale though it is perhaps a necessary one. A Christmas Carol tells of Ebenezer Scrooge, a greedy old miser who only cares for money. His views on life and family change once he is visited by the spirit of a former colleague, followed by three ghosts who examine Scrooge’s past, present, and future. This version of the story is approached with a slightly different take, retaining the essence of the original yet altering the format ever so slightly. This staged version is a musical, and an interactive one at that. How the incidents unfold though, is not so deviating.
As a production, it’s clear that the show was given sufficient financial backing. With as many film adaptations of Dicken’s tale as there are, it would only be right to insure the staged version is in no way a cheapening of the story. The stage effects are heavy, making the technical cues challenging thus requiring that the crew was overseen by an experienced stage manager. The costuming department was indeed paramount in depicting the period of which A Christmas Carol takes place. The casting was also interesting. As this show is not necessarily a representation of reality, the company chose to fill the roles with a multicultural cast. This did not inhibit the show in any way though, as all of the actors performed and sang to a high standard with no weak links in their ranks. Not only were their interactions with each other admirable, but their audience interactions were in line with the show’s direction, even breaking the fourth wall on multiple occasions. Though the story has its dark moments, Bristol Old Vic finds a way to make the show fun for the whole family.
Seeing A Christmas Carol on stage will be a different experience than seeing it on screen, but this is not to say that one is better than the other. Families who make a priority to watch filmed versions every year are highly encouraged to watch Bristol Old Vic’s adaptation. It’s perfectly suitable for children, and there are plenty of jokes snuck in for adults to pick up on. The show is currently streaming on YouTube from now until January first.
