Review: 'A Christmas Carol' at Shaw Festival's Royal George Theatre, Niagara on the Lake Ontario
The company of ‘A Christmas Carol’ . Photo Credit: David Cooper
The Shaw Festival bolsters the holiday season in Niagara on the Lake with the opening of ‘A Christmas Carol’. This beautiful Ontario gem of a town is a fitting locale for Victorian fun as Charles Dickens himself would have passed nearby as he entered Ontario through Niagara Falls in his travels of 1842 – just one year before he began work on the iconic Christmas story. This production follows the original well-known narrative, but with a delightful twist of tone. The darkness of greed and the meanness of London poverty are certainly represented, but more emphasis on the joy and mirth of the season is what illuminates this sparkling production. The wit and creativity of Alexis Milligan’s puppetry enshrines this tone throughout.
The joviality begins at the outset with some cracking good fun from Peter Fernandes as a town musician. Some old-fashioned hand magic sets the tone as his recorder appears and disappears until he comically smacks his lips in preparation for performance like a kid ready to plow into an ice cream cone. A cat (puppet) tells some very bad jokes and introduces us to a large cast of brilliant puppets who take on actual characters in the story.
The clever merriment continues as simple planks torn from the set serve as both doors and desks in Scrooge’s office. The choreography of door becoming desk becoming door is brilliantly turned by Andrew Lawrie as Bob Cratchit. We are introduced to Scrooge (Graeme Somerville) who literally leans on his human staff as they support furniture. Mr. Somerville’s Scrooge has all the classic bearings of the miserly old wretch we are used to. However, with the emphasis on high spirits, he manages to sneak in some shrewd sarcasm and some knowing winks of understanding and comic embracing of confusion. This offers superb forecasting of the final outcome for which the ghosts are charged.
As we move into the scenes of midnight ghosts, the freewheeling mirth continues. The versatile Kelsey Verzotti as Christmas Past flies through the proscenium on a child’s swing – a swing that Scrooge is forced to sit on and recount child-like memories. Peter Fernandes, now as Christmas present, rollerblades around Scrooge’s bed terrifying Scrooge with fun. At this point, Milligan’s puppets take over with Marla McLean working their choreography. Christmas present becomes an Ariel-like winsome toy. Christmas future relates back to the terror of the times as a massive skeletal presence that both shrinks and expands to cover the entire proscenium. The Tiny Tim puppet also lengthens and shrinks as his wan body reminds us that the ills of society are also highlighted by the season.
Ryan deSouza’s musical direction also embraces the mirthful antics of this production. Common street instruments fill the house with seasonal cheer. The opening of the second act pulls us in, as a simple rhythmic bell ringing charms us into our seats. The harmonies of the cast were magical.
The conclusion draws us into both sides of Christmas – Dickens himself would want us to be reminded of the severe needs of lonely soldiers, prisoners, sailors. The poor and the hungry. Ultimately, though, the finale (as foreshadowed from the beginning) explodes into comic release. Scrooge stands centre stage musing while his pants linger around ankles. As he displays his new-found generosity, his sticky fingers take some time to finally drop a coin. This incredible production beautifully blends Dickens’ appeal to social causes and the need of some brightness in our current lives.
‘A Christmas Carol’ by Charles Dickens
Produced by The Shaw Festival – Niagara on the Lake
Direction – Molly Atkinson
Music Direction – Ryan deSouza
Set and Costumes – Christine Lohre
Movement and puppetry – Alexis Milligan
Cast – Jason Cadieux, Peter Fernandes, Patty Jamieson, Andrew Lawrie, Julie Lumsden, Marie Mahabal, Marla McLean, Graeme Somerville, Kelsey Verzotti, Kelly Wong, Travis Seetoo, Gabriella Sundar Singh.
Runs through December 23, 2021 at the Royal George Theatre. Tickets at Shawfest.com