Our drama boys excelled themselves yet again in our latest school production, A Christmas Carol. Performed over three nights to a packed Quarry Theatre, this timeless classic, adapted by Karen Louise Hebden, took audiences on a rollercoaster of emotions.
A cold and damp Christmas Eve in 1842, and Ebeneezer Scrooge is hunched in his counting house with his pinched face, and cantankerous and angry demeanour. Working alongside him is his long-suffering employee Bob Cratchit, scratching his quill across ledger upon ledger, stopping occasionally to cup his hands round the naked flame of his candle for warmth. It is a gloomy introduction to a play, but oh so very emotive.
If you have ever read the Charles Dickens novel, this scene could be pretty much as you imagined it. Further depicted with an impressive set that could easily be mistaken for an actual Victorian London street, with cramped, quaint and dimly lit houses on a hand-laid cobbled lane. The misery and hardship are almost palpable.
A magnificent performance by Lower Sixth Former Charlie Eggleton added to the authenticity of the scene, with his convincing portrayal of the bitter old man Scrooge – it was really hard to believe that this soulless, mean old man was played by a 16-year-old boy. Preparing for this famous role, Charlie watched several renditions of the play to take inspiration from the different actors who have also played the part. Charlie explained, “I think I really got into the mind of the character in order to give a good believable performance, and I think I understand Scrooge much better now, and the pain he went through. I decided to portray many classic, Scrooge stereotypes, like a hunchback etc, and I came up with a voice that I thought fitted the character well, that I could sustain for the whole performance.”
Further adding to the realism of the scene was Lower Sixth Former Thomas Taylor’s portrayal of a cheerful and optimistic Bob Cratchit, with his well-excecuted cockney accent and a character brimming with warmth and hope, which was so true to this Dickens’ character. The on-stage chemistry between Bob and his weak son, Tiny Tim, played by Fourth Former Seb Davis, made for some emotional and convincing father and son scenes, radiating love around the theatre.
This on-stage relationship was no fluke. Thomas (Bob Cratchitt) and Seb (Tiny Tim) spent months honing their father-son bond during rehearsals. Thomas explained, “We worked hard on the little things that would create a realistic father-son relationship, like a hand on a shoulder or a shared smile after something amusing or heartfelt happened on stage. I was very lucky to work with such a talented actor who took on the role of Tiny Tim so brilliantly.”
The script, written by Karen Louise Hebden, was chosen because it follows Dickens’ novel faithfully and, while the story itself will warm anyone’s heart (particularly so at Christmas time), this adaptation incorporates singing and choral ensembles, shaping the story into a delightful Christmassy show. This also allowed for our drama boys to demonstrate a wider range of talents, with some carol singing (there was not a dry eye in the house when Seb Davis as Tiny Tim sang a sorrowful rendition of Silent Night), and chorus dancing, which provided Upper Sixth Former Louis Cooke with the chance to light up the stage and give the audience a good laugh as Fezziwig, a flamboyant jovial man – the very antithesis of Scrooge.
Of course, we must not forget that this is a story of supernatural phenomena to represent change, and rebirth. Marley’s ghost was first to appear as an ethereal figure, complete with heavy chains and money boxes forged from a lifetime of greed. He was played superbly by Lower Sixth Former Will Hayward, who gave a sterling and chilling performance under a veil of eerie blue lighting and mist.
The Ghost of Christmas Past soon followed, confidently played by Lower Sixth Former Millan Verwoert, barefoot and clad in a white suit with a sprinkling of holly, who vividly brought Scrooge’s past to life, encouraging the audience to develop some empathy for this grumpy old man. 
After an interval, the audience was thrust right back into Scrooge’s bedroom with the Ghost of Christmas Present, a larger-than-life, charismatic figure who burst onto stage, immediately demanding the audience’s attention. Perfectly cast in this role was Upper Sixth Former Zachary Wasterfall, who donned a green velvet cloak with a wreath of holly on his head. Zachary was absolutely enthralling to watch as he brought this intense character to life with gusto and aplomb.
Zachary also doubled up as the Ghost of Christmas Yet-to-Come, a Grim Reaper of a spirit, dressed in a hooded, ragged hessian cape, who was most definitely the scariest of the ghosts. He did not speak, just slowly pointed into a future of what could happen if Scrooge did not change his ways.
This adaptation also created an opportunity to collaborate with our music department, with an ensemble of school musicians broadcast live into the theatre from their upstairs studio. The original score was stunningly composed and conducted by Lower Sixth Former Angus Timmins, who had been working on this composition since June. It was a very special moment for him, and the audience, when he came out at the end to take a bow to rapturous applause.
The whole show was an absolute delight to watch. It is, of course, the message that this well-known story tells that tug on the heartstrings. Kindness really must come above all else. The transformation from Scrooge at the start to the end of the show is clear, as are people’s interactions with him – so brilliantly shown by the boys’ acting.
Talking to Charlie (Scrooge) after the performance, he told us, “I hope people who saw the show now understand the importance of kindness and giving to charity, especially at Christmas time. Also, to give people a second chance, as many people like Scrooge are misunderstood, and you never know why someone is a certain way until you take time to truly understand and help them.”
In the words of Scrooge himself, “I will honour Christmas in my heart, and try to keep it all the year. I will live in the past, the present, and the future. The spirits of all three shall strive within me.”
