IT’S a festive classic: the story of Ebenezer Scrooge, the meanest man who ever lived, given a horrible shock on Christmas Eve by the ghost of his partner Jacob Marley, and guided on a journey of learning by three spirits, a time worm and a woman with a nut for a head.
The team that brought you last year’s Christmas hit at the Stephen Joseph Theatre (SJT), Scarborough, Pinocchio, is back with a new version of Charles Dickens’ most enduring tale, but not as you’ve ever seen it before. Will Mr Scrooge learn his lesson before the rattling chickens get him? And will his servants live to tell the tale? Come along and find out.
Written by Nick Lane and composer/lyricist Simon Slater, and directed by Paul Robinson, A Scarborough (Christmas) Carol is a fun, interactive, musical retelling of this classic story.
Nick said: “What we’ve done again this time is taken the classic story that you know, and given it a funky twist... I’m pretty sure you won’t ever have seen a Dickens adaptation with a time worm, or a Ghost of Christmas Past who takes Scrooge to the wrong past.”
Paul said: “Our audiences loved Pinocchio last year, so this year we’ve taken the Christmas craziness a step further and come up with a version of a festive family classic firmly set in our home town.”
The show stars Anne-Marie Piazza and Elliott Rennie, who will be familiar to SJT audiences from Pinocchio, along with SJT newcomers Joey Hickman and Alicia Mckenzie. The four actors portray between them nearly 30 different characters, and play live music on stage.
A (Scarborough) Christmas Carol features all-new music and lyrics by Simon Slater, who was born and grew up in Scarborough. Simon was nominated for an Olivier Award in 2013 for his sound design on Constellations in the West End, and was Musical Director on the National Theatre’s lauded production of Amadeus which, following its sell-out run in 2016/17, returns to the NT in January 2018.
A (Scarborough) Christmas Carol can be seen at the Stephen Joseph Theatre between Thursday 7 and Sunday 31 December, at various times and dates. Tickets are available from the box office on 01723 370541 or via the website: www.sjt.uk.com
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