JADAR

★★★★★

A Christmas Carol at the King’s Arms Salford was made in collaboration with the George House Trust and Mustard Tree, directed by David Thacker, and starred one dazzling performer, Colin Connor, as Scrooge and the 33 accompanying characters.

The production, from start to finish, was utterly delightful. The script itself was expertly adapted for the stage. Doing this show with a sole performer was completely brilliant. Every word uttered on stage was taken from the original novel by Charles Dickens, which added a true richness to the performance.

The show was absolutely marvellous, standing out in the Manchester Theatre scene this holiday season. I could not imagine a better way to produce this story. 

The atmosphere of the show was a major aid to the entire show as the pub was filled with families, friends, and overall festive cheer, making this a truly special production to witness. The piece was abstract and allowed audiences to play with their own imagination in a truly special way.

The design was brimming with holiday magic, allowing audience members to interact with the space, with one another and with the performer at times. There was a Christmas tree, delicate lights placed throughout the room and a mix of normal and cabaret seating, making this truly seem like a voyeuristic viewing into the life of our narrator.

As the audience entered the space, the live chorus was dazzling, singing several holiday classics before seamlessly melding into the audience. The show was exceptionally inventive and honored the original language while managing a symbolic modernity, making the show indicative of the homelessness crisis was a brilliant shining light on the intention of this original piece.

There was an inherent kindness produced from this simple adjustment. What can we give to the people around us? What do we owe each other? This production reminds audiences to give what we are able, to care for those around us and to invest magic back into the world, slowly, and with time, our communities will change for the better. The show bleeds lessons of kindness, empathy and a true reckoning with oneself. We can be forgiven for the mistakes we have produced and the best time to start is now.

The piece itself was performed in the round, which allowed for such an intimate reaction to the story I could not picture it differently; it was a true marvel. All good theatre and live performance forces you to be present with the performer, with the show and with yourself. One of my favorite moments was watching a scene inside of Scrooge’s past, where he was broken up with. Connor brilliantly flipped between his emotions, every character and each reaction like ruffling through images in a book. I’ve not seen anything like that.

Whilst this scene was taking place, and he expertly navigated this variety of emotions, I was facing two men who struggled to look at the performer as he cried, and I slowly watched them shift, move, avoid eye contact, shuffle and sway before, finally, giving into the presence of the scene. Colin Connor was able to persuade everyone in the audience to trust him. His ability to connect to the audience and the several characters he was playing was astounding.

Multiple times while writing this review, I had to stop myself from writing that each actor was excellent as there was just one performer on stage. Connor provided some of the most brilliant acting choices I have seen recently, and was able to flick between intrapersonal and outward portrayals of his characters. This was low-budget, with minimal props, little design and it was exactly what it needed to be. It was a complete mastery of acting and directing, carefully stripped back, seemingly effortless, and transports you back to the roots of theatre, true connection. 

Looking at the direction of the piece, I was blown away by the subtle nods to both the original literature and the various retellings of the story. There is an exceptional charm in the original novel that the script and performer nailed. One of my favorite touches was the first time Scrooge’s full name was said, after gleefully entertaining audiences for over an hour, our narrator saw his own gravestone and with his emotions at full height, he finally read out his own name. His major emotional flashbacks took place in one corner of the room, where he lost his sister and his connection to his younger self.

The actual staging of the show was incredibly intentional and showed tremendous care from the director. I was impressed at the sheer vastness to analyse in the movement alone. Though he was able to remain playful with the audience throughout the piece, Colin Connor broke into the audience’s space at the end of the show, breaking the final wall between his character, their past and our current moment. We can all live in this moment of Christmas together. 

Additionally, there was a complete mastery of emotional manipulation. One particular moment this excelled was when Connor went from portraying himself as a young girl, excitedly celebrating her brother coming home to the grim retelling of her fate. His complete ability to transform into her character, then quickly, like a match going out, he spoke of her death. The room did not exhale for thirty seconds as we watched this once joyous man crumple into a pool of grief. It was such a sudden shift in emotion, the entire audience felt the impact.

A Christmas Carol was a true delight. I struggle to come up with any soluble critiques. This production was whimsical, expertly crafted, and just an utter joy. There are few shows that draw in audiences like this one did. Connor’s flirty and trusting relationship with the audience was fantastic, creating a delightfully joyous and expertly devastating piece, on par with the Muppets remake of the same novel. 

I have never seen a show like this before, and I will love it until the day I die, to poorly misquote one of my favorite parts of the show.  Truly fantastic work from David Thacker and Colin Connor, once again.