ELEVEN years after her memorable adaptation and production of A Christmas Carol at the Shelley Theatre in Southbourne, Helen Watts returned to Bournemouth last week with a new working of the Dickens classic for students of Arts University Bournemouth, at their home theatre, The Palace Court in Hinton Road.
With an energetic cast of ten, the story of Ebenezer Scrooge and his busy Christmas eve unfolded in Victorian London on a sparsely-set stage designed by Bo Parsons, with atmospheric lighting and sound by Dom Phillips. Entering through the auditorium, a rowdy band of festive revellers decided to tell the story, and as soon as they ascend the stage they are greeted by the loudly miserable Scrooge (Chaz Dickenson), berating them for their merriment. But he’s more than a misery … he is soon refusing aid to the fundraisers, time off to his clerk Bob Cratchit, and an invitation from his nephew Fred. Then he’s off home for a lonely night, as usual. But it’s not QUITE as usual, as his long-dead business partner Jacob Marley (the powerfully frightening Dan Dearne) is there to greet him, heavily burdened by massive chains of woe wrought in his own miserable life. Marley has a Christmas present to offer, but it comes at a price, and money is what Scrooge most (perhaps only) values.
Three ghosts will come to Scrooge, to take him on a whistle-stop tour of his life past, present and future. With this time-travelling journey comes a chance to alter the future.
The company included Harry Clapham’s charismatic narrator and ghost of Christmas present, Rue Giddins’ Tiny Tim and ghost of Christmas past and Bron Loader’s charity collector, with Mitsuki Kawase as Fred, Rohit Panesar as Bob, Olivia Studivant as Scrooge’s first love, Belle, Izzy Walsh-Sinclair as Mrs Cratchit and Lily Gentleman as Anthea.
Once again the AUB acting students created a compelling evening of theatre, aided by their colleagues in the design, costume, set construction and hair and make-up departments of the university. Being able to work together on live productions is a huge benefit for them all.
GP-W
If I were sending a Christmas present to the acting department of AUB, it would be a really good speech lecturer, someone ready to convince students of the need to spend hours on boring but essential voice work. It’s all very well abandoning RP and using your own voice and accent, but if the audience can’t hear the words you are saying, the story can’t be told. Until you can project your voice to be heard in the back row of the auditorium without shouting, your life as a theatre actor will be limited, if not doomed. The Palace Court is a very good place to learn and practise that lesson.