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Review – Theatre Orangeville brings virtual A Christmas Carol reading

December 10, 2020   ·   0 Comments

By Constance Scrafield

A Christmas Carol by Charles Dickens is a favourite – a must-see or hear tradition at Christmas for a great many of us.

To bring this well-loved tale to theatre-goers, Theatre Orangeville is offering its online link or virtual tickets for our viewing pleasure. The show opened last Friday, December 4th, and will run until January 3. A full month to watch it and maybe, twice.

The book of A Christmas Carol was first published on December 19, 1843 and has never been out of print.

This presentation of the story is a reading of the abridged version that Dickens wrote himself. Once he realized how popular the book was, Dickens wrote the abridgement and began touring with it to read to audiences. That must have been wonderful.

One hundred and seventy-six years on, A Christmas Carol is the ageless tale of the intractable old miser, Ebenezer Scrooge, who determinedly “Humbugs” his way through the Yuletide each year and begins this Christmas time in the same way, for the setting is Christmas Eve.

Scrooge is mean spirited and cynical towards his one clerk, Bob Cratchit, and his nephew, Fred; he dislikes children and opines that if people would rather die than go to a poor house or to prison, then “they had better do so and reduce the surplus population…”

Hideous old curmudgeon.

A ghost story, maybe, one of the most memorable and loved ghost stories ever written, Christmas Carol is still dark and frightening to begin – and very eery later, pulling the reader or the audience along to the depths that Scrooge must suffer, as his possible reformation starts with a visit from Marley’s ghost.

Jacob Marley was Scrooge’s partner in business and Marley died on a Christmas Eve, just seven years before this story begins.

Indeed, this night of nights is an emotional rollercoaster, the like of which he has never experienced, for he re-visits the high times and the low of his life – in the past, in the present and his future.

To escort us through the night of horrors and joys that Scrooge and we endure and delight in, are five readers, one for each of the five Staves or chapters of the book. Interesting choices were made for who was invited to read.

Dan Needles, seated comfortably by a cozy fireplace, establishes in Stave One, the background and character of Scrooge, his rejections of civility and bonhomie to his nephew and, following, two men collecting a small fund to provide “food and warmth to the poor.” He gives them nothing and instructs them that “I wish to be left alone!” in his counting house, with his business and his money.

Resentfully, he allows Bob Cratchit “the whole day off,” with passing ridicule at the idea of a “Merry Christmas!”

Yet, the fears to be faced are predicted when he clearly sees Jacob Marley’s face staring at him from the surface of the door knocker on his own front door. Mr. Needles gives us a chilling time as he reads the eventual exchange between Scrooge and Marley’s apparition in Scrooge’s rooms, with the promise of things to come.

Andrew James is up next, perched on a stool, tensed and ready for Stave Two, in which we hear about Scrooge’s encounter with the Ghost of Christmas Past: his past, a time for him to witness his own long life and the choices he made about how to live that life.

Mr. James’ energy sweeps us along a difficult road for Scrooge, the tragic, heartless and loss.

Mayor of Orangeville, Sandy Brown takes up the baton, as it were, to read Stave Three, all the wild details of the Ghost of Christmas Present, a tour for Scrooge of the unknown lives of those around him and those he once knew and loved.

Accustomed as he is to reading policy and speeches in public, Mr. Brown delivers a much warmer rendering of the pull and push of Scrooge’s heart. Can Scrooge learn from the night’s lessons or is his heart hardened forever? By now, we still don’t know.

Former CBC’er and formerly Theatre Orangeville’s General Manager, Bernadette Hardaker, dives into Stave Four: the trials for Scrooge when he meets the Ghost of Christmas yet to come, terrifying moments that still leave us hanging. Her passion for the story is new found, she told us, but nonetheless for all that, excited to have the moment to share this monumental work. Ms. Hardaker’s reading clearly comes from a place of belief.

Finally, David Nairn takes up the tale in Stave Five, the last chapter, and you will have to see the show to learn what happens, especially for those of you who have never enjoyed A Christmas Carol before. Let it be said that the best person for this passage is Mr. Nairn, for whom this is a favourite Christmas moment.

His enthusiasm lights up the stage and his pleasure to have this chance to share this with you, as a gesture of keeping theatre in your lives, is as big as the story itself.

Hayden Thomas at the piano provides the musical glue to make the story flow, with his fluid playing of long adored Christmas tunes, before, between and after the tale is told. Always lovely to hear and watch Hayden perform. A perfect addition to the whole show.

Highly recommended by those who have seen it as a family event or a good time on one’s own. Pop some corn; maybe light the candles; dress up; or wear your jammies, this is a real treat.

For all the details and to purchase tickets, go to www.theatreorangeville.ca or call the very nice people at the Box Office 519-942-3423.

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Review – Theatre Orangeville brings virtual A Christmas Carol reading

By Constance Scrafield

A Christmas Carol by Charles Dickens is a favourite – a must-see or hear tradition at Christmas for a great many of us.

To bring this well-loved tale to theatre-goers, Theatre Orangeville is offering its online link or virtual tickets for our viewing pleasure. The show opened last Friday, December 4th, and will run until January 3. A full month to watch it and maybe, twice.

The book of A Christmas Carol was first published on December 19, 1843 and has never been out of print.

This presentation of the story is a reading of the abridged version that Dickens wrote himself. Once he realized how popular the book was, Dickens wrote the abridgement and began touring with it to read to audiences. That must have been wonderful.

One hundred and seventy-six years on, A Christmas Carol is the ageless tale of the intractable old miser, Ebenezer Scrooge, who determinedly “Humbugs” his way through the Yuletide each year and begins this Christmas time in the same way, for the setting is Christmas Eve.

Scrooge is mean spirited and cynical towards his one clerk, Bob Cratchit, and his nephew, Fred; he dislikes children and opines that if people would rather die than go to a poor house or to prison, then “they had better do so and reduce the surplus population…”

Hideous old curmudgeon.

A ghost story, maybe, one of the most memorable and loved ghost stories ever written, Christmas Carol is still dark and frightening to begin – and very eery later, pulling the reader or the audience along to the depths that Scrooge must suffer, as his possible reformation starts with a visit from Marley’s ghost.

Jacob Marley was Scrooge’s partner in business and Marley died on a Christmas Eve, just seven years before this story begins.

Indeed, this night of nights is an emotional rollercoaster, the like of which he has never experienced, for he re-visits the high times and the low of his life – in the past, in the present and his future.

To escort us through the night of horrors and joys that Scrooge and we endure and delight in, are five readers, one for each of the five Staves or chapters of the book. Interesting choices were made for who was invited to read.

Dan Needles, seated comfortably by a cozy fireplace, establishes in Stave One, the background and character of Scrooge, his rejections of civility and bonhomie to his nephew and, following, two men collecting a small fund to provide “food and warmth to the poor.” He gives them nothing and instructs them that “I wish to be left alone!” in his counting house, with his business and his money.

Resentfully, he allows Bob Cratchit “the whole day off,” with passing ridicule at the idea of a “Merry Christmas!”

Yet, the fears to be faced are predicted when he clearly sees Jacob Marley’s face staring at him from the surface of the door knocker on his own front door. Mr. Needles gives us a chilling time as he reads the eventual exchange between Scrooge and Marley’s apparition in Scrooge’s rooms, with the promise of things to come.

Andrew James is up next, perched on a stool, tensed and ready for Stave Two, in which we hear about Scrooge’s encounter with the Ghost of Christmas Past: his past, a time for him to witness his own long life and the choices he made about how to live that life.

Mr. James’ energy sweeps us along a difficult road for Scrooge, the tragic, heartless and loss.

Mayor of Orangeville, Sandy Brown takes up the baton, as it were, to read Stave Three, all the wild details of the Ghost of Christmas Present, a tour for Scrooge of the unknown lives of those around him and those he once knew and loved.

Accustomed as he is to reading policy and speeches in public, Mr. Brown delivers a much warmer rendering of the pull and push of Scrooge’s heart. Can Scrooge learn from the night’s lessons or is his heart hardened forever? By now, we still don’t know.

Former CBC’er and formerly Theatre Orangeville’s General Manager, Bernadette Hardaker, dives into Stave Four: the trials for Scrooge when he meets the Ghost of Christmas yet to come, terrifying moments that still leave us hanging. Her passion for the story is new found, she told us, but nonetheless for all that, excited to have the moment to share this monumental work. Ms. Hardaker’s reading clearly comes from a place of belief.

Finally, David Nairn takes up the tale in Stave Five, the last chapter, and you will have to see the show to learn what happens, especially for those of you who have never enjoyed A Christmas Carol before. Let it be said that the best person for this passage is Mr. Nairn, for whom this is a favourite Christmas moment.

His enthusiasm lights up the stage and his pleasure to have this chance to share this with you, as a gesture of keeping theatre in your lives, is as big as the story itself.

Hayden Thomas at the piano provides the musical glue to make the story flow, with his fluid playing of long adored Christmas tunes, before, between and after the tale is told. Always lovely to hear and watch Hayden perform. A perfect addition to the whole show.

Highly recommended by those who have seen it as a family event or a good time on one’s own. Pop some corn; maybe light the candles; dress up; or wear your jammies, this is a real treat.

For all the details and to purchase tickets, go to www.theatreorangeville.ca or call the very nice people at the Box Office 519-942-3423.

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