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Review: A Christmas Carol at Melbourne’s Comedy Theatre
The Australian production of The Old Vic’s multi-award-winning A Christmas Carol has opened in Melbourne’s Comedy Theatre. Directed by Matthew Warchus (Matilda the Musical) and playwright by Jack Thorne (Harry Potter and the Cursed Child), A Christmas Carol is a delightful adaptation of Charles Dickens’s timeless story about the importance of being generous at Christmas time and enjoying what you have.
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If you are unfamiliar with Charles Dickens’s classic story A Christmas Carol, it’s about an old man called Scrooge, who is bitter and mean and hates Christmas. With all the wealth in the world, he is in no way generous to anyone around him, including himself.
On Christmas Eve, he is visited by three Christmas ghosts, who show him visions of his past, present and future.
As you walk into the Comedy Theatre, you soon release this production is going to be pretty amazing. There are thousands of beautiful lanterns hanging from the ceiling and street folk playing Christmas music and handing out delicious mandarins and Christmas mince tarts. The audience is part of the performance, which is warming.
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The main stage set-up has four doorways that close in on Scrooge, which gives the feeling of how isolated he is. The music and Christmas carols play an important part in the production, and the handbells are a musical highlight. The Christmas effects throughout the production made the performance unforgettable.
David Wenham is outstanding in playing Ebenezer Scrooge in a rare opportunity to see him live on stage in Melbourne. He is joined by Bernard Curry (Savage River, Wentworth) as Bob Cratchit, Debra Lawrance (Please Like Me, Five Bedrooms, Home and Away) as The Ghost of Christmas Past and Samantha Morley (Girl From The North Country, Billy Elliot) as The Ghost of Christmas Present.
The cast also includes Emily Nkomo (Jagged Little Pill) as Little Fan, Anthony Harkin (Kinky Boots, The Sound of Music, Next to Normal) as Jacob Marley, Sarah Morrison (Come From Away, Ladies in Black, Mamma Mia!) as Belle, Nicholas Kong (Spring Awakening, Anything Goes) as Fezziwig, Andrew Coshan (A View From The Bridge, Merrily We Roll Along) as Fred and Stephanie Lambourn (Broadway cast of A Christmas Carol) as Mrs Cratchit, and is completed by Cameron Taylor, Melanie Bird, Cameron Bajraktarevic-Hayward, Benjamin Colley, Jan Di Pietro and Embla Bishop.
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A Christmas Carol echoes an important message about poverty and our responsibility to look after people less fortunate. This heart-warming story of love and redemption is a must-see production this festive season.
Christmas Carol is recommended for audiences aged 8 and over, as there are some dark aspects to the production that could potentially be a little scary for younger kids.
A Christmas Carol runs for 2 hours, including an interval.
A Christmas Carol
Date: until 29 December 2022
Location: Comedy Theatre, Melbourne
Price: from $49.50 + BF
More information
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