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A Christmas Carol meets Dickens biography in an intelligent adaptation of the seasonal classicSummary
Rating
Good
It’s that time of the year again when you can’t move for Christmas Carols. The Old Vic is serving up Jack Thorne’s version again, this time with John Simm as Scrooge, and numerous other productions large and small are popping up with the same reliability as shopping centre playlists switch to a month-long rotation of Slade, Band Aid and Wham!.
The quaint and out-of-the-way OSO (Old Sorting Office) Arts Centre in Barnes is presenting Clare Norburn’s hybrid take on the Christmas staple, performed by The Telling. We start with Charles Dickens (Clive Hayward) embarking on one of his famed personal appearances in which the writer showcased highlights from his work – possibly displaying Thwarted Actor Syndrome, though by all accounts he was impressive. Soon, however, Dickens’ introduction to A Christmas Carol is interrupted by a violinist in a flat cap (the instantly appealing Alexander Knox), who along with four other actor/musicians has arrived to derail the show and send it in a different direction.
The new trajectory is a biographical one, as Dickens’ own life and behaviour become the subject of the show. Chiefly this revolves around his mistreatment of his wife Catherine (Karen Ascoe) who appears as The Ghost of Christmas Past. From this intriguing parallel between life and fiction, What the Dickens? mostly focusses on the writer’s misdemeanours as he cruelly neglects Catherine in favour of his much younger mistress, Nelly (Rosalind Ford as The Ghost of Christmas Present). The clear message is that Dickens was a supreme hypocrite who presented himself as a moral crusader while treating those most deserving of his affection with appalling callousness. Catherine is effectively portrayed as a blameless victim of her husband’s selfish disregard, and the writer’s character is thoroughly rubbished as he attempts – with little success – to defend himself from the accusation that he is as hard-hearted as Scrooge himself.
The show is liberally sprinkled with fourth wall-breaking moments of self-reference as the audience are invited to witness Dickens’ indignity as his planned performance is hijacked. How much you enjoy these touches may depend on how often you’ve seen the technique deployed before, but they are effectively done and elicited plenty of laughs.
What the Dickens? is also packed with songs popular in the writer’s time. These are very ably performed, though they don’t always move the action on or relate significantly to what’s going on. But there’s a sweet duet of Home, Sweet Home (as in “There’s no place like…”) and I’ve always had a soft spot for I Dreamt I Dwelt in Marble Halls.
As for the story, Catherine’s plight is soundly and sympathetically presented, with a sense that giving her a voice constitutes some sort of fictional justice for the miseries Dickens inflicted on her in reality. The narrative eventually comes full circle with A Christmas Carol’s traditionally hopeful and redemptive conclusion. But there’s no question that the production’s defining strength is the boldness with which it takes an old chestnut and burnishes it with a very capable analysis of Dickens’ real-life failings to spread good will and cheer amongst those who should have been closest to his heart.
Written by: Clare Norburn
Directed by: Nicholas Renton
What the Dickens? Plays at OSO Arts Centre until Saturday 30 November. Further information and booking details can be found here.
