A Christmas Carol At Norman Bragg Studio, Aylesbury Review
DISCLOSURE – TICKETS TO SEE THE SHOW WERE GIFTED TO THE REVIEWER AND GUEST FOR THE PURPOSES OF WRITING THE REVIEW
Reviewed by Mel Randle
Last night I attended the performance of A Christmas Carol by The Dickens Theatre Company at the Norman Bragg Studio within Aylesbury Waterside Theatre. This is my first visit to the studio and it is a lovely intimate setting with just 10 rows of raked seating, so wherever you sit you feel like the actors onstage are talking to you.
The company was a cast of two – Hannah Blaikie who took on the main role of Scrooge and Ryan Philpott who played everybody else. This wasn’t as mad as it sounds. I admit I had reservations and wasn’t expecting it to work but the way they executed it was very clever and I will come onto that in a minute.
The staging was so simple it was brilliant. It mainly consisted of two step ladders, some crates and a dressing up box. This was the key to the character changes. Quite literally they put on different hats! Both cast members took on a narrator role but then moved into character by adding a hat and accessory and changing their accent. They used the step ladders and props to change the scene. I didn’t once find it amateur or odd, I bought into every character – even Tiny Tim who was simply a flat-cap!
What I think I liked most about this interpretation of what is undeniable one of the most well know Christmas stories of all time, is that it just stuck to the story. They didn’t try to reinvent the wheel, they didn’t try to modernise it or rewrite the characters. This production was just as Dickens intended. What makes the Dickens Company’s production stand out, is the unique way in which they presented it to us.
We ended what was a truly enjoyable evening with a sing-song of We Wish You A Merry Christmas and then Ryan Philpott stood at the auditorium exit and acknowledged each one of us. A really nice personal touch.
A Christmas Carol live at Norman Bragg Studio, Aylesbury until Sunday 17th December 2023
Tickets available from £18.70 with no transaction fees
https://www.atgtickets.com/shows/a-christmas-carol/norman-bragg-studio-aylesbury/
A Christmas Carol Tickets | Norman Bragg Studio, Aylesbury in Aylesbury | ATG Tickets
Rating: 5/5