The quality of the set was amazing as it was very grand and the size of the stage meant that the set could be quite big without being pretentious. All around the stage is painted Scrooges favorite phrase “Bah Humbug” in italic writing. At first there was just an office set up with a window through which you could see all the Characters entering the scene, I thought that this made the action more realistic and was quite interesting. The window was also used for carol singers and the audience could just faintly hear then which made it feel like you were actually in the office. When Scrooge goes home the office wall is raised to reveal a whole new set which is even more spectacular. A set of stone stairs lead up to Scrooge’s bedroom, luxuriously decorated compared to his office that is on a 15 foot tall platform. The most exciting part of the set was when Christmas present arrives with his set, a whole new room painted red into which he is camouflaged, just rolling on moving Scrooge’s room away. This room is decorated with lots of Christmas decorations. The one prop used by Scrooge a lot was a light bulb which showed how grudging he was because he would remove it with such care whenever leaving the room.
Obviously the main character in the play was Ebenezer scrooge. He was an old, selfish, grumpy, bitter old man. We could tell this by his facial expressions that were always very twisted. Although dressed in a suite his long scraggly hair and unshaven face showed that he wasn’t all that concerned with his appearance. This rugged look indicated his age as well as his movement which was hunched over and slow. At the end however we see a very different scrooge that stands up tall with his head in the air to show his confidence has been gained and he is proud of his changes. I think this could’ve been shown by making a greater contrast as I didn’t think the change in Scrooge was very dramatic. At the end of the play we are made aware that Scrooge does care about the people around him. He may have realized in a selfish manner, but he changed before it was too late which is what matters, leaving us with a fairy tale ending.
I think one of the most dramatic characters in the play has to have been Jacob Marley, Scrooge’s deceased business partner. He appears from the floor when Scrooge’s light suddenly cuts out. His costume is amazing with a death gown shredded with blood smeared across it to signify that he is dead and has been tortured for his sinful life. Although impressive, Jacob Marley’s entrance was quite alarming and younger children found it quite scary, especially along with the chains on his wrists and ankles acting as the chains binding him to hell. Compared the quietness of the room before, this huge explosion of noise is very effective. He comes to warn scrooge and is desperate to get the message to him, we can tell this by the way in which he attempts to get closer to him but the chains stop him, there is also wind blowing against him stopping him making contact with Scrooge. The rough tone of voice that Jacob Marley uses also shows us how desperate he is as he used a low pitch at a medium pace but at such a loud degree that they seem like he’s screaming. Whilst Jacob Marley is visiting Scrooge there are background noises of screams and chains which made the atmosphere even tenser along with the dim lighting. Jacob Marley stands out in the play because of his dramatic movements with him grabbing for Scrooge and the actor manages to make this the scariest part of the play.
My favorite character in the play was Bob Cratchit because he carried through the theme that you don’t need money to be happy but love. His role in the play was to be the character that everyone felt sorry for as well as they could in some ways see some similarities in themselves. He is a family man struggling to make sure there is a meal on the table and trying to provide a warm loving household for his family. He wears scruffy clothing but attempts to look smart and wears a big smile. Bob Cratchit, although being treated badly by scrooge would not let any bad be said of him. He is jolly throughout the play walking briskly and always talking with a cheery tone. HE is seen as a push-over by his colleagues as they are always pushing him into confronting scrooge on holidays. It is obvious with Scrooge’s case, that Bob Cratchit does not prejudge people and always gives the other person the benefit of the doubt. Bob Cratchit is always the optimist, telling of his wife when she talks badly of his boss Scrooge, until we are taken into the future where he loses his son Tiny Tim. He suddenly walks slowly with no smile on his face, no bounce in his step, his voice looses its brightness and he sounds tired and drained. We can tell that Scrooge also sympathizes with the family and their unfortunate future as he makes a change to their destiny.
At the start of the play Scrooge’s workers walk in from the audience onto the stage holding light bulbs, I thought this was quite a good idea rather than using candles because it was initializing the modern thread through the play from the start. I thought that lighting throughout the play was slightly random as there would just suddenly be big flashes of light, but I think this added an element of surprise to it. For example when the first ghost, the ghost of Christmas past came onstage there were flood lights place behind him which gave the audience the blinding sense that Scrooge was having, this however was not good on your eyes but it made the audience feel more involved. Ultra-violet light was used in some points of the play to make certain colours stand out on the workers scarves and other items of clothing. There were lights on the stairs that lit up as Scrooge stepped on it, this made it seem like there were more stairs and added a scary atmosphere to the house. One of the most impressive uses of light was when Scrooge was walking to his door and when he turned his back, a light came on gradually so that you could see beyond the mirror on the window to see Jacob Marley. They managed to emphasize the change in Scrooge at the end by using brighter lighting than at the start for it was a new morning and everything was a lot brighter in his life. The music used was quite modern with “A Little Less Conversation,” which had recently been in the charts, played at a party scene which engaged with the audience. Instead of realistic recorded sound effects the characters used onomatopoeia to create them; for instance, when Scrooge was walking through the snow they would say “crunch crunch” and use other suitable words. After the novelty of this had worn off I felt it became quite tedious.
My favorite scene in the play, although it was not one of the main scenes, was when Scrooge was in denial of what was about to take place. As he was on the higher stage of his bedroom, figures dressed in white all wearing old fashioned clothes paced around downstairs. Ultra-violet lights were used and in the dark the figures really stood out making them seem ghostly. All the actors sang the Christmas carol “In the Deep Midwinter” which is very slow somber tone. Smoke machines were used adding to the spooky atmosphere and bringing the mood right to the audience.
If I had been directing the play I would’ve changed very little. I would’ve changed the pantomime qualities to it as they were neither one thing nor the other. I think it was just attempting to turn it into a traditional panto which it quite clearly was not. I would make the lighting less shocking as, at points it was not so pleasant on the eyes of audience and they needed to turn away, distracting them from the play. The visuals were excellent, the costumes, set and make-up were all impressive. I think that there was definitely a message in the play was that money is not as important as love and will not bring you happiness unless it spreads happiness. The play showed this by making Scrooge an unlikable person at the start when he was full of greed, and then a happier man when he finally realized there is more to life than possessions. Although it was a pantomime, which is meant for the family, I would not say it was suitable for young children as they could find it quite scary but after the age of ten it was suitable for all and I’m sure enjoyed by all. I really enjoyed “Scrooge” and the atmosphere of the theatre and would definitely make a point of going to see the Citz panto next year.
