• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to content
  • Skip to primary sidebar

Chandler's Ford Today

  • Home
  • About
    • About Chandler’s Ford
    • Chandler’s Ford War Memorial Research
  • Blog
    • Blogging Tips
  • Event
    • Upcoming Events
  • Community
    • Groups
    • Churches
    • Schools
    • GP Surgeries
    • Leisure
    • Library
    • Charities
      • Eastleigh Basics Bank
      • Cat & Kitten Rescue in Chandler’s Ford
    • Fair Trade
      • Traidcraft stalls in Chandler’s Ford
    • Chandler’s Ford Parish Council
  • Contact
    • Subscribe
  • Site Policies
  • Site Archive
    • Site Archive 2018
    • Site Archive 2017
    • Site Archive 2016
    • Site Archive 2015
You are here: Home / Arts / A Christmas Carol – The MDG Players – Review by Allison Symes

A Christmas Carol – The MDG Players – Review by Allison Symes

November 30, 2018 By Allison Symes 4 Comments

A Christmas Carol by Charles Dickens is amongst my favourite stories, as I’m sure it is with many of you. It is ultimately a tale of redemption and also a cracking ghost story.

My favourite versions of it (and there have been many produced over the years) are The Muppet Christmas Carol (Michael Caine playing Scrooge) and the version starring Patrick Stewart. It is a question of getting Scrooge’s hardness of heart right without it spilling over into melodrama, something both knights of the realm did fantastically well.

And I’m glad to that this was also done very well in this production by the MDG Players.

Mike and cast - note the changed Scrooge in his Christmas waistcoat to the right
Mike and cast – note the changed Scrooge in his Christmas waistcoat to the right. Image by Allison Symes

Many congratulations for great performances to all of the cast and the narrators, but I will give a special shout out to Lester Parry as Scrooge and Mike Slatcher as Bob Cratchit. The story was adapted by James Reynard.

One of the problems of this story is there are a lot of scene changes in it, especially when the ghosts take Scrooge on journeys into the past and future, and where you have a limited stage, how can you convey that?

Mr and Mrs Cratchit and Tiny Tim. Image kindly provided by Mike Standing.
Mr and Mrs Cratchit and Tiny Tim. Image kindly provided by Mike Standing.

The problem was overcome here by having a TV screen showing still images of what might be called Dickensian scenes. This gave a great indication of “where” we were in terms of location in the story. Unfortunately I wasn’t able to take many pictures but think of all the classic Dickensian London scenes you will have come across in films etc and you will have the general idea.

Jacob Marley comes back to visit Scrooge - Pixabay
Jacob Marley comes back to visit Scrooge – Pixabay

The ghosts and Scrooge then discussed what they see as they do in the original story. It wasn’t necessary to have props or backgrounds for every scene. The props that were used (a desk for Bob Cratchit, changes of cloak to indicate Scrooge leaving the office and being at home etc) were used to good effect and generally kept simple. (Always a good idea that, less to go wrong!).

Also it helps enormously that the story is so well known. Why? People could fill in gaps for themselves. Now I do this all the time when I write my flash fiction, there simply isn’t the word count to spell everything out for a reader, and I thought the technique of getting the audience to (a) join in and (b) fill in the gaps for themselves worked well.

The cast from A Christmas Carol staged by the MDG Players. Image kindly provided by Mike Standing.
The cast from A Christmas Carol staged by the MDG Players. Image kindly provided by Mike Standing.

There are not many authors who contribute to the Christmas traditions – Dickens is the obvious one but he is joined by Christina Rossetti (In the Bleak Midwinter), Mrs Cecil Frances Alexander (Once in Royal David’s City), and Clement Clark Moore (Twas the Night before Christmas). So when you have something like this, where you are performing such a well loved and familiar story on stage, the challenge is twofold: bring the story to life so your audience do see it afresh or for them to go home having happily enjoyed a faithful and enjoyable re-telling. I think this production managed to do both.

Scrooge is haunted - Pixabay image
Scrooge is haunted – Pixabay image

This production also managed to achieve something new in that the audience created the sound effects and we all sang carols in November! Sound effects created included bell ringing, rattling chains, howling winds, ghostly wailing and these were performed with gusto by the audience, including yours truly. (One of the great things about panto is you are encouraged to be noisy whereas in practically every other theatrical production you are not!). Some of the cast held up cue cards so we knew when to come in with our relevant noises. Towards the end of the evening, we did begin to slow down a bit though!

Right at the start of the play, the audience was divided up so one section would do this noise on cue, another would do something else and for the howling winds we all joined in with that. Did this give this a panto feel? Yes. It was great fun. I should add the tea, coffee, biscuits and mince pies in the interval went down very well too in every sense!

Mince pies image – from CFT archive.

Dickens is probably the first author to carry out what we would know as an author tour. He regularly visited the States to give readings of his latest works. What he would have made of us all making noises to add atmosphere to what I think is his best known work I don’t know. I hope he would have liked it. He DID know he had to engage with his audience though and the MDG Players did this here and did it well.

Right at the end of the play there was a lovely speech from the director, Mike Standing, who rightly pointed out that Dickens’ campaigned, via his writing, on things like improving education, showing up the horrors of the workhouses and so on. Mike felt Dickens was the first to recognise “children in need” and donations from the audience were being collected to support the BBC’s Children in Need event. I hope they raised a good amount.

Counting out Scrooge's belongings when he is thought to be dead - a vision shown to Scrooge by the Ghost of Christmas Yet to Come - Pixabay
Counting out Scrooge’s belongings when he is thought to be dead – a vision shown to Scrooge by the Ghost of Christmas Yet to Come – Pixabay

One of my favourite things about The Muppet version of this wonderful story is at the end Gonzo recommends you read the story for yourself. What is there not to love about that (especially from a writer’s viewpoint)?

This slideshow requires JavaScript.

The MDG show ran for three nights from 21st to 23rd November. I went on the 22nd and the show played to a packed house. I hope that was the case for the other nights. The production deserved that. Many congratulations to all who took part.

Cast:-

Scrooge – Lester Parry
Bob Cratchit – Mike Slatcher
Mrs Cratchit/Belle – Christine Slatcher
Tiny Tim – James Greenham
Fred/Husband – Richard Wright
Jacob Marley/Mr Fezziwig – John Archer
Mrs Fezziwig/Collector – Pauline Blair
Ghost of Christmas Past/Caroline – Barbara Bound
Ghost of Christmas Present – Diana Harrison
Ghost of Christmas Future =- Robert Baseley
Collector – Ali Baseley
Topper – Mike Standing
Crowd – All

Narrators:-

Jillie Curtis
Margaret Smithson
Ali Baseley
Alison Standing

https://chandlersfordtoday.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2018/11/Bob-Cratchit-Mike-Slatcher-is-berated-by-Ebenezer-Scrooge-Lester-Parry.jpg
Scrooge berates Bob Cratchit for wanting to have Christmas Day off! Image kindly supplied by Mike Standing.

Favourite moments of the story are when some of Scrooge’s harsh words are thrown back at him by the Ghost of Christmas Present. (If they are going to die, they had best hurry up and do it and reduce the surplus population). It seemed to me Lester Parry’s face literally softened as the character he was playing did! Certainly when the Ghost came back at him like that, the sense of shame felt by Scrooge was palpable, the way it should be.

Typical old London - the greyness matches Scrooge at the start of A Christmas Carol - image via Pexels
Typical old London – the greyness matches Scrooge at the start of A Christmas Carol – image via Pexels

A Christmas Carol was first published in 1843. What was interesting in researching this post was that Hans Christen Andersen’s The Little Match Girl which also looks at poverty but from the viewpoint of someone on the wrong end of it, as opposed to Scrooge, was published in 1845. Influenced by Dickens here? I don’t know but it wouldn’t surprise me and I highly recommend reading this too.

I am particularly delighted to share the link with Hazel Bateman’s review of A Christmas Carol as a big plus point was getting to meet her on Thursday night!

I look forward to seeing what the MDG Players produce in 2019 and, again, well done to all.

Related Posts:

Review: A Christmas Carol by Chandler’s Ford MDG Players

MDG Players and Romsey Players – Five Go Mad for Shakespeare – Review

Review by Ben Williams: A Christmas Carol by Chandler’s Ford MDG Players

Read interviews with Chandler’s Ford writer Allison Symes: Part 1 and Part 2.

Read blog posts by Allison Symes published on Chandler’s Ford Today.

Subscribe to Blog via Email

Enter your email address to subscribe to this blog and receive notifications of new posts by email.


Print Friendly, PDF & Email

Share this:

  • Facebook
  • Twitter
  • Google
  • Email

Related posts:

Review by Hazel Bateman: A Christmas Carol by Chandler’s Ford MDG Players Review by Ben Williams: A Christmas Carol by Chandler’s Ford MDG Players Feature Image - MDG Players Review - Shakespeare. Many thanks to the MDG Players for the programme.MDG Players and Romsey Players – Five Go Mad for Shakespeare – Review Review: Five Go Mad for Shakespeare by Chandler’s Ford MDG and Romsey Players Review: Diamond in the Sky by MDG Players
Tags: A Christmas Carol, acting, arts and crafts, Chandler's Ford, community, Dovetail Centre, drama, entertainment, event, fiction, humour, local interest, MDG Players, Methodist Church, review, social, theatre, Winchester Road

About Allison Symes

I'm a published flash fiction and short story writer, as well as a blogger. My fiction work has appeared in anthologies from Cafelit and Bridge House Publishing.

My first flash fiction collection, From Light to Dark and Back Again, was published by Chapeltown Books in 2017.

My follow-up, Tripping the Flash Fantastic, was published by Chapeltown Books in 2020.

I adore the works of many authors but my favourites are Jane Austen, P.G. Wodehouse and Terry Pratchett.

I like to describe my fiction as fairytales with bite.

Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. Mike Slatcher says

    December 1, 2018 at 12:13 am

    Thank you for your kind words, Allison. You mentioned our collection for Children in Need – over the three nights we gathered £527, so many thanks to all who contributed.

    Reply
    • Allison Symes says

      December 1, 2018 at 8:31 pm

      You are most welcome, Mike. It was a lovely evening. Many congratulations on raising so much money for Children in Need, that’s a great amount to raise.

      Reply
  2. Janet Williams says

    December 1, 2018 at 8:28 pm

    Allison,

    You mentioned having a TV screen showing still images of what might be called Dickensian scenes. I felt the use of the TV screen was highly effective in this production. The stage was alive with the images and lyrics shown.

    Incorporating technology in a live show could potentially go wrong. Luckily the lighting and the images were all perfect in this production. I couldn’t imagine what might have happened to the show if someone had accidentally clicked a wrong button on the Powerpoint presentation, or that showed the photos in the wrong sequence or at the wrong time.

    All in all, it was a successful production from all aspects, which has set the right atmosphere, a reflection of kindness and diving, for Christmas.

    Many thanks for this brilliant review.

    Reply
    • Allison Symes says

      December 1, 2018 at 8:33 pm

      Thanks, Janet, and yes I agree. It is necessary to rehearse the “equipment” to check nothing is out of order etc as well as the cast here!

      Reply

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.

Primary Sidebar

Search

Subscribe to Blog via Email

Enter your email address to subscribe to Chandler's Ford Today blog and receive notifications of new posts by email.

Archives

Top Posts & Pages

999, 111, 101, 112? Emergency Numbers You Must Know
101 Things to Put into Room 101
My Favourite Short Walk - Itchen Navigation from Bishopstoke to Allbrook
Hidden Hampshire - Woodland Walks: Jermyns Lane
Home
101 Things to Put into Room 101 - Part 7 - The Final Leg
A walk in a park
David Beckham's Chinese Tattoo
Delightful Hut Wood - Have You Been Yet?
Charles Baynham in Chandler's Ford

Categories

Tags

arts and crafts books Chandler's Ford Chandler's Ford Today Chandler’s Ford community charity Christianity Christmas church community creative writing culture Eastleigh Eastleigh Borough Council education entertainment event family fundraising gardening good neighbours Hiltingbury Hiltingbury Road history hobby how-to interview Joan Adamson Joan Adelaide Goater local businesses local interest memory Methodist Church music nature news reading religion review social storytelling theatre travel Winchester Road writing

Recent Comments

  • Allison Symes on Judging a Book by its Cover – Part 1
  • David Lamb on Judging a Book by its Cover – Part 1
  • Allison Symes on Judging a Book by its Cover – Part 1
  • Jim Bates on Judging a Book by its Cover – Part 1
  • Allison Symes on Story Types
  • Jim Bates on Story Types

Regular Writers and Contributors

Janet Williams Allison Symes Mike Sedgwick Rick Goater Doug Clews chippy minton Martin Napier Roger White Andy Vining Gopi Chandroth Nicola Slade Wellie Roger Clark Ray Fishman Hazel Bateman SO53 News

Forty Years in Chandler’s Ford – a Journal by Joan Adelaide Goater

Forty Years in Chandler’s Ford – a Journal by Joan Adelaide Goater

Growing up in Chandler’s Ford: 1950s – 1960s by Martin Napier

Growing up in Chandler’s Ford: 1950s – 1960s by Martin Napier

My Memories of the War Years in Chandler’s Ford 1939 – 1945 by Doug Clews

My Memories of the War Years in Chandler’s Ford 1939 – 1945 by Doug Clews

Chandler’s Ford War Memorial Research by Margaret Doores

Chandler’s Ford War Memorial Research by Margaret Doores

History of Hiltonbury Farmhouse by Andy Vining

History of Hiltonbury Farmhouse by Andy Vining

My Family History in Chandler’s Ford and Hursley by Roger White

My Family History in Chandler’s Ford and Hursley by Roger White

Do You Remember The Hutments? By Nick John

Do You Remember The Hutments? By Nick John

Memory of Peter Green by Wendy Green

Memory of Peter Green by Wendy Green

History of Vickers Armstrongs (Supermarine) Hursley Park by Dave Key

History of Vickers Armstrongs (Supermarine) Hursley Park by Dave Key

Reviews of local performances and places

Reviews of local performances and places

Copyright © 2021 Chandler's Ford Today. WordPress. Log in

loading Cancel
Post was not sent - check your email addresses!
Email check failed, please try again
Sorry, your blog cannot share posts by email.