A Carol to Sing About!

Since I was very young I loved going to see live theatre. The feeling of the soft shivering velvet seats and smell of old wood and stale smoke brings back so many memories; from seeing my first musical to participating in many a ballet display.

Over the years I have seen cringe worthy amateur musicals with traumatising fifty year olds in fishnets as well as breath taking west end musicals andShakespeare in the park, each just as worthwhile as it is the live performance that makes it!

Yesterday I went to see The Scottish National Theatre's production of A Christmas Carol directed by Graham McLaren. What is so great about the National Theatre is that they do not have a home resulting in each production taking place in a unique venue, perhaps a warehouse, grave yard or ship yard. This production took place in the Govan town hall (just outside Glasgow) This old Victorian town hall is now looking slightly unloved, however if you look closely many of the beautiful features are still visible such as the ornate arches’ and velvet wall paper.

The audience of just ninety were lead through a door in pairs where you had to find your own way down a corridor to a second door. I have to be honest here as a control freak I did not enjoy this walk into the unknown and was holding my breath waiting for something to jump out on me; this was an empty Victorian building and we were there to see A Christmas Carol after all. One we entered through the tiny wooden door we stepped into Scrooge's (Benny Young) shop which was full of some of the cast who greeted us in character before showing us to our seats(wooden steps on two sides of the square room) The venue was so intimate that it was easy to quickly feel as though you were really there in the shop throughout the play. The cast of seven along with many beautiful but never the less haunting puppets (designed by Gavin Glover) controlled by members of the cast presented a truthful and evoking performance of the Dickens classic and the two hours flew by.

The whole audience was buzzing with excitement and appreciation by the end of the show and typical of live theatre I was left with a feeling that I had experienced something quiet unique. I am a great fan of Dickens’s and A Christmas Carol will always be a favourite! Tickets are still on sale and I would highly recommend it.