By Tim Saunders
There is a little bit of Scrooge in all of us, I reckon. It’s an occupational hazard as I navigate an economy that teeters on the brink of recession (although it has been reported that inflation is improving). As my son Henry (7) and I watch A Christmas Carol at MAST Mayflower Studios, Southampton you can’t help admiring Charles Dickens’ great understanding of the human condition. Much of this understanding was no doubt down to spending a year in a rat infested shoe polish factory after his father was imprisoned for bad debt.
This production has been brought up-to-date with modern tunes and includes Ben (Charlie Clifford) who admires Scrooge (Alex Lockhart) for being a successful businessman who is careful with his money. Ben considers him to be a role model. However, as we’re taken on a journey through Ebenezer’s life we see that he once had a girlfriend, Eliza (Abigail Westcott) but his love of business and money making overshadowed their relationship, forcing it to end. Cruel and unfair to his staff at Scrooge & Marley it is heartening to see that he is made to see the error of his ways and becomes a much better person, giving hope. "I like Scrooge, he's a good actor and has a lot of lines to remember," says Henry. The cast of fifty-one is lively and works hard to help the audience share in the much-needed Christmas spirit.
This is a lovely family friendly story that will always be relevant and we enjoy the singing and dancing, too.
On until December 31, 2023
www.mayflowerstudios.org.uk/what-s-on/a-christmas-carol-2023/
