'A Christmas Carol' by Charles Dickens

“A hauntingly wonderful retelling of a classic tale”

Right on the heels of ‘Elf the Musical’, Saint John Theatre Company is clearly doing everything in their power to get theatre patrons into the Christmas spirit.

And what better way than to share a story that has been told and retold over the years.

This year, patrons were treated to a one man performance of Dickens’ most famous tale that revitalized the season of Christmas. This production of ‘A Christmas Carol’ was produced and performed by The Book of Darkness & Light Productions from the UK.

Adam Z. Robinson created and performed this production of “A Christmas Carol” that is a little spookier than we are used to seeing.

It’s the classic story of miserly old Ebenezer Scrooge who, after encounters with four ghosts, has a change of heart toward family, the poor, and Christmas. This story is so influential.

Why?

Were it not for Charles Dickens, Christmas might look very different to us today.

There are a couple of things that make this production stand out. One is the greater focus on the ghostly/macabre side thanks to Storyteller Adam Z. Robinson’s onstage work. This staging is really more of a dramatic retelling of the Dickensian tale highlighted by the name of the only “character” to appear on stage.

The set was simple, haunting, and Victorian in essence. The stage is outlined on three sides with candles and greenery. Right of centre is a small scribe's desk with a letterbox, cup, candles, and other bric-a-brac. A solitary chair sits next to the desk along with a coat tree with a night cap, and robe.

Unfortunately, the night cap was never used in the production...which felt a little strange. Especially strange given how synonymous a night cap is with Ebenezer Scrooge and his ghostly visitors.

There is something to be said about stripping a classic to its core. Simply telling the story made it special. Robinson’s delivery is captivating and draws you into the story because he is an exceptional storyteller. The show moves along at a quick pace, being only 90 minutes long. The Book of Darkness & Light Productions telling of “A Christmas Carol” is a hauntingly wonderful telling of the much loved story of Scrooge and his Christmas Eve visitors.

“A Christmas Carol” runs until December 9th at the BMO Studio Theatre.