A
CHRISTMAS CAROL
.
Based on the novella by Charles
Dickens
Book and Lyrics by Ben Horslen and John Risebero
Music by Christopher Peake
Middle
Temple Hall, London
22 - 30 December 2012
On
Christmas Eve, tight-fisted Ebenezer Scrooge is disturbed by
the ghost of his business partner, Jacob Marley.
To
help Scrooge avoid the ghastly fate that awaits him beyond the
grave, Marley arranges for him to be visited by three spirits.
But can the Ghosts of Christmas Past, Present and Yet to Come
persuade Scrooge to open his heart to the magic of Christmas
before the sun rises?
Antic
Disposition's magical new musical, performed in the spectacular
Elizabethan setting of Middle Temple Hall, combines Dickens’s
ghostly tale with a score of original songs based on the music
of a traditional Victorian Christmas.
With
its narrow, cobbled alleyways and shady, gas-lit courtyards,
stepping into Middle Temple really is stepping into the London
that Dickens himself knew – and described in several of
his works – creating the perfect backdrop for Antic Disposition’s
unique celebration of his much-loved Christmas tale.
Backstage
Pass:
"A
fantastic and festive production, wonderfully capturing the
spirit of Dickens’ moral tale in a spectacular setting.
Head along to enjoy the mulled wine, the mince pies and a night
of perfect Christmas entertainment. A festive five stars!"
The
Public Reviews:
"The
company not only match the magical atmosphere created by their
stage but they exceed it. The production is filled with adaptations
of classic Christmas carols to compliment the narrative that
leads you on your journey through this amazing rendition of
this much loved tale ... A wonderful and professionally conceived
piece of theatre that is a treat to watch. If you’ve had
a hint of baa humbug this Christmas head down to Middle Temple
Hall for a big slap of festive cheer, you won’t regret
it."
Broadwayworld:
"The
inevitable star of the show is Middle Temple Hall. Just a short
walk from Dickens' old stamping ground of Clerkenwell, the Hall
captures the London Dickens loved (and feared) within four walls
that radiate history. One sometimes wonders whether site-specific
work has used its location to best advantage. Not this time
- a universal moral is pinned back to its very point of invention
and is all the more powerful for it."
Blanche
Marvin's Theatreviews:
"No
one can outdo Antic Disposition in its productions, both in
the cast and in their ingenious use of the hall. They not only
recreate Dickens and transport us into the story but also to
the place in its time. Their magic of theatre, their company,
create the essence of Christmas with Dickens that no pantomime
can match.
This
is Antic Disposition's third production at Middle Temple Hall,
following A Midsummer Night’s Dream earlier in this year
and The Tempest in 2011. May they return every year and so bring
a real Christmas to London within these cherished walls giving
us the timeless moral that deprivation in poverty and privilege
in wealth which invades us today or any day are unacceptable.
Merry Christmas to Antic Disposition and may we see you next
year!
