Scrooge

Christmas is over. It’s cold and dark outside and you feel the need for some festive fun to kick off the New Year. So what do you do? If you’re sensible you head down to the New Theatre and treat yourself to Leslie Bricusse’s tried and tested musical, Scrooge – starring Eastenders’ own Alfie Moon, Shane Richie.

Filled with enough whistleable tunes to keep you happy on the way home, this production is a rumbustious, colourful, and cheery show that Dickens himself would certainly have enjoyed. And it’s invested with all the cheeky charm you’d expect from Shane Richie. Virtually unrecognizable beneath wig and face powder, Richie plays the grumpy old man with a broadly comic air. It’s a confident, engaging and faultless performance. You may remember the Albert Finney film or Anthony Newley’s ‘90s stage version. But Richie makes the part his own, revelling in his centre stage chance to sing and dance – but also generously allowing everyone else to shine as well. More like a rich Steptoe than the covetous old sinner of the book, he nails the comedy perfectly. Surprisingly he also wrings out some well-judged emotion too – remonstrating with his younger self for losing his love, Isabel, in the haunting Happiness. Backed by a gung-ho cast in flawless support, every scene works just as it should.

Nifty illusions and how-did-they-do-that tricks herald the arrival of Marley and the ghost of Christmas Past. Whether appearing from nowhere in a chair or disappearing into a mirror, you don’t see it coming, thanks to illusionist Paul Kieve (hot from working on the Harry Potter movies). The sets themselves are a delight - simple and clever touches transforming a London street into apartments, garrets and graveyards. It’s a rich production, lush with eye-catching detail and fun choreography.

Sometimes the New Theatre’s acoustics muffle musicals too much, losing the words. On this occasion, thanks to spot-on amplification and a talented cast, the words are as clear as a bell. All the songs are milked, standouts being December the 25th, I Like Life, Tiny Tim’s The Beautiful Day and the most famous Thank You Very Much, in which Scrooge unknowingly dances on his own coffin (it’s funnier than it sounds).

If there’s a purist’s quibble, it’s that Bricusse’s Scrooge waters down Ebenezer’s cold-heartedness and his knee-quaking fear of the Ghosts. So Richie’s turnaround isn’t very dramatic. And it’s a liberty that the Ghost of Christmas Past is given a face from Scrooge’s own past. But hey this is a musical. So while the youngest may be unnerved by the arrival of Marley and his band of ghoulish spirits – their dance number will make them smile.

Scrooge is hugely enjoyable for adults and kids alike. But if you’re an Ebenezer, not liking Christmas, musicals or Shane Richie, give it a go. On this showing, you’ll probably come out liking all three.

Glenn Watson (DI Reviewer), 24/01/06

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Come back Scrooge - my whole family loved it! The cast from Stage Coach were superb.

sas (Unverified), 26/01/09

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Went to see Scrooge on Thursday evening (26th January) and it was absolutely superb. Shane Richie was brilliant and the cast excellent. He went from grumpy to happy really well and he was a different character altogether from the lovable Alfie Moon. When he danced on his own grave, my daughter and I were in hysterics! A must see for everyone (even people who do not like musicals!)

CB (Unverified), 27/01/06

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What a difference a matinée makes. I went to the show's second performance in Oxford and it was like watching a dress rehearsal from star Shane Richie. With a half-full audience of adoring school children and OAPs, Richie (just about) walked through the piece - turning upstage for breathers, visibly chatting to members of the company during large scenes and cutting climactic notes to less than half their length. His comedy was over-stated and out of character (relying more on his Alfie Moon persona than a characterisation of Ebenezer Scrooge), and he was only faintly interesting when taking his curtain calls to a star-struck audience. Richie seems all too aware that to a matinée audience such laziness and unprofessionalism goes mostly unnoticed, but it was an insult to the ticket price to sit through his lacklustre efforts. Perhaps his weariness was highlighted by the (at least apparently) energetic and motivated supporting cast who out-performed Richie by a mile. All-in-all though, this show has high production values and is a real spectacle, even if the music isn't thrilling. My advice - don't go to a matinée.

Abigail Swift (Unverified), 26/01/06

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