A play I would never have thought I’d see on the stage in a theatre setting.
A play I thoroughly enjoyed that has exceeded beyond my expectations.

So it’s November 2024 and I went to see Charles Dickens, ‘A Christmas Carol, A Ghost Story’ at the Rep in Birmingham City Centre, and I did not expect to feel quite so Christmassy or had Christmas spirit during this whole show. Yet it has given me just that plus goosebumps throughout.

The stage set up and design was just like what you see in the film if you have ever seen it on the TV. This has brought memories back of over the years we cosied up every year indoors whilst it snows outside fiercely with the bitter cold snap, and wrapping ourselves up watching Christmas film after Christmas film. Nevertheless, this Charles Dickens film always shows up as a timeless classic portraying a darker eerier side to the usual perky Christmas spirit by the cold-hearted miser Mr Scrooge himself.

I can honestly say this is the first time I have seen a stage looking amazing as it looks on the Television. The Creative Team sure have paid great attention to the finer details of every single filing cabinet to the artificial snowfall they shower over the cast when they sing and rejoice together to celebrate the joys of Christmas festivities in the streets. The cabinets and old furniture they had scattered around the stage floor really made me wonder how they managed to place all of those there so strategically to look like you were in an old style office down in the basement.

Alongside that, all the actors really have showcased their talents into one in this show from dancing, reciting their lines that sounds so Shakespearean, and the sudden burst of carol singing. You are thankful for the small digital screens on each side of the theatre stage so you can read and follow what they poetically express. I felt like I was going back in time to the Victorian era that is supernatural, soaked in this immersive explosion of lights, sound effects, action and Matthew Cottle’s perfect comedic timings.

Not forgetting to mention Rufus Hound as Jacob Marley when he comes back as a ghost to haunt Scrooge as well as us in his rather frightening costume of someone that just came out of hell bound by chains to his arms and legs. The gasps around the audience filled the big theatre room as Jacob enters, we have to admit it was definitely so convincing; we all thought he was actually a ghost on the very stage in front of us all!
As a keen theatre goer and freelance actor myself. I am very impressed with this highly skilled set design and multi-talented cast including the puppetry and skilled use of the props. There weren’t real ghosts spooking us out around the theatre of course, but the actors using puppetry props of the ghosts on sticks running around to scare us a little bit more was simply just brilliant.

The combined feelings I held inside of me were filled with nostalgia, inspiration (I have so many ideas!) and a delightful portrayal of British social history by a phantasmic performance simply blew my breath away.

This is by far my favourite theatre play I have seen in a long time. Be sure to get your Christmas spirits tingled down your spines and go see this wonderful play at the Rep.