Sunday, December 28, 2008

A Christmas Carol


A Christmas Carol is a well-known Victorian morality tale by Charles Dickens which was first published in 1843. It tells the story of Ebenezer Scrooge, a disagreeable, mean old man hating Christmas who, on Christmas Eve, undergoes a profound experience of redemption over the course of one night. He has a visit from the ghost of his ex-associate Jacob Marley telling him to change his current behaviour or he would never be happy. Later that night, three other ghosts representing ghosts of the Christmas Past, Christmas Present and Christmas Yet to Come visited Scrooge. Each makes him relive and discover one moment of his own life to make him aware of his behaviour and mistakes. He would only find peace if he devotes himself to the others. Scrooge, in the end, realises that Christmas is a time to love and share.

Since its first publication it has been adapted countless times for different genres.
I fell by chance on the website of the Scarabaeus Theatre in Schaerbeek when looking for my last activity for the portfolio. It is when I read the plot of the play “A Christmas Carol” that I realised that I already knew that story. The name “Scrooge” sounded familiar to me. As a child I was indeed a fan of “Mickey’s Christmas Carol” by Disney. Do you remember it? I am sure you do! If not, click on this link. That was thus a good reason to go and see that play.

I must admit that I was quite enthusiastic at the idea of seeing this play. It is always delightful to feel the magic of Christmas, even two weeks in advance… and I was not disappointed at all. I arrived in a small, intimate place where a choir of six people was singing famous Christmas carols as the audience took their seats. One thing that astonished me was that I was probably the only French- speaking in the room and that more than the half of the audience was under the age of 10. Nevertheless, it did not change anything in the beauty of the play, which was splendidly interpreted by not less than thirty actors (I counted them J). The one playing Scrooge was very convincing just as much for his dark side as for his gentle one: good job! The decor was very plain, but it was certainly a means of highlighting the wonderful and impressive costumes of all the characters. The way how lights and special effects were used must also be emphasized: just enough and at the right moment to make us laugh or sometimes scared…
I have had a great time there and because it is Christmas time: I wish you all a Merry Christmas!


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