A Christmas Carol
Theatre Delicatessen
.dash’s adaptation of Charles Dickens’ classic lacks passion for the novel’s theatrical possibilities. Set in a post-war dystopia, using Dickensian language and introducing CCTV surveillance as Scrooge’s modus operandi, .dash have left little room for storytelling. The plot, rich with apparitions, time travel, charming spaces and complex characters, is turned into a series of acts without clarity or specificity.
Kat Heath and Eoin Furbank’s design is evocative and intriguing, making great use of the building’s ageing features. However this remains a performance that promises a charming experience and delivers an underdeveloped piece of theatre. Its major flaw lies in the lack of thought given to the demands of such an adaptation, allowing for a cacophony of styles to clash instead of thrive. Tom Daply’s talent for caricature is wasted in a misdirected, vaguely archetypal Scrooge who never undergoes the transformation that makes him such an intriguing character.
Beyond the visual playfulness of A Christmas Carol, this is an immature adaptation whose theatrical devices didn’t materialize a potent concept. Theatre Delicatessen’s space at Picton Place screams for playful, daring experimental theatre, and it’s a shame to see it wasted on short lived productions.
Tagged: Charles Dickens, Theatre Delicatessen