A Christmas Carol is such a fixture in the theatrical repertoire that it is astonishing that it has taken so long for the Royal Court to give Dickens’ classic tale their unique ‘Scouse’ treatment. While London’s Old Vic are staging their very traditional version for the ninth consecutive year (seriously!) here in Liverpool we expect a bit more variety, so The Court seem to have waited for a year when nobody else in the region seems to be doing it before turning their attention to its ghostly shenanigans.
Kudos must then go first and foremost to writer/producer Kevin Fearon for his remarkably nifty adaptation of the familiar story. It is pretty much set in stone that the Royal Court Christmas show must have a central ‘dame’ role for Lindzi Germain, returning here for her 15th year, and so it is that the late lamented Jacob Marley, usually thought to have been a confirmed bachelor, turns out to have a widow, Barbara.
Barbara Marley, in the firm tradition of panto dames, also needs to be provided with a slightly daft son, so Freddie (Adam McCoy), previously believed to have been Scrooge’s nephew, is cast here as Barbara’s son, and he in turn has his eye taken by the young Clara (Jhanaica van Mook).
A sub-plot involving a cunning plan by Scrooge (Paul Duckworth), aided and abetted by former Mayor Joe (Keddy Sutton, in one of several roles as usual) attempts to subvert Marley’s will. This will leave control of Jacob’s biscuit factory – see what they did there – to Scrooge rather than Barbara, so Barbara, Freddie and Clara, with the help of Scrooge’s long-suffering housekeeper (also Sutton) join forces with the Scratchitt family to frighten Scrooge into revealing how Marley met his fate.
Bob and Emily Scratchitt appear in the guise of Lenny Wood and Helen Carter, while their children, and in particular Tiny Tim, take shape as Sesame-Street style puppets, which find themselves treated with alarming irreverence, leading to a borderline genius inclusion of the song ‘Bright Eyes’ in the second act.
The use of music is, in fact, extremely well handled in this year’s show. Not only is the choice of songs both imaginative and, at times, inspired, but the onstage band are exceptional, and they are matched by the tremendous vocal prowess of most of the cast, many of whom get opportunities for absolutely belting solo numbers.
The musicians interact seamlessly with the main cast on Ellie Light’s impressive, fairytale village set, which transforms effortlessly from scene to scene (with one comic exception) as swiftly as the cast work their way through her equally impressive sequence of costumes. Particular note must go here to those made for Germain, who at one point complains that the costume department are ‘getting on her wick’, but I won’t spoil that joke any further…
The pun-laden script is, as you would expect, heavily littered with expletives (which is largely what justifies the show’s 16+ age advisory warning and strict 12-or-over policy) and in the early stages of the first act this feels a tad heavy handed even for the Royal Court, relying on a barrage of risqué lines for laughs until the show gathers momentum. However, it’s not long before Mark Chatterton’s rollercoaster-paced direction and the ensemble skill of the cast gain enough traction to keep the laughter going with a mercifully more measured use of language.
It was in 2017 that the Royal Court hit their richest seam of comedy gold in recent memory with The Scouse Nativity, and in The Scouse Christmas Carol they are dangerously close to overtopping this high-water mark. Fitting, then, that sales of tickets for this year’s show have outstripped the company’s previous Christmas record, leading to the extension of the show for an extra week beyond its initial scheduled closing date.
The Scouse Christmas Carol now runs at the Royal Court until 24th January, with tickets available here.
The cast of The Scouse Christmas Carol - Photo by AB Photography
Star Rating 4½ stars
This review was originally written for publication by Good News Liverpool
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