NBT Reviews 'Cristmas Carol' reviews

Charles Dickens' immortal tale of a miser who saves his soul and begins to love his neighbour as himself in the nick of time on Christmas morning is a classic recipe for a tear-jerker. And NBT are masters of jerking every last drop. Ever since I was given the video nearly a year ago I have been craving to see it live. To say that I was "not disappointed" would be a grotesque understatement - it had the impact on me like the man in the Tango advert. Larger than life, fast-moving and crammed with ebullience and vivacity, and laced with Christmassy music, it was a fantastic evening's entertainment and commanded my concentration for every single moment. I'm now totally hooked on NBT and finding myself going further and further afield for my emotional fixes.

I feel sure that you will know the basic plot of "A Christmas Carol". In this ballet there is one central character, Scrooge, supported by a succession of cameo roles. So you get to see nearly the whole company. Hooray! Scrooge was danced by Darren Goldsmith who I thought came over a little too much as a rather pathetic, even comical, character rather than a mean and scheming miser. Certainly he got a few giggles that I thought were inappropriate for the moment. However his interaction with the ghosts (especially the Ghost of Christmas Past - Chiaki Nagao) was intensely moving. I thought he really came into his own, though, after his explosion of joy upon waking up on Christmas morn to discover he wasn't dead and buried after all. He controlled the final scene superbly, which meant he went out on the high that he deserved.

The pas de deux between Scrooge's nephew (Stephen Walther) and wife (Larissa Wright) was delightful, and my first impressions of Larissa (as Esmeralda in Hunchback) were amply reinforced. She appeared again in the final scene where for a moment she was dancing in parallel at the front of the stage with Jayne Regan (Mrs Cratchit). They are clearly in the same bracket. Larissa is at present a "Junior Principal" but I can't see her staying there for long. In fact, a pair of her pointe shoes obtained now might not be a bad investment....

Chiaki was a sprightly and suitably whispy and bewitching Ghost of Christmas Past, and Konrad Simpson a colourful and dashing Ghost of Christmas Present. The Ghost of Christmas Future (Steven Wheeler) was a character role, resembling an emaciated skeletal angel in suspended moult. I wouldn't be surprised if some of the kids had nightmares after that one!

The Fezziwigs' party (Christmas Past) was the "fun" bit of the ballet - with Jeremy Kerridge and Fiona Willis as Mr and Mrs Fezziwig totally hilarious in their frolicking pas de deux. This had the house in stitches, and I guess it will be this that is remembered by most. My eyes were mostly focused on the sub-plot - the break up of the engagement of the young Scrooge (Daniel de Andrade) and his finacée, Belle Cratchit (Shannon Lilly-Simpson). When they finally got the stage to themselves I found them absolutely convincing. I've seen lots of "falling in love" pas de deux, but not many "breaking up engagements" ones. "I have seen your nobler aspirations fall off one by one, until the master passion, Gain, engrosses you". Now say *that* in dance! Shannon did!

The other character role is Mrs Cratchit (Jayne Regan) and although not taxing her abilities to the full, she nevertheless performed with grace, dignity and command whenever she appeared.

And three cheers to the children of Bethune park Primary School, Hull, for doing really well.

Lez Brotherston's set was, as usual, amazing in its simplicity, ingenuity and effectiveness.The story requires Scrooge to move through the streets of London, interior and exterior of his Counting House, the Cornhill, his bedroom, to name but a few locations. To solve this, three movable elements of staging were designed, and simply by changing their positions, the cast could quickly suggest different locations without interrupting the flow.

Carl Davis' musical score was played sensitively by the Northern Ballet Theatre Orchestra under Brett Morris. Very haunting solo for Cor Anglais. There is a liberal interpolation of Christmas tunes, some of which is sung by the cast itself. Tiny Tim's (Sam Abel) solo "How far is it to Bethlehem" is itself a tear-jerker and the carol when the Ghost of Christmas present appears (can't think of its name) is very moving too. The surge of applause for the conductor's curtain call was very well-deserved.

The final happy ending, christmas carols sung with gusto by the cast, Christmas Turkey, falling snow, and goodwill to all men all helped to generate a climax if intense well-being. The audience simply loved this ballet and the applause was as rapturous as I have ever heard in a provincial theatre. And there was a surprise ending that was not possible to capture on the video. But I'm keeping that a secret!

Man of the match

Oh heck. By the time I'd driven back from Hull in the fog, I'd whittled it down to the two ghosts, Past and Present - Chiaki Nagao or Konrad Simpson. But I think the entrance of Christmas Present had such a dramtic effect - it altered the mood stunningly - I have to award it to Konrad. Besides, how did he keep all that sparkly stuff going that he was chucking around? I'm still not sure where it all came from!

I have heard this ballet described as "fun". But there is a lot more to it than that. For a variety reasons it will haunt me for a very long time yet. I conclude with Christopher Gable's own words: "It is a message that is perhaps more true now than when it was written. A message that might, if fully understood, do much to reduce the volume of suffering and inhumanity in the world today".