Notes from the Director `Using only Charles Dickens' extraordinary words and a chameleon ensemble of actors, Neil Bartlett's A Christmas Carol is a bold theatrical reimagining of a classic Christmas story.'
Tackling such a well-known, iconic story such as 'A Christmas Carol' was quite a daunting task. It's been done so many times before through many different adaptations. So how to make it a different version? We started from the premise that it is a ghost story and should be treated as such with all the horror that that brings. The cast agreed that it should be dark and eerie which would help to contrast with the joy of Scrooge's redemption at the end of the play.
Neil Bartlett's adaptation, using only Dickens' words was a gift for us, allowing us to exploit and utilise all the strengths of this wonderful cast. It was exciting for me to play with voices to create different sound effects and I wish to thank the cast for their openness and willingness to try out a myriad of ideas. They all wanted to explore the depth of this flawed, miserly and lonely man and his relationship with his ghostly guides.
Performing in the round with minimal set and rapid changes of character, the cast allowed me to play with ideas and experiment with some interesting stage directions how do you make the bed `....rise and sail through the air'?
It has been fun, and I would like to thank everyone for making my directorial debut with Frodsham Players such a great and rewarding experience. I hope you enjoy our version of this Christmas story.
Carole Shinkfield
Award Winner
In Rehearsal
The cast
The cast
Marley
Scrooge
In Rehearsal
In Rehearsal
In Rehearsal