Written by
Tom Mula
Directed by
Shelly Higgs
Street
Theatre 27-29 November 2015
Reviewed by
Bill Stephens
As performed
in this production, Tom Mula’s award winning play
recounting the Dickens Scrooge story from the point of view of Marley’s ghost seemed
to have lost something in translation and failed to engage on opening night.
The concept for this production was as a “show in a suitcase”, with the premise being that
everything used, including lights, sound and set pieces could all fit in a
suitcase and be easily set up in a variety of performance spaces.
 |
| Craig Alexander in "Jacob Marley's Christmas Carol" |
The
performance began promisingly with the audience entering the theatre to
discover actor, Craig Alexander, casually arranging and adjusting props in a
circular area marked out on the floor by candles, stacked suitcases, a ladder
and some theatre lights.
Nothing
about the setting, or Alexander’s costume, suggested Dickens, but theatrical
magic had been promised, so this added to the anticipation.
As the
audience settled in their seats, Alexander engaged some in conversation,
setting up a casual atmosphere. When all were settled he gently segued into his
story, switching out the auditorium lights to let his special lighting take
over.
Adopting a
variety of voices and accents to differentiate characters, Alexander incorporated
small torches and other props into the performance. Unfortunately these props
were not sufficiently well handled to provide the expected magic or create
atmosphere.
As the show
progressed, it became increasingly clear that managing the lighting and props was distracting Alexander from his performance which soon lapsed into coarse acting
with rushed, shouted lines, wildly varying accents, and undisciplined movement with little of the finesse and polish necessary to make a one-man show memorable.
Therefore, experiencing difficulty engaging with any of the characters, the story, or indeed,
the production, which surprisingly captured little of the expected Dickensonian
period or sensibility, this reviewer took advantage of the interval to escape.
