Edward Alderton Theatre Home | News | This Season | Next Season | Bookings | Auditions | Members | Archive | History | Location | Links | Contact Us   A Christmas Carol by Charles Dickens, adapted by Carol La Roche Directed by Carol La Roche 3-12 December 1992 (9 performances) The miserly Scrooge changes his ways after being visited by the ghosts of Christmas Past, Present and Future... Cast Ebenezer Scrooge Geoffrey Clifton-Green Bob Cratchit Tony Donnelly Mrs Cratchit Rosemarie Ryan Peter Cratchit Ben Lewis Martha Cratchit Kelly Duffy Belinda Cratchit Verity Sadler Tiny Tim Cratchit Christopher Dungate Jacob Marley Paul Lay Ghost of Christmas Past Roz Betts Ghost of Christmas Present Ian Saxton Ghost of Christmas Yet to Come Paul Lay Fred Chris La Roche Emma Allison Henderson Mr Hadleigh Peter Gray Mr Merryweather George Everett Mr Jones David Webster Mr Fezziwig Keith King Mrs Fezziwig Jenny Devonshire Fan Gaynor Fisher Young Scrooge James Humphrey Belle Susan Coral Hampton Sarah Christine McKeon John Jerry McKeon Joe 'The Fence' Keith King Mrs Dilber Eleanor McEnery Man David Webster Woman Jean Sharp Child Rosalyn Dungate Boy Justin Delaney Poulterer Jerry McKeon Supporting Company Freda Phillips, Stephanie Dungate, Beryl Smith, Fay Rose Carol Singers Margaret Pearson, Marion Terry, John Terry, Freda Phillips, Graham Durrant, Alan Heard Violin Gillian Hubbard Crew Stage Manager Nicole Antras Assistant Stage Managers Alison Armit, Eileen Pitcher Set Design Carol La Roche, Nicole Antras Set Construction Paul Lay, Mark Charlwood, Derek Goulding, David Webster, Brian Warner Costumes Freda Phillips, Heather Herridge Lighting  Tim Hewitt Sound Design Graham Durrant Sound Operation Keith Dungate Programme Design Ian Saxton Artwork Nicole Antras Review From page to stage with competence Charles Dickens' story A Christmas Carol provides rich material for the stage, with its colourful evocation of Victorian festivities and its collection of spirits and apparitions which torment the old miser. Carol La Roche has made a very good job of transferring the tale from page to stage for the Edward Alderton Theatre and the box office has done excellent business with show. But competent as the adaptation may be, the production was distinctly lacking in colour on Monday, its fifth performance. Geoffrey Clifton-Green plays Ebenezer Scrooge, a man who forfeits the pleasures of his life for the love of money. Sound though Geoffrey's performance is, with its excellent use of facial expressions, I was reminded too much of the jovial Mr Pickwick rather than the austere Scrooge.  Almost the entire Edward Alderton company has contributed to the show, allowing for some busy crowd scenes. But in all the setpieces there is a slowness in cues and a general hesitancy that fails to lift the pace and gives the impression of under-rehearsal. This is a shame because a lot of effort has been put in creating the right mood, with excellent staging, sensible use of period props, superb costuming, good choice of music and even street waifs selling mince pies during the interval. The Cratchit family, led by Tony Donnelly as Bob, captures best the poignancy of the tale and there is an excellent cameo between Keith King and Eleanor McEnery as a pair of vultures picking over the belongings of the dead Scrooge in the vision of Christmas Yet to Come. Carol La Roche needs to instil more confidence in her team. She also needs to dispense with blinding spotlights. A Christmas Carol continues at the Edward Alderton Theatre, Bexleyheath, until this Saturday. Darryl McCarthy Kentish Times | 10 December 1992