Theatre Development Fund – TDF: When director Matthew Warchus approached his longtime collaborator, scenic and costume designer Rob Howell, about doing a theatrical adaptation of Charles Dickens' A Christmas Carol, they only knew what they didn't want to see: a conventional Victorian set. Not that there's anything wrong with that.
8 comments:
Oh to be able to see this production. I love when directors think outside the box when telling (or retelling) a classic story. The number of productions that try to keep to the source material is astounding. So many theatre companies love to stage this play because it is a wholesome holiday treat, albeit with a dark side of greed and redemption, and they always try to match the Victorian era with sets and costumes and props. It is refreshing to see all of that tossed aside for a different interpretation. It’s sort of like the world of Dickens meets the modern world of drama. As stated in the article there are so many elements that make it not your garden variety Christmas Carol and that’s ok. It reiterates the idea that just because it has been done that way before does not mean that is how it has to be done now. Telling a classic story with a modern update is a great way to introduce new audiences and younger audiences to this type of material without allowing for boredom to set it. Kudos to this group for bringing fresh life into a Victorian classic.
This production looks so good! I would love to see Christmas Carol done in a way that is not so Victorian. There is a production of Christmas Carol at South Coast Rep back where I live, and I've seen it every year. It's the only production of Christmas Carol I've ever seen. I would love to see another version of it, one with less of a boring concept that is the same every year. I think that Rob Howell is an incredibly detailed and amazing designer. His Ferryman designs were so intricate, and I adore his attention to detail in his designs. I would love to read more about this production with more details of what the set is, and not just the generalizations. It's so funny to me that Christmas Carol is such a universal show. Like everyone's seen it. I like that they are breaking free of the mold in this production, so even everyone who's seen it can see it again with a twist. Love it!
It's interesting how lots of people tend to gravitate away from box sets. I appreciate seeing a very well done box set. It helps to understand the story and the personalities of the people potentially living in that setting, or even just things going on. I like scanning the stage and looking at all the details within the props and set dressing. Like looking into the refrigerator onstage and seeing the types of food that they eat. Maybe I focus way too much on small details but it's a nice way to be transformed into that world. Though, I understand why, with many of these shows having been seen so many times, a lot of people want to see something new. And for artist, they want to create something new or explore new avenues of telling the story. If I'm being honest, I also appreciate people's ability to see things in a different way. That is not easy to do, especially when it is set in such a specific and realistic setting. It becomes hard when you are trying to make it make sense and have it support the story whilst also gravitating away from the realism. Regardless, many people get it done and many people do it successfully, so it is not impossible.
This sounds and looks astonishing and feels quite refreshing. Every year, the same stuff plays like a broken record. The same places do their same version of The Nutcracker, A Christmas Carol, etc. Without fail, every place does the same stuff, same sets, music, dances and other. Obviously, they don’t look exactly the same but close enough. This is exciting because it is different, it seems to rely less on the scenery and really give the story shape through the story and the characters. I would love to see this version of this story. It will be the same story as it appears, but it will be a refreshing look and wonderful experience. In the short video provided, you can really get a sense of this as all the elements seem to come together rather seamlessly. It also doesn’t appear to have the purpose of being made to have a season appropriate show but rather because the people whom created it wanted to do this show and do it this way, and that is what makes it more brilliant.
The moment I saw the production photos for the first time, I immediately went up to everyone around me, throwing my phone screen in their faces screaming "LoOk aT tHiS". I mean, wow. This whole design is stunning, from the costumes and set to the lighting and the makeup. The color palette still keeps the traditional coldness of the film while maintaining that overarching theme of Christmas and warmth. I love the detailed use of little lights, which really hints at Christmas and the tenderness of the season. Those small details of the lighting and set are echoed in the details of the costumes. There is one costume in particular that is made up of tiny patches of fabric, and some of those patches are the same fabric as Scrooge's costume. I love that! Those are the kind of design choices that I love to obsess over. I love how the designer said that he wanted to do something that is not traditional to the story because this is one that is redone quite often. I think he strayed from tradition to the perfect extent while still maintaining the core tones of the story.
This production of A Christmas Carol looks absolutely gorgeous!! I saw pictures on Instagram a few days ago and I was just stunned. I love how they have updated the set design! The first show I ever worked on was a Christmas Carol in my freshman year of high school. Our set was very traditional so I like that they wanted to mix it up a little. The lanterns hanging over the stage gives the space a really magical and warm feeling. The idea of Ebeneezer Scrooge being trapped in a cage by metal bars that come down is such a unique take on this show! The costumes look pretty traditional, but elegant and well done. The live music onstage provides a very nice old timely feeling to the show. I hope that I will be able to see this production in December when I am home for Winter break!
A Christmas carol is always an interesting project to be a aprt of. The issue with doing this is that it is such a staple of chrristmas. Every single community theater acroos the country will put on performances of a Christmas carol. People have been doing this show for decades. So how do you take a piece of theater that everyone does and make it different. I think that this production does a good job of making the space with spooky. Rob Howell I think did a great job based o the production photos. One thing that’s different though is that the set in Lodon was in the round and now its normal proscenium. I have read some reviews of this show and it seems that the biggest down fall is because it is no longer in the round. Im happy that Rob is getting so my media attention for this production.
I love the Christmas Carol, as much a people may say that it’s stuffy or that its like a broken record of something that a company does every year with the same look and feel sometimes people I find it to be one of those Christmas traditions that just stays timeless. All of that being said this broadway version looks awesome. That being said a story like A Christmas Carol is has so many opinions and ideas on how it should be done that I imagine it would be a nightmare in trying to create a story and a way of telling it that all people can like and relate to. It would be just like showing different Christmas movies all of the time. I mean everyone has there own opinion on what Christmas is and what the shows should be like I would not want to deal with the people and the comments on how the Christmas carol was ruined due to some different adaptation.
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