THE GREAT thing about the annual Christmas productions at Victoria Hall Theatre is you just don’t know what you are going to get.

This year we had Charles Dicken’s A Christmas Carol adapted by Simon Mawdsley.

And it is the adapted by Simon Mawdsley part that is the special aspect. Simon will always find a way of making this special, making it different, making it unique.

At its centre was a standout performance by Adam Thompson. We have seen a lot of Adam this year and he is such a fine actor. A real everyman. He “humbugs” very well but it is his Scrooge during the visitations that will live long in the memory.

It begins with a very gothic atmospheric introduction to Jacob Marley played by Steve Foster. It is always moments like this where direction and lighting are so key, So well done to Andrew Pegrum and Noah Berry. And well done to Steve who really sets the standard.

The characters are so well written and rounded. It was good to see Dan and Jess Rickets acting together. Their William and Dolly Duckingfield were delightful, witty and warm with fine matching outfits!

And this was one of those plays where there were so many fine individual performances gracing the stage. George Anderson’s Herbert was a case in point.

The junior cast was very welcome. It is a vital ingredient to the Christmas shows at Victoria Hall. It is the essential part and gives young people a great opportunity to perform. On this occasion, this is over 15 shows. After a busy school term, that isn’t easy. This may only be show number two but well done to them all.

They are, of course, essential for the presentation of the Cratchit family.. With all nine in the stage at any one time, this was a deft piece of choreography. They truly felt like a family, an ensemble.

Well done to Mike Hughes who played Bob Cratchit. it is one of the sold roles that is nonetheless essential

What Simon Mawdsely did very well was to subtly place a number of Victorian themes and principles into the play without making it like a History lecture. Ignorance and want, the pursuit of wealth, even a touch of Malthusian economics was thrown in for good measure.

What a central triumph all three ghosts were. Obviously all different but all will live long in the memory. Daisy Mawdsley’s Ghost of Christmas Past was wonderfully dotty and eccentric. Dan Rickets Ghost of Christmas Present was a rich green mountain of a character and the Ghost of Christmas to Come was a frightening, foreboding dark figure.

In these three scene we were introduced to more characters, such as a young Scrooge and Topper Lampwick played very well by Jack Cook and many other actors who were really on point with their Victorian characters. Well done to Summer Mawdsley, Jess Rickets, Jess Kietly and Aston Wood.

There was also a wonderful cameo by Jess Rickets whose Mrs Gargery seemed to be a mash up of Miss Haversham, Lady Bracknell and Violet Crawley!

We were also impressed by the way, modern music was suitably introduced into the production. A Fairytale of New York, Do They Know Its Christmas, Last Christmas. Even a bit of Pink Floyd.

The finale, the transformation of Scrooge was a triumph. It was heartwarming and so well played.

A huge effort goes into the Christmas production at Victoria Hall Theatre. From chaperones to costumes to front of house.

You know they are all totally dedicated to making this a special show as part of people’s Christmas.

This reviewer loves this part of their job. Harlow is blessed with a thriving theatre scene and this production of A Christmas Carol is a living endorsement of how lucky we are and how good they are.

We think nearly all shows are sold out but if you saw it please let us know. It truly was special.

https://www.ticketsource.co.uk/whats-on/harlow/the-victoria-hall-theatre-old-harlow/a-christmas-carol/e-kboqyk