Is there a Christmas story more enduring than A Christmas Carol? As synonymous with the season as glittering trees, candy canes and egg nog, Charles Dickens’ story of redemption has stood the test of time, with Scrooge now sharing icon status with Santa himself.
Countless adaptations across stage and screen underscore the story’s enduring relevance and feed our insatiable appetite for this heart tug of a story. And among the myriad versions, the Shaw Festival’s production has cemented its own place as a perennial favourite that delights audiences with an enchanting mix of music, puppetry, and “how-did-they-do-that?” theatrical effects.
Multidisciplinary artist, acclaimed director and Shaw Festival’s 2022 Neil Munro directing intern Ryan G. Hinds is directing this year’s cherished adaptation. He is no stranger to the magic of A Christmas Carol, which he first experienced as a child performing in a local production. “It was my first time doing a play, ever!” Hinds smiles. “Because I was a kid with the smallest part in the show, a lot of my memories are of adults running around like crazy, helping each other try to put the show together. Years later, that’s how I see the show: a community of people working together to bring someone through a long and dark night of the soul safely through to morning… which just happens to be Christmas morning.”
That early experience left an indelible mark, which has shaped his approach to directing. “In the same way that everyone in community theatre bands together to make the set or sew the costumes, these characters all have a hand in shepherding Ebenezer Scrooge towards redemption.” With his personal connection and a fresh creative vision, Hinds is ready to offer audiences an experience that is both faithful to the original and alive with contemporary relevance. “I’m excited to return to the story that turned me on to doing theatre!”
A timeless tale of redemption
Of course, A Christmas Carol is the tale of Ebenezer Scrooge (played by Sanjay Talwar), a miserly old man who humbugs his way through life until he is visited by four spirits on Christmas Eve: the Ghosts of Christmas Past (Tara Rosling) and Christmas Present (Shawn Wright), and the ghosts of Scrooge’s deceased business partner Jacob Marley and Christmas Yet to Come (who are performed in a surprising way best not spoiled here). Through their guidance, Scrooge confronts the choices of his past, the consequences of his present, and the grim perils of his possible future. Ultimately, he transforms into a man who embraces community, generosity, and joy.
The current cast includes familiar faces, including Marlene Ginader as Belle, Jenny L. Wright as Mrs. Dilber, Jay Turvey as Bob Cratchit, and Lawrence Libor as Fred. Newcomers include Allison Edwards-Crewe as Emily and Kristopher Bowman as Mr. Hubble, while Marla McLean not only reprises her roles as Mrs Cratchit but also shares her expertise in puppetry, a hallmark of this production.
“Dickens wrote this story in 1843,” Hinds marvels, “but the message continues to be relevant: How do our choices affect others? Is the future set in stone? Who deserves a second chance?” Of course, Scrooge “is allowed a second chance and given the opportunity to right his wrongs – which says to me that change is always possible. And further to that, change is necessary to survival.” For Hinds, this is the story’s true power –especially in today’s world, where “even with all the ways that exist to connect with each other, it can feel cold and lonely, and it’s easy to become an isolationist”.
Balancing tradition with surprise, and fear with joy
Known for his work on inventive holiday productions like Glitter All the Way! and Miss Bennet: Christmas at Pemberley, Hinds has brought an equal blend of reverence and creativity to A Christmas Carol. On the one hand, “this is definitely the most ‘traditional’ Christmas show I’ve done,” he grants. “With Glitter All the Way! at Buddies in Bad Times, it was a chaotic queer smorgasbord of performance art – a chance to subvert the traditional ideals of Christmas time. Then with Miss Bennet: Christmas at Pemberley at Theatre New Brunswick, it was as much about delivering Jane Austen fan service through a contemporary, Bridgerton-esque lens, as it was about Christmas. I adored doing both of those shows. They let me look at Christmas themes through what I was experiencing personally in my own life. And this production is of a piece with that: finding joy in the traditions of Christmas.”
At the same time, his approach to A Christmas Carol includes touches of surprise and delight designed to keep the story fresh. “There are moments inspired by things like the Teletubbies, UFOs, and camp icons Paul Lynde and Charles Nelson Reilly. And there is a dancing cat (that is actually not inspired by Cats),” Hinds shares.
Balancing the story’s tonal range has been a key focus for Hinds. “I wanted the ghosts to be scary, and the sad moments to be sad. But I also really wanted to avoid any sense of the story being depressing, which it can often lapse into.” Instead, this Christmas Carol is “a joyful one, and it centres magic. It has laughter and charm – a lot of which rests with the incredible performers. They’ve all calibrated the way they tell the story to ensure the audience is actively rooting for Scrooge, and hopeful that he sees the light.” The key is careful pacing and deliberate contrast: “Whenever something scary happens, it’s often followed by an opportunity for the audience to take a breath with some laughter. Humour isn’t just about hitting a punchline; it can release tension, indicate a shared experience, show recognition.”
Hinds particularly enjoyed crafting the production’s spookier elements: “My friends know I get pretty jumpy at shadows or strange noises when the lights are low, so finding ways for the audience to experience that feeling is delightful.” And he has seen proof of the success of his efforts. “During previews, I sat in the audience and saw things like two young kids so startled they grabbed at each other, an older lady yelping and clutching her pearls when the Ghost of Christmas Future appeared, a man rearing back in his seat during Jacob Marley… All were laughing and smiling by the end of the play.” That tells him “the balance is right!” And “when the balance is right, it’s great fun.”
Building – and celebrating – community onstage and off
With half of the cast being new to the production, Hinds has worked hard to foster another balance: between continuity and new interpretations. “I viewed my job as delivering what Shaw Festival audiences expect, while giving them what they didn’t know they wanted,” he explains. He made sure that “the new cast members found their own versions of the characters without hearing, ‘Well, this actor did it like THIS, so you should, too,’ while the returning cast members have the experience of knowing what works for them.” For instance, “Sanjay Talwar’s masterful Scrooge, Shawn Wright’s delightful Christmas Present, and Marlene Ginader’s Belle are all the better for them having done the roles before.”
Hinds is also quick to credit as “invaluable” Marla McLean’s history with the show: “In addition to teaching the puppetry, she returns in the roles she has done multiple times, and is a wealth of knowledge when it comes to knowing the inner workings of how the show happens.”
Under Hinds’ direction, the Shaw Festival’s A Christmas Carol shines as a must-see holiday tradition for all ages. With its balance of the familiar and the new – and its lively mix of humour, heart and just the right amount of scary – this production breathes fresh life into Dickens’ classic, while staying true to its timeless themes. Ultimately, the story’s enduring message is the very value proposition being offered to audiences of this production: “Life is so much richer when we experience it together, when we choose to be in community with each other.”
Experience the magic at the Royal George Theatre at the Shaw Festival in Niagara-on-the-Lake until December 22, 2024. Tickets are available at shawfest.com.
Quick Takes with Ryan G. Hinds
Are you more of a “Bah, humbug!” or “Merry Christmas, everyone!” kind of person in real life?
“Merry Christmas, Happy Solstice, and all the seasonal holidays!”. Winter needs some positivity to get through!
What’s one holiday tradition you absolutely can’t live without?
Just one? Gotta taste some Egg Nog, gotta host a get-together, and you can always find me at church on Christmas Eve!
Do you have a favourite line or moment in A Christmas Carol that always gives you goosebumps or makes you smile?
Goosebumps: when Scrooge asks “Spirit, is there no tenderness for the dead? Are they never remembered with love?” because it makes me reflect on those I’ve lost with tenderness and love.
Smile: every single time Scrooge says “Humbug!”
If A Christmas Carol had a modern holiday soundtrack, what’s the first song you’d add to the playlist?
Darlene Love’s barn-burning “Christmas (Baby Please Come Home)”
If you could hang out with one of the ghosts—Past, Present, or Yet to Come—who would you pick and why?
Christmas Past, for sure. I love nostalgia and remembering…and I’ve had some faaaaaabulous Christmases
If Charles Dickens were in the audience, what part of your production do you think would surprise or delight him the most?
He’d love how we portray Jacob Marley, would be thoroughly delighted with the Christmas presents at the top of act…. and would be scared as everyone else at the appearance of Christmas Future. Then I’d take him over to the Irish Harp pub for bevvies before asking him to write a new play for me!
© Arpita Ghosal, Sesaya Arts Magazine, 2024
