Cakes & Ale theatre company present: A Christmas Carol Catastrophe.

This is Dickens, as you have never seen it before. The Blue Room in Lincoln hosts Cake & Ale’s riotous Christmas extravaganza featuring Lincoln Community Night School ‘Enthusiastic’ Theatre Company for five performances from Thursday, 14 December until Saturday, 23 December 2023. My expectations were high, having photographed the production from the initial read-through, and I was not disappointed by the dress rehearsal.

Written and directed by Steve Gillard and ably assisted by Megan Shield, it is anything but a simple retelling of this timeless classic. The play opens with a logistics disaster, and the narrator, Karen Hunter, immediately tries to organise the company to stage the show for the audience that is already waiting. Largely following the original plotline, the pace is relentless as the actors with various degrees of success rise to the occasion with often hilarious and unexpected consequences.

The Narrator (Karen Hunter) negotiating with one of the Stage Hands (Amy Magnone).

Scrooge (Jerry Smith) together with Bob Cratchitt (Samuel Mant) together with his son Tiny Tim (Joe Brammer).

It is difficult to single out a star performer for this production as all the actors, including the stagehands, excel in this show. Scrooge (Jerry Smith) and the Narrator (Karen Hunter) provide the backbone of the production. Smith, a veteran of the stage, embodies all the characteristics of Scrooge you might expect, including being a wrenching, grasping, covetous old sinner whilst he still manages to elicit moments of humour. Hunter is forthright throughout and, besides being slightly terrifying, is on the side of the audience. There is lots of slapstick and physical comedy, especially from Tiny Tim (Joe Brammer). Quite how he survives the many mishaps, I am still not sure, I feel dizzy thinking about his treatment by the outstanding Bob Cratchitt (Samuel Mant). Mant is one actor who largely maintains his composure throughout the show. Gillard has provided a rip-roaring script that allows the two Belles to enjoy the comedy of their situation fully. They are played by Emily Hodgson and Emily Vickers, who both display excellent comedic timing, physicality, and absolute commitment to their roles. There is definite chemistry between them, and it is something the audience will certainly enjoy. Both Hodgson and Vickers double and treble up with other roles, but the comedy still abounds. Tilly Reed has the tricky task of playing Fezziwig and Martha, amongst others, but does so skillfully and provides a useful foil for Hodgson when she plays Mrs Cratchitt. Reed also plays a corpse, which demands a scene all of its own fully appreciated by the small audience for the dress rehearsal.

Unusually, the stagehands played by Michael Griffiths and Amy Magnone are actors on the stage and command a central role to help drive the narrative and provide physical comedy. In particular, Griffiths is the comedy bottom for one of Scrooge’s monologues and is seemingly abused by every other member of the cast in an unforgettable scene. Megan Shield stood in for Magnone at the last minute for the Dress Rehearsal and really did a sterling job. Last but not least, Joe Hayden, who plays all the Ghosts, displays physical comedy skills as well as perfect comedy timing and is a constant presence throughout.

The play is funny, pacy, raucous and thoroughly enjoyable. The set supports the action, and the window at the back of the stage is probably the hero and central to much of the comedic action. Set design, lighting, and incidental sound were skilfully provided by Kev Gillingham and Graham Scott and supported the production on stage. The costumes are traditional, but having the two Belles in the same dress is an act of genius. The costumes are the responsibility of Amy Magnone. There were a couple missing for this rehearsal, but they will be on show for the opening night. Props, of which there are many, are provided by Karen Hunter and Alan Trevor, and these add to the experience.

The play is punctuated by a three-course meal downstairs in Stokes, which truly makes it a whole night out.

I thoroughly enjoyed this production; my only complaint is that it could have been longer. Whether the actors would have survived any longer is another matter. I highly recommend this as a show for the whole family. There was a small audience in the dress rehearsal, and if their reaction is anything to go by, then the paying audience will be royally entertained,

There is very limited ticket availability. Contact the box office on 01522 523548 or go to Tickets.

A full album of images from the dress rehearsal can be seen at the following link: Dress Rehearsal Album of images.