Theatre review: Northern Ballet's A Christmas Carol

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A very festive theatre review today, after our visit to Norwich Theatre Royal to watch Northern Ballet’s A Christmas Carol!

Table of Contents

About the show

One magical night. Three mysterious ghosts.

The spirit of the season is overflowing in Northern Ballet’s A Christmas Carol.

As the clock strikes midnight join Ebenezer Scrooge on the journey of a lifetime to discover the true meaning of Christmas. Travel with the ghosts of Christmas past, present and future through family firesides, cold winter nights and the promise of a brighter future. A festive feast for the senses, Northern Ballet brings one of the most loved stories of all time to life.

Dickens’ timeless tale is reimagined through dance, music and storytelling which will transport you to Victorian Leeds and leave your heart aglow.

Running time: 2 hours 10 minutes with 2 intervals

What did we think?

It’s been years since I last saw a ballet, maybe 12 or 13 years. That ballet was Swan Lake and being completely honest, I didn’t really know what was going on some of the time and I was definitely distracted by the men in tights!

Now, right as the festive season begins in Norwich, I was so excited to see a different kind of ballet. This time, A Christmas Carol is a familiar story, and a great one to see this time of year.

Unlike a lot of things you’ll see at the theatre, Northern Ballet’s A Christmas Carol is set into 3 acts, with 2 20 minute intervals. If you’re watching with kids, this is a great way to break up a longer show. Not only that though, the intervals act as great breaks for the story.

Acts 1-3

Act 1 sets the scene, showing what kind of man Ebenezer Scrooge really is. A man dedicated to his work, Scrooge does not get on well with Bob Cratchit, who will happily dance around rather than get the work done. However, he is a much happier person with plenty of friends compared to Scrooge who is completely alone.

Act 2 follows the ghost’s visits. During this time, Scrooge gets to see his failed relationship, others having fun instead of him, what life is like for those around him and also, what will become of him in the future. Although there is a lot of sadness, there’s also fantastic scenes with Mr and Mrs Fezziwig. A much needed lightheartedness takes up a lot of Act 2, which left me giggling throughout.

In Act 3 we see Scrooge a changed man. The revalations from the ghosts make him see the error in his ways, and he wants to be different. Now a changed man, he shares the wealth and happiness with those around him, going from a miserable old man to someone with a definite spring in his step.

Costumes

The costumes throughout were absolutely marvellous. From the Victorian townspeople to the ghosts who visit Scrooge, this ballet is really a feast for the eyes. You really get the feeling for the time the ballet is set, and what the living conditions were like at the time.

The ghost of Ghosts of Christmas Past, Present and Christmas Yet to Come are stand outs in the costume department, really stealing the scenes that they are in. Each has a very different feel to them, with the Ghost of Christmas Past being very delicate and feminine and the Ghost of Christmas Present having a wonderful camp aspect complete with flowing gold glitter. Then there’s the Ghost of Christmas Yet to Come, who is just the right level of creepy.

Missing an orchestra

Sadly, a live orchestra was missing and I have to say, it did make a difference. This is the first performance I’ve seen where the music is pre-recorded and it didn’t just have the same feel to it.

The ballet

I’m no expert on dancing, especially ballet. However, what I will say is that I loved it. The whole cast is extremely talented and I loved seeing so many different moves. It was interesting to see such a well-known story told in a different way. Northern Ballet’s A Christmas Carol has menacing ghosts, fun party dances with Mr and Mrs Fezziwig and the more sombre moments as Scrooge moves around the stage.

The cast can change for every performance, but this was the cast for the performance on Tuesday 19th November 2024.

Scrooge – Albert González Orts
Young Scrooge – Jackson Dwyer
Nephew – Harris Beattie
Nephew’s wife – Alessandra Bramante
Marley – Joseph Taylor
Ghost of Christmas Past – Mayuko Iwanaga
Ghost of Christmas Present – Stefano Varalta
Ghost of Christmas Yet To Come – Joseph Taylor
Bob Cratchit – George Liang
Mrs Cratchit – Kirica Takahashi
Cratchit Children – Izzy Clough, Sena Kitano, Archie Sherman
Tiny Tim – Daniel Ibbitt
Mr Fezziwig – Harry Skoupas
Mrs Fezziwig – Gemma Coutts
Belle – Amber Lewis
Fiddler – Filippo Di Vilio
Christmas Shoppers, Phantoms, Cornhill Slide, Party Guests, Tavern Drinkers, Hags – Julie Nunès, Kaho Masumoto, Helen Bogatch, Rachael Gillespie, Nida Aydinoğlu, Harriet Marden, Dominique Larose, Maddie deAndrade, Aerys Merrill, Bruno Serraclara, Noah Benzie-Drayton, Andrew Tomlinson, Tobey L’Anson, Kevin Alsina, Antoni Cañellas Artigues
Children – Norwich School of Dance