Reviews

DANIELS IS JUST MAGIC AS SCROOGE - Lowestoft Journal

Bruce James Productions’ performance of Charles Dickens A Christmas Carol brilliantly portrays the genius of the Victorian writer.

The immortal short story about how an old miser was taught to mend his ways is bought to life by a strong cast of professionals, led by Paul Daniels, who gives a magical portrayal of central character Ebenezer Scrooge. This is no pantomime, with garishly bright costumes, no rhyming jokes, no dames and no ugly sisters. It’s simply a straightforward play, with some great songs and lyrics written by John Puddick and an atmosphere full of the sprit of Christmas.

On Christmas Eve, old miser scrooge is visited by the ghost of his dead business partner, Marley, who warns Scrooge that three sprits will visit him and that he must learn from them and change his miserly ways.

Ben Poole portrayed Dickens as narrator with strong performances from Lewis Rae as Bob Cratchit and James Daley in his multiple roles as he played in turn, Fred, young scrooge and the ghost of Christmas yet to come. Highlights were supplied by Leigh Jones, as Marley, when he flew across the stage howling and shaking his chains; Tom Murphy, as Fezziwig and The Ghost of Christmas Present; Katy Jones, as Scrooge’s frail and tenders young sister, Fran; Paul Jorgen Jackson, as Tiny Tim, pronouncing the famous words “God bless them every one”; and Daniels, as one of the most believable Scrooges I have had the pleasure to see.

RD