A Christmas Carol adapted by Ross McGregor. The Brockley Jack Studio Theatre, 410 Brockley Road, London SE4 to 30 December 2022. 4****. William Russell.

There is a surfeir of Christmas Carols at this time of year but Ross McGregor of Arrows and Traps has come up with a brand new way of presenting Dickens' famous tale in a terrific production directed by Kate Bannister.There is a suitably gloomy set for Scrooge to face his ghosts in by Karl Swinyard and as everyone in the story from Tiny Tim to Scrooge himself - most of the female characters apart and you only hear their voices - Tice Oakfield is a miracle of agility and versatility dashing off as one person and emerging instantly as another. Things are helped by the video designs of Douglas Baker which show some, although not all of the ghosts, and quite a lot of snow falling snow on snow. McGregor has chosen to have the tale told by a doctor on the front line in the First World War to a Christmas audience of troops from both sides and it works nicely, especially when at the end you get a revelation - no spoilers here. There is plenty of audience interaction, a vital part of any Christmas show in the theatre, and things gallop along at speed. One may know the story backwards, but McGregor and Bannister keep the surprises coming with Oakfield rising to the challenges - his amazingly tall Christmas Present is but one of them, his tiny Tim another, not to mention his Mrs Cratchet. Of all the carols on offer this is one of the best.

Cast

Tice Oakfield.

Voices: Juliet Pagett, Meredith Angel.

Director: Kate Bannister.

Set Design: Karl Swinyard.

Lighting Design: Carey Chonsoonthorn.

Costume Design: Martin J Robinson.

Video Design: Douglas Baker.

Song Composition: Joseph Hardy.

Choreography: Tessa Guerrero.

Production Photographs: Davor@The Ocular Creative