Friday December 19, 2008
Common humanity
By SARAS MANICKAM
Christopher Ling’s production of the classic A Christmas Carol brings out the best in his young cast, and fleshes out all the right moves from protagonist Scrooge.
Darius Taraporvala as the mean Ebenezer Scrooge. A CHRISTMAS Carol by Charles Dickens is usually compulsory seasonal entertainment. John Mortimer’s stage adaptation of the story faithfully maintains the original narrative, while adding theatrical elements to create dramatic stage impact.
KLPac’s presentation of Mortimer’s adaptation, directed by Christopher Ling, is buoyant with the energy and enthusiasm of its all youthful cast, Darius Taraporvala being the sole exception. The technical wizardry of sets, lighting and arrangement is an impressive indication of talent and imagination. Live music with original scores creates an intimate immediacy. Audiences are on to a good evening even if it is a trifle long (two hours and 15 minutes with intermission).
The play takes us on the journey of Ebenezer Scrooge’s redemption from a contemptuous, avaricious crank to remorseful and generous old gentleman. The tale is part fantasy, part melodrama, part morality play where the social issue of poverty that scourged Victorian England is deftly inserted as a recurring theme.
Scrooge, well-known for his worship of money and its accumulation, treats his clerk, Bob Cratchit and nephew, Fred, both poor, with undisguised disdain. For Christmas, the season of goodwill, he has only this to say: “Bah! Humbug!”
On Christmas Eve, Scrooge is visited by the ghost of his former partner, Jacob Marley, followed by the Spirits of Christmas Past, Present and Future, respectively. Each spirit takes Scrooge on a journey which helps him understand the forces that shaped him and the consequences ahead if he does not change. The nightmare experiences leave Scrooge nerve-racked and distraught. At the end, Scrooge is transformed, and all ends well.
Taraporvala is the quintessential Scrooge. Contempt and miserliness etched in face and body, the flinty, grasping tightwad shoots off some of the funniest lines with wicked, understated British humour. Confronted by Marley’s ghost, he demands: “How do I know you are nothing more than mere indigestion?” As the ghost embarks on a long explanation, Scrooge barks dismissively: “Jacob, don’t be flowery with me.”
The mean, old Ebenezer Scrooge (played by Darius Taraporvala) is suddenly pricked by his conscience during the visit of one of the spirits. The result is a Scrooge who is as compelling as he is obnoxious. He holds the audience as his character transforms from the crotchety hard heart to the gleeful old man taking part in parlour games. Taraporvala moves effortlessly in and out of the various facets of the changing Scrooge.
The technical device of using the chorus to narrate events works extremely well. It is to Christopher Ling’s credit as director that the stage, though filled with people, never gets uncomfortably overcrowded or unwieldy. The chorus flits through a number of characters; the characters flit through a number of actors. This nimble flexibility is one of the highlights of the production.
One of the most charming scenes is when the very young and lonely Ebenezer takes refuge in stories and watches with utter delight as the characters come alive. Ali Baba and the dancing Morgiana as well as a very hairy Robinson Crusoe and fat Man Friday in a grass skirt are hilarious.
The Spirits of Christmas Past and Present failed to evoke any chord except perhaps an uncomfortable feeling that they looked ridiculous and that they must have felt a little silly in their outfits. The Spirit of Christmas Future however was a spectre of fear and uncertainty.
As in any stage production, pronunciation and intonation (my pet bug-bear) is crucial. Thank goodness Darius has a superb speaking voice while Grace Ng, in her various roles, has a bell-like crystal clear voice which is a pleasure to hear. Many of the characters made an effort to speak clearly while others, in the excitement of the moment, perhaps, tended to swallow their words.
The miserly Scrooge (Darius Taraporvala, seated) disdains his clerk, Bob Cratchit (Niki Cheong, right). Redemption is a recurring theme in A Christmas Carol; the plight of the poor, caught in the never-ending loop of ignorance and want is another. Perhaps, though, the theme that presses most strongly on the consciousness is that of alienation and isolation, of both the rich and poor alike, and of the individual against the teeming masses. Scrooge struggles to redeem himself as well as discard his alienation and embrace common humanity. In this, Taraporvala is a superb Scrooge. For him and for the rich technical and artistic imagination of the production, A Christmas Carol is definitely worth watching. The young, highly enthusiastic cast speaks well for Malaysian theatre.
A Christmas Carol is presented by KLPac at Pentas 1 until Dec 28.
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