The Little Theatre of Alexandria’s current production of “A Christmas Carol,” adapted from the Dickens literary classic, directed adroitly by Michael Page, narrates the famous story loyally but with creative additions. Mr. Page notes that in this version the story is told “from the perspective of and imagination of a modern-day preteen who is a budding artist and bubbling with creativity. As her grandfather reads her the traditional story, she draws the scenes and brings them to life onstage.”
The story, of course, revolves around Ebenezer Scrooge (portrayed excellently by Brian Lyons-Burke), the avaricious figure in this morality tale, who famously shows his utter disdain towards Christmas and its concomitant spirit of goodwill with a “Bah Humbug” to anyone who offers greetings of the season or requests donations for holiday charity. After all, in the words of Dickens, even on, “of all the good days in the year, on Christmas Eve—old Scrooge sat busy in his counting-house.” He is later visited by the ghost of his former business partner, Jacob Marley, now chained down by the weight of his sins; Marley warns his fellow miser of great eternal doom if Scrooge continues to lead an unvirtuous life of misanthropy and greed.
The Ghost of Christmas Past (Nina Celestina) guides Scrooge to a scene of regret in his youth when Ebenezer is seen with his beloved Belle (Emma Noel Saville), who broke off their engagement in disappointment of his growing miserly ways. Then the Ghost of Christmas Present (Mikaela Fenn) further awakens a transformation in Scrooge when she introduces him to the home life of his clerk Bob Cratchit (David McCarthy) and Cratchit’s suffering child, Tiny Tim (Arthur Timothy Davis Bailey in some performances, Henry Strahs in others). The mute Ghost of Christmas Yet-to-Be then points Scrooge to a future in which he will die alone, unloved, and unlamented. As Scrooge faces his mortality, will he have a chance to redeem himself? If so, will he seize such an opportunity?
A warm Christmas atmosphere was omnipresent with talented cast members who sang Christmas carols famous as well as little known, including “Ding Dong Merrily on High,” Somerset Wassail,” “I Saw Three Ships,” and “We Wish You a Merry Christmas,” all prepared wonderfully by music director Aimee Faulkner. Costume designer Joan Lawrence successfully brought forth the Victorian Era in terms of costume design.
Director Page has said of this version—a departure from the past quarter century of “Christmas Carol” productions at Little Theatre—that “the aesthetic design elements, reminiscent of director Tim Burton’s style, contribute to the overall charm of the production.” The Tim Burton influence is perhaps a little overstated, yet we did notice some welcome Expressionist touches, such as distorted walls and windows reminiscent of the Expressionist film classic The Cabinet of Dr. Caligari as well as glowing eyes of the Ghost of Christmas Yet-to-Be, recalling a little the appearance of Mephistopheles at a crossroads in a scene from G.W. Murnau’s Expressionist film version of Faust. Likewise, there seems to be some influence of fantasy writer E.T.A. Hoffmann, especially in the presentation of the Ghost of Christmas Past as a Hoffmannesque automaton.
This production of Charles Dickens’ Christmas classic “A Christmas Carol,” worthwhile both for its new take on a classic as well as for its reimagining of the story from past Little Theatre productions, runs until December 20, 2025, at 75 minutes without intermission.
