A brand new stage adaptation of A Christmas Carol is coming to Gloucester, and it takes place in an unusual location.
Following their critically acclaimed productions of Macbeth and Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde, Grove Productions will be taking on the Charles Dickens classic at St Mary de Crypt Church throughout December.
The unconventional location for a theatre production will provide fantastic acoustics, the company says, as well as providing a sense of grandeur, a real sense of Christmas and an added level of historical significance.
St Mary de Crypt is famed for being the burial place of James ‘Jemmy’ Wood – a man so famed for his tightfisted ways it earned him the title The Gloucester Miser.
The city’s answer to Ebenezer Scrooge, Mr Wood amassed a fortune of £900,000 by his death in 1836, which is equivalent to £150m in today’s value.
He earned his wealth mainly through property and the ownership of Gloucester Old Bank, which never paid a penny of interest on deposits of less than a year and employed just Wood and two clerks.
The classic cautionary tale about greed, hope, and redemption has been lovingly adapted for stage and will be brought to life on with acting, song and puppetry.
Paul Avery directs the company consisting of Corrina McDermott, Moa Myerson, Joseph Harradine, Stephen Santouris, Alex Lake, Jasmine Murphy, Lauren Holland, and Daniel Bates.
The understudies are Edward Derbyshire and Joy-Amy Wigman (who is also musical director) with Jacob Gregory providing lighting and sound design.
Tiggy Gardner (production and stage manager), Jess Lingard-Nutt (deputy stage manager), and Brenna Rose (technical operator) all return to their roles as stage crew.
Popular carols such as Deck the Halls, Carol of the Bells, and Silent Night will all feature in the production – which has been supported by The Everyman Theatre in Cheltenham and St Paul’s Church by way of meeting and rehearsal spaces.
The production will feature the use of a Bunraku puppet, as the ever optimistic symbol of hope that is Tiny Tim.
“As storytellers, and as a team, there’s just a really lush energy that is being cultivated within this company,” commented cast member Moa Myersonn.
“We really care about the stories that we’re telling and who we’re telling them to.”
The performance will take place between the 6th and 8th of December, then again from the 20th to 22nd of December at St Mary de Crypt Church, Southgate Street, Gloucester, GL1 1TP.
While suitable for all the family, some younger children may find the ghost sequences frightening, and parents are asked to use their judgement accordingly.
The estimated run time for the show is approximately two hours. Tickets are available to book online.
