Charles Dicken’s was the conscience the Victorian Era needed. His many books and articles excoriated a society full of its own achievements but that woefully neglected its responsibilities to the poor and downtrodden. His morality tales have always been popular and especially his dystopian tale A Christmas Carol.
This month the story returns to Auckland in a fabulous production at the Civic Theatre.
It follows the tale reasonably faithfully, and it’s one you’re bound to know. The main character is the miserly Ebenezer Scrooge, a man whose surname has become synonymous with greed, malice, and indifference. He runs a counting-house which basically means he’s a money lender and manages the transactions of other people. And it is the accumulation of money that is his singular joy and purpose. He is so miserly even his own home and workplace have little heating. He treats everyone around him with utter disdain, even his clerk Bob Cratchit, and his nephew Fred.
On Christmas Eve, Scrooge is visited by the ghost of his long dead business partner Jacob Marley, condemned to wander through time in chains as punishment for his own life of greed. Marley warns Scrooge he will suffer the same fate if he doesn’t repent and that he will be visited by three spirits. These three are The Ghosts of Christmas Past, Present, and Yet to Come. They show Scrooge the evil path he has taken and hoe he can redeem himself.
This is a superbly created production with a remarkably good set that evokes the dingy and worst places in Victorian London. It comes apart and transforms into an array of different locales. There are video projection screens and when combined with a dark soundscape and lighting effects the entire tone of the production is deeply affecting. While the story is primarily a morality tale, this production has a dark humour to it.
Of course what has always made this story so compelling are the incredible characters. In some ways they are stereotypes, but they are very relatable. The cast brought each and every one of them to life superbly and at the very heart of the play, Eugene Gilfedder served up a Scrooge who was truly memorable.
This incarnation of A Christmas Carol is a spine tingling entertainment spectacle and the perfect start to the festive season.
A CHRISTMAS CAROL
2-7 December 2025
Civic Theatre, Auckland
