By Footlighters Theatre Society
The Charles Dickens’ classic A Christmas Carol will come to life when Footlighters Theatre Society continues its 24th season at the Prince Charles Theatre from Nov. 30-Dec. 2.
After three months of rehearsals, a cast of about two dozen is ready to present the tale of forgiveness and redemption, and the production is sure to be one the audience will appreciate.
“I think the audience is going to love the story, and they’re going to enjoy the characters,” said director Gary Atha. “The set is simple, but there’s so much going on to see. They’re going to feel all the emotions.”
This is Atha’s third directorial outing for Footlighters and one that’s a much bigger challenge than his previous plays, And Then There Were None and Nana’s Naughty Knickers, both of which had small casts and a single set. He jokingly refers to the rehearsal process at “organized chaos”, with this show’s multiple scene changes and large cast — not to mention the costumes, Christmas carols, and 19th-century dances, overseen by, respectively, Jennifer Dewald, Simone Wiebe, and Kate Webb.
Then there was the task of casting the leading roles: Ebenezer Scrooge and Charles Dickens. The former is taken on by Footlighters veteran Jason Smith, co-writer of the season-opening Some Fools and Their Money, most recently seen onstage as the Gingerbread Witch in last year’s Hansel and Gretel.
“Jason is amazing as Scrooge,” said Atha. “I really like what he’s doing with the character. He’s found who Scrooge is.”
As for Dickens, who narrates the story in this John Jakes adaptation — just as he did in real-life tours — Atha could be very particular about how the role should be done. After all, he played the character in Abbotsford in 2010. But while directing and keeping focused on the bigger picture, he’s been happy to let Footlighters newcomer Lucas Szuch give Dickens his own spin.
“I’ve let him find his own direction because, really, it’s his story,” said Atha. “He fits in really well. He can do as much or as little as he wants.”
For Szuch, it was a daunting task, having done only a bit of film work and public speaking in college. But the process of developing his character has been an enjoyable one.
“I wasn’t expecting it to be quite as fun,” he said. “I thought it would be a lot more stressful, a lot more strict and serious. Everyone’s so accommodating and supportive.”
While some parts in the play are associated with iconic performances, Szuch had the freedom to approach his role with no preconceptions.
“It’s a really unusual role,” he said. “I’ve seen A Christmas Carol dozens of times, but I’ve never seen one with Dickens participating. He was the storyteller, to begin with. It’s amazing to be in it and be the storyteller as well.”
And even though the story isn’t an all-out comedy, there is humour mixed in, which Szuch thinks the audience will appreciate.
“My favourite parts are the ones that get people laughing,” he said.
