A CHRISTMAS CAROL – Review
MAYFLOWER STUDIOS – until 31st December
Review: 23rd December 2025
A Christmas Carol embodies all that personifies Christmas and how, even in the darkest moments, the goodness of people can overcome the biggest challenges and even in the meanest of people there are elements of goodness, it’s just being able to trigger them. And never has this been better presented than in this Mayflower Made adaptation of the Dickens story for the Christmas Youth Production, which is running at the Mayflower Studios until 31st December.
The quality of every aspect of this production makes me wonder why the main theatre even bothers with a variety spectacular posing as a pantomime, when they have the ability to put on such incredible shows developed by local people, displaying the unbelievable talent and skills of local youngsters. And we know it’s not just at Christmas, the summer Youth Productions in the main theatre quite often outdo the professional versions which have toured the very same theatre.
No matter how Scrooge like you may be when you enter the theatre, probably uttering “bah! Humbug” as you push past people to get to your seat, by the finale you will have been soaked in the spirit of Christmas and there is no doubt that you will leave the theatre full of the joys of Christmas. This is one wonderous show, where 50 young people of Southampton amaze with their acting, singing and dance abilities. It must be nearly 15 years since the first Mayflower Youth Theatre production hit the Southampton stage with Bugsy Malone and since then director Jacquelyn Ockwell and her creative team have taken the group into directions they could never have imagined. Each production gets better and better and believe me this A Christmas Carol beats them all. Yes, we did see this a few years back but this is a completely new retake and you won’t be disappointed.
Set in a Dickens experience museum in the modern day, on a visit teenage Ben (Matej Langridge) reveals to his Tour Guide (Catherine Pain) that he sees rich Ebenezer Scrooge as a man to be admired, a role model, who was rich and successful. To put things into perspective she takes him on a journey into the past, where at Fezziwig’s Christmas party he begins to realise that family and friends can be more important than wealth and success as Ben witnesses Scrooge (Jake Mostran) transform from a young man with the world at his feet to a lonely old man who gets a ghostly visit from his former business partner Jacob Marley who shows him the Christmases of his past, present and future.
This production is so clever with the way it weaves the modern day and past together with the help of a soundtrack of popular monster hits and festive classics. The set is incredible featuring a lavish Dickenson backdrop with an array of opening doors and balconies. positioned in such a way that allows the huge cast the room to easily manoeuvre around the stage. Superb and cleverly designed props helped move the story along, with crates used to elevate the performers in dance routines and then the wonderful ribbon Christmas Tree that transformed the set on Christmas Eve.
You may have seen previous productions of A Christmas Carol, or maybe seen the musical Scrooge or just remember reading the book many years ago, but whatever, you will never have experienced A Christmas Carol like this, revealing the inner most aspects of Scrooge’s persona and allowing us to understand the man a little better. Hopefully Ben has learned from his trip to the Dickens experience and will now readjust what he considers the important elements of life.
Next Wednesday is the 31st December and that is the final day for you to catch this absolute “must see” of a show – it will be no good looking back in a couple of weeks wishing that you’d seen it – because this is your only opportunity.
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