Even the proportions of Ebenezer Scrooge’s office are mean. The clever set by Jess Curtis squeezes in three London townhouses, thin, tall and grey, all slate and soot. They spin around to reveal cramped interiors as Scrooge (Gareth Williams) edges his way upstairs, past Bob Cratchit (Oliver Mawdsley) perched at a narrow ledger desk. It has the effect of making a big stage look claustrophobic.
Adam Foley’s parsimonious lighting adds to the effect, rarely raising the colour temperature above sepia. A hearty scene in orange is as warm as it gets. This Scrooge is a penny-pincher in lean times. Candles are an extravagance.
