Review: A Christmas Carol: The Musical by Bilston Operatic Company

A Christmas Carol: The Musical, Bilston Operatic Company

Grand Theatre, Wolverhampton

Review by Jerald Smith

Getting the festive season off to a flying start is Bilston Operatic's presentation of that ever-popular Charles Dickens' tale of miserly misanthrope Ebenezer Scrooge.

Creative team Alan Menken and Lynn Ahrens gave it a lighter touch and some upbeat music to make it more family-friendly.

There is, of course, corporate greed, dysfunctional families, worker-exploitation, child poverty and a dreadful health service-just to keep it topical, but Scrooge seems simply eccentric and his ghostly tormentors appear diverting, rather than terrifying.

Musical director Paul Woodhall draws an excellent account of the music from his orchestra, but Janette Cole's debut production has cast and chorus very slow-moving and often with little to do, though there are some lively tap-routines from the dancers.

Stephen Harper gives a powerful performance as the hard-hearted miser. Tom Winfield, as Christmas Past, shows a tremendous voice, and John Halford's Christmas Present is full of character.

The show is nightly until Saturday – afternoons on Wednesday and Saturday.