Intimate, immersive and inspired: “A Christmas Carol” haunts the Campbell House Museum

If your holiday traditions leave room for reconnecting with Charles Dickens’ A Christmas Carol, you can’t possibly do better than the intimate, site-specific interpretation of Charles Dickens’ timeless classic by The Three Ships Collective, supported by Soup Can Theatre, which plays annually to sold-out houses at the Campbell House Museum. 

The historic Campbell House was built for Upper Canada Chief Justice Sir William Campbell and his wife Hannah in 1822, and their family was living in it when Dickens’ A Christmas Carol  was first published 180 years ago.

Today, the Campbell House sits just across University Avenue from Osgoode Hall, at the epicenter of the chaos associated with construction of Toronto’s new Ontario Line subway. At night, it is little more than a shadowy presence: a negative space dwarfed by skyscrapers to the north and south, and fringed by more eye-catching streetlights and sidewalk activity.

Each year, as the pace of change (and the speed of walkers-by) accelerates, this vestige of the past becomes a still more exquisite location to bring to life Dickens’ iconic tale of the battle between mercantilic greed and human connection. This production of A Christmas Carol is an unusual and truly immersive experience, which has only gotten tighter, warmer and more polished each year since its debut in 2018. 

The setting is a game-changer. The Campbell House is decorated according to nineteenth-century traditions, and scenes of the play are set throughout: in the drawing rooms, bedrooms, kitchen, basement, and even on a stairway. When you come to the show, you feel as if you have stepped right into Dickens’ time. The actors’ period costumes are simple, the props are few, and the staging is technically straightforward – which leaves the focus on plot, characterization and theme, which are atmospherically amplified by the house itself. 

Justin Haigh’s adaptation of Dickens’ 1843 novella is purposeful, compact and creative. Though just 90 minutes long, the iconic and impactful parts of the story remain, bridged by clever, efficient transitions from one room – and one spirit – to the next. Each scene feels rich and detailed. And collectively, they bring home the universal themes that made the story an instant hit, and have kept it an enduring classic: the importance of compassion and generosity, and the idea that it is never too late to look inside and change for the better.

The casting is diverse — a subtle yet critical way to make this Victorian story relatable to contemporary Toronto audiences. And the production is directed with an assured vision by Sare Thorpe, who elicits a uniformly strong ensemble performance from their energetic cast, which in 2023 featured Chloe Bradt, Will Carr, Justine Christensen, Manon Ens-Lapointe, Alyzia Inès Fabregui, Deebs Franz, John Fray, Renisha Henry, Jonnie Lombard, Ava Marquis, Luke Marty, Briony Merritt, and Jesse Nerenberg.

Of special note are two performances. First, Thomas Gough is a delight as Ebenezer Scrooge. Never loud or blustery, he delivers a tightly coiled performance that is perfectly tuned to the intimacy of the setting. He speaks quietly, but carries big disdain and menace – and upon his transformation, he affects a similarly low-key, but deeply moving warmth. 

Also of note is the innovative and effective use made of Nicholas Eddie’s intense and arresting Jacob Marley. Not only does he set the plot in motion by explaining to Scrooge what is to happen: he remains throughout the story as both a brooding witness to Scrooge’s trials and a spectral guide ushering the audience from room to room, before a final clever acknowledgement concludes his expanded tale.  

Another much-appreciated aspect of this production is its use of music. The play begins in the basement of the house, with a Christmas carol played plaintively on solo violin by Manon Ens-Lapointe. The carol becomes recognizable as “God Rest Ye Merry Gentlemen” . . . yet the main feature of Pratik Gandhi’s arrangement is its discordance, emblematic of Scrooge’s character, which is about to be revealed in his first scene with Jesse Nerenberg’s earnest Bob Cratchit. During the remaining scenes in various rooms, the occasional music is a barometer for the health of the situation and characters. Happily, at play’s end, the same violin tunefully accompanies the characters as one unified chorus singing a jaunty Christmas tune, written by Haigh and Gandhi. 

If your interest is piqued by the description of this unique and wonderful production, there are a couple of planning notes you should bear in mind:   

1. Physical demands: The show requires frequent changes of location and the climbing of stairs. A few accessibility seats are available and can be reserved in advance by phone. Also, due to the size of the rooms, the play necessitates being in close proximity to fellow audience members. Story-specific guides are on hand to ensure that audiences are positioned safely and strategically at all times, and know when to transition.  
2. Ticket availability: Campbell House Museum is a small venue, and the run sells out quickly each year. After it sells out, a small number of tickets may on some days become available at the door. Information regarding such ticket releases is available on Soup Can Theatre’s social media. 

As they were in Dickens’ time, days are too often dark in Toronto . . . and not merely because of the weather or the time of year. Three Ships Collective and Soup Can Theatre’s fine, uplifting, and frankly ingenious production of A Christmas Carol is an important reminder that empathy, kindness and friendship are necessary and timeless. 

Unless you try early, securing a ticket to this run may prove as difficult as squeezing a shilling out of the unreformed Scrooge’s clasp….but truly, it’s worth the attempt.

© Scott Sneddon, SesayArts Magazine, 2023