Reviewed By Sophie Ross
December 19th 2016
Reviewer rating: ★ ★ ★ ★
The London Musical Theatre Orchestra returns for a one night only performance of “A Christmas Carol”. Taking over the Lyceum Theatre, the Ghosts of Christmas Past, Present and Future came out to play accompanied by a star studded line-up. With a sold out audience performing on the exact same day that the original Dickens novel was published, it was time for Christmas week to commence.
This is the first time that Alan Menken and Lynn Ahrens’ musical has played in the UK and it was amazing to see it brought to life by such talented musicians and performers. With an incredible casting including leading man Robert Lindsay as Ebenezer Scrooge, Madalena Alberto, Hugh Maynard and Carrie Hope Fletcher as the ghosts of Christmas, Norman Bowman as Jacob Marley and Alex Gaumond and Giovanna Fletcher as Mr/Mrs Cratchit, it’s hard to find any fault. They were also joined on stage by an ensemble from the LMTO and some of the cutest kids you’ve ever seen, especially the young lad who played Tiny Tim.
What is so refreshing with seeing a concert version of the show is that it still has as much sparkle as a full scale production. The LMTO nails it on the head by bringing these stories to life by the use of wonderfully crafted music. The score is so incredibly beautiful that when played with a full orchestration, it makes you appreciate it even more. When the performance lacks action, it’s made up with cleverly thought out substitutions and translated with such ease. With this piece being a well-known classic, the storyline is just as important as ever, especially around the festive period. It really is spectacular to see it all unfold and always exceeds our expectations.
Robert Lindsay completely stole the show with his perfect character representation and his wonderful stage presence. With being centre-stage for nearly the entirety of the performance, he carried the storyline like a true professional and humoured the audience on more than one occasion. We must also give a mention Composer Freddie Tapner for not only putting together something so thrilling but for his impeccable timing and and bucket loads of passion. It’s a joy to see someone oozing with so much energy and joy.
We’re very excited to see what the next instalment from the LMTO will be. You can find out more about them here http://www.lmto.org/.
The Theatre Hub 