Scrooge gets a makeover at the Playhouse

THE Big Bad Wolf, Mother Goose and Peter Pan are just some of the beloved characters bringing holiday magic to A Fairy Tale Christmas Carol: The Musical, currently on at the Playhouse Theatre.

The show by the Young Performers Production (YPP), which runs from December 5 to 21, opened yesterday with a performance tailored specifically for children and adults with special needs.

Des Govender, chairperson of YPP and production manager of the show, said it has become tradition to host a “relaxed performance”, something they first introduced during their staging of Annie earlier this year.

She says in a standard theatre setting, the audience is expected to be quiet. However, many children and adults benefit from a space where the usual "theatre etiquette" doesn’t apply.

“The lights are dim, but not completely. The sound is not at full volume. Patrons can bring ear defenders or whatever devices they need to be comfortable. If they want to stand up and shout in the middle of the performance, that’s okay,” says Govender.

She first heard about the concept on a flight to the UK while chatting to the marketing director at Cork Opera House in Ireland, and it needed to come to South Africa.

During a relaxed performance, she says, parents don’t need to silence their children. Audience members can simply be themselves in an environment designed to support them. It’s also the only time cast members come out beforehand to introduce their characters.

While A Fairy Tale Christmas Carol: The Musical is based on Charles Dickens’ iconic tale of Scrooge, this version includes characters from other fairy-tale favourites.

This season, at least 85 young performers from 45 different schools were selected to join the YPP cast. Govender says those who make it usually participate in three productions each year. This year’s group ranges from seven to 19 years old; with some travelling from as far as Richards Bay.

Director and choreographer Daisy Spencer says assembling a production of this scale requires meticulous planning.

“Compartmentalize one scene at a time, two pages at a time. And then just break it down, and manage. I mean, there’s like 78 people altogether in this cast. So you just have to be brave, say a prayer, and then go down there and do it.”

Thirteen-year-old Elijah Pillay from Redham House Umhlanga, takes on the role of Peter Pan. He says he loves performing and pours everything into the role, because even though he would love a future on the stage, his parents expect him to pursue a different career.

James Armstrong, 19, from the International School of Performing Arts, plays Ebenezer Scrooge — here also known as the Big Bad Wolf. “He’s a grumpy old man who goes through quite the transformation of figuring out who he really is and how to be a better person.”

James calls the show “brilliant” and “quirky”, adding that audiences of all ages will enjoy it.

“Charles Dickens’ Scrooge is a very well-known story, and I think this is a very fun twist on that original tale.” He says shifting from the gruff, selfish Scrooge to a kinder version was a challenge: “To get your mindset to create a character being one way, and then having to shift to a totally different view was tricky.”

He fell in love with acting at nine years old after watching James and the Giant Peach at the Elizabeth Sneddon Theatre.

Seventeen-year-old Mackenzie Jahnig plays Mother Goose and narrates the show. She guides the audience through Scrooge’s transformation, rallying the cast as the story unfolds.

Mackenzie discovered musical theatre at ten after seeing Matilda the Musical and “was just in awe.” She has worked with YPP since she was 13, and has appeared in productions such as Dream On and Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat.

She switched to online schooling to dedicate more time to perfecting her art. 

“I decided that I needed all the training and all the experience I could get. So that requires a lot of flexibility and a lot of time, which that system provides.”

For 24 years, the YPP has staged an annual musical theatre production with a young cast supported by a professional creative team, giving the next generation of performers a taste of working in a fully professional environment.