Christmas has well and truly arrived at Theatre by the Lake’s Studio with the opening of two festive shows, both bringing a fresh new take on two much-loved stories.
For the older, more cynical ones, Scrooge Diaries plays from Mon 10 – Sat 15 December and reveals the truth behind the Dickens classic, A Christmas Carol. For families and their little angels, TBTL presents a feast for the imagination with Hey Diddle Diddle! between 18 – 30 December; a clever and very funny stage adaptation of the classic nursery rhyme featuring delightful puppetry, live music and song.
In a revelatory exclusive, Ebenezer Scrooge opens his Scrooge Diaries to reveal his side of A Christmas Carol and the famous miser wants to set the record straight. Claiming he’s been misunderstood for all these years, ‘Mr Bah-Humbug’ has convinced himself that Marley, his ex-business partner, isn’t dead. Instead he’s sure that he’s lounging on some sun-soaked off-shore beach squandering all of his hard earned money embezzled from their shared printing business – and that’s not the half of it!
Written by and starring the inimitable Peter Macqueen, this show exposes the awful truth about Scrooge’s ex-business partner and sets the literary record straight about Tiny Tim, the Fezziwigs, the Ghost of Christmas Present and even Charles ‘the charlatan’ Dickens. Audiences can expect laughter, tears and a sprinkling of tongue-in-cheek participation – as it is Christmas after all – but one thing’s for certain, what you learn might surprise you!
Marking his 21st appearance on stage at Theatre by the Lake, local actor Peter Macqueen has had a soft spot for Scrooge ever since he played the character in TBTL’s 2008 Christmas season. Describing what the character means to him he said: “Scrooge is my soulmate… but he should be everyone’s role model! The commercialised Christmas season starts in September, goes on until the end of January and plunges most people into debt… need I say more?”
The perfect antidote to the madness of modern-day Christmas hysteria, and a refuge for the Christmas cynic, come discover that perhaps Scrooge is not the character we had all been led to believe. Tickets for Scrooge Diaries are £15; U16s and Students £12.
Following shortly afterwards is Hey Diddle Diddle!, a deliciously dreamy and clever reimagining of the classic nursery rhyme guaranteed to fire up the imagination and bring a sprinkling of magic to younger audiences this Christmas season.
Have your little ones ever wondered how a cow jumped over the moon? Or why the dish ran away with the spoon? Now they can find out as they get to stay up late to meet flying cows, jazzy cats and runaway crockery! With original songs played live on stage, brilliant puppetry and lots of laughter, this new show is a wild and musical celebration about the importance of make-believe, and a very funny adventure suitable for ages three and up.
Hey Diddle Diddle! is brought to TBTL by renown children’s theatre company, Goblin (“Funny and beautiful… dazzling.” The Guardian) who are dedicated to imagination, diversity and quality. They tell stories with positive, contemporary themes that children of all backgrounds can relate to, and their shows are characterised by innovative use of original music, wild creativity and a healthy dose of anarchy.
With a running time of 55 minutes, the production is a short and sweet delight; perfect for inquisitive little ones. Suitable for ages 3+, tickets are £8 each and a family ticket (four people) is £28.
Tickets for both shows can be booked online at theatrebythelake.com or through the Box Office on 017687 74411.
