Humbug! Elgin theatre company's new show full of Christmas fun
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Review by Millie Reid
ELGIN-BASED theatre company Out of the Darkness (ODTC) returned to the stage last week with a retelling of the classic Charles Dickens story, A Christmas Carol.
Held at their headquarters on Wards Road from December 15-17, the group’s new Christmas show promised to bring their own brand of out-there humour to the Victorian tale, which certainly did not disappoint audiences over the show's three-day run.
Including original musical numbers performed live, the ensemble performance – led by Ronnie Gordon as Scrooge – demonstrated their amazing team efforts along with the work from the tech and multi-arts group.
ODTC staff members and UHI lecturers Garry Collins and Fraser Bishop accompanied the group of performers as the narrators, Charles and Dick, as well as head of technical Martin McAuslan, who took a break from working behind the scenes to portray the spirit of Scrooge.
The company has achieved monumental success with this show, as all three showings sold out a matter of hours after tickets were released, in part due to the company’s reputation which has soared over the past few years.
This warm reception comes off the back of the company’s previous show, ODTC Goes to the Movies, which they performed over August.
Since then, the company has welcomed new talent to their staff while managing to maintain their unique style, possibly even expanding on it.
Performance group director Emma Salt Harrison said: "As a newbie coming into the team, it’s beyond exciting to see how the ODTC well-oiled machine works.
"It’s a family of mischief and fun, of creativity and imagination, of highly skilled members across every aspect of production that come together to make the show, all whilst honing their craft and deepening their friendships."
Head of media Ben Moore handled the skillful visual effects, which looked extremely professional for an amateur dramatics group.
He also worked on the puppetry segments, featuring the group of amazing rat puppets who could be seen at the top of the stage.
The show’s detailed set was created and designed by the multi-arts group alongside Martin McAuslan.
Talking in August about the impact the company has had on its members, Martin said: "I think probably the biggest thing that I've seen anybody gain from their time at Out of the Darkness is confidence.
"For me, the joy is seeing people come in on the first performance and they're quite timid and shy and then give them a couple of years and they blossom."
After the final performance of the show on Friday night, one audience member who attended showing raved about the performances.
They said: "The show was very funny, we laughed the whole way through!
"As a long-time supporter, I knew to expect a good time from such an amazing group of people, but this is one of the best shows I’ve seen them do.
"You could tell it was made with tons of joy and love and I enjoyed every minute of it."
Out of the Darkness Theatre Company is a shining example of the amazing talent that lies in local theatre, as well as empowering people living with learning disabilities.
This show brought festive fun for all the family, which by the end was assured to fill you with Christmas spirit.
Business manager Mark Sellars expressed his gratitude towards the company’s supporters.
He said: "The response we have received from the public is amazing!
"We always appreciate the loyal support from the local community, it is what keeps the company going."
The Cast:
Ronnie Gordon as Ebenezer Scrooge
Simon Dunbar as Bob Cratchit
Charlene Haigh-Frarey as Emily Cratchit
Emily Loveland as Tiny Tim
Jason Smith as Fred
Abi O’Grady as Jacob
Ross Watson as Marley
Michelle Green as Ghost of Christmas Past
Jonathon Gordon as Ghost of Christmas Present
Jordan Nicol as Fezziwig
Shane Simpson as Young Ebenezer
Laura Whitaker as Belle
Rosie McKenzie as Townsperson
Lynne Ramsay as Townsperson
Martin McAuslan as The Spirit of Scrooge
Garry Collins and Fraser Bishop as The Narrators
