Christmas Carol- A musical allegory
Sets: The sets in Christmas Carol were very simple. The stage is used as a neutral stage and the locale of
the play is shown efficiently. It has a neutral stage because the scene and location changes constantly.
In the first set it opens in the ' Scrooge and Marley' company's office. It is shown with the help of just a
few tables and chairs.
The different sets are presented by pieces of furniture such as the bed of Scrooge to show his bedroom
and dining table in the nephew's house.
Projections: The musical used projections to show the locale on the curtain in the background and
different to convey the personalities and reflect the atmosphere of the current events of the show.
For example, there were images of clockwork gear to represent the character of Scrooge waiting at
night. There were also different images and lighting for the Christmas ghosts.
Light: The lighting played an important role in this production. The lighting was used to differentiate
between the dark and serious moments from the goofy and light-hearted ones.
It was used to signal the appearance of Marley's ghost and the Christmas ghosts.
The most impressive use of lighting was undoubtedly the haunting glances of the ghosts lighting up for a
moment and disappearing again.
Sound: Being a musical, the sound of the show was arguably the most important aspect.
All the performers were excellent singers hitting both high and low notes and synchronised well with the
action on the stage and the musical score from the orchestra.
The sound effects combined with the lighting signaled the appearance of the ghosts. They worked
extremely well in providing an element of surprise and mild horror.
Properties: The properties of the show were the primary visual aid of the scene. Being a neutral stage,
they played an important role in recreating the time period and spectacle of the show.
Things such as barrels and tables represented the marketplace along with a few chairs and fake food
products. One of the more important property was the bed of Scrooge which was also a storytelling
device.
Smaller objects like candles and inkpots decorated the scenes and elevated the realism of the scene.
These small details worked well in aiding the tone and visuals.
Costumes: The musical was set in the 19th century and therefore the costumes were designed
accordingly. All the supporting characters wore clothing of that time period. The character's clothes also
represented the middle class mostly except for some lower class people like the ones who took
Scrooge's belongings after his death.
The christmas ghosts' costumes were very extravagant and conveyed their personality. Most impressive
were the Present and Future ghost costumes.
Marley's costume was also very lifelike and showed his state.