A Christmas Carol at the Aotea Centre

By BERNADETTE RAE

Russell Kerr's interpretation of Dickens' most famous Christmas tale is a bit slow off the blocks. It is all murky grey streetscape, dim lighting and heavy, brown Victorian costuming. Kerr has tried to brighten the grim reality of Victorian London with the introduction of the pantomime clown Grimaldi, who certainly provides a splash of riotous colour.

A little less scene-setting and more of a focus on Scrooge's state of mind could have sharpened the opening scene. But by Scene 2 the story is well on its way, in classic Kerr style. And Kristian Fredrikson's gorgeous costumes start to stand out as the work's true stars.

The Ghost of Marley, and his chained attendants, all tattered cobwebs and ashen faces, deliver just the right sense of foreboding as they deliver their warning of the consequences if Scrooge will not mend his miserly ways.

The Ghost of Christmas Past, danced on opening night by the gorgeous Satsuki Sejima, is a strangely fey creature, with arresting lights and mistletoe in her hair. Christmas Present is almost Santa Claus, although green, not red.

And the Ghost of Christmas Future is a towering figure of huge and hooded dimensions, a close cousin in appearance and message to the Grim Reaper.

Then there are the exquisite flashbacks to Scrooge's childhood and the storybook characters that were his only friends; the cameo of warm and humorous life in the Cratchitt family, as they cope with the plight of Tiny Tim and a huge rubber turkey and the light and laughter of Fred's Christmas party.

The colours and movement of what must be almost a hundred different costumes are stunning and an astonishing blend of the absolutely authentic with flashes of pure, Fredrikson fantasy.

The sweetest moment of dance comes in the Lost Love duet, when the young Scrooge (Geordan Wilcox) looks steadfastly past his beautiful Belle (Jane Turner) into the eyes of gain and greed.

Guest artist Kim Broad does a splendid job of Scrooge's final transformation, Philip Norman's original score is gently evocative and the final scene, with feathery snow, is as pretty as any virtual Victorian Christmas Card.