THURSDAY, DECEMBER 18, 2025

A Christmas Carol
(Blue Eagle Productions)   Stephen Bradley in 'A Christmas Carol'.
Photo: Blue Eagle Productions

As very cold and very wintry conditions dawn upon us all over the land, heavy degrees of warm-hearted theatricality are much needed, and another one of those awaits us in Derry-Londonderry's St Augustine's Church in the form of a strong one-man, one hour retelling of Charles Dickens' A Christmas Carol. Read and performed by actor Stephen Bradley with calmly commanding gusto, the Blue Eagle production finds uniqueness in the crisp and intimate nature of the surroundings and the structure, breathing new and memorable life into a most familiar story.

This church setting permits not only the use of candles that were commonplace in Victorian times, but also a small set of steps which seem to represent the fears of rising and falling that face Ebenezer Scrooge on his meetings with the Ghosts Of Christmas Past, Present and Future. Coating the proceedings with a fine Dickensian narration that suitably tones down the fun and whimsy in Gonzo and Rizzo from The Muppet Christmas Carol for a more respectful tone, Bradley’s intonation is most impressive, fluctuating understatedly and effortlessly between the many characters while finding moments of eloquent subtlety and novel power.

Stephen Bradley in 'A Christmas Carol'.
Photo: Blue Eagle Productions

While one enjoys watching Bradley tinge Jacob Marley with snide mockery, fill Fred with delight and boisterously jollify the Ghost Of Christmas Present, among other moments, it's his portrayal of the central figure which is undoubtedly most remarkable. In between the upper-class rigidity of a tone that hints at a very frustrated Gilbert & Sullivan auditionee, Bradley finds expressions of helplessness and hopelessness, both of which gradually rise to the surface as the apparently entrenched smarm delicately falls away to be replaced, eventually, by utter pleasure. And Ebenezer's most melodramatic pronouncements are, in an intriguing and wise decision, reserved for his iconic final epiphany – the loss of Belle and the poverty of the Cratchit family are as impactful as they ever have been, but in a quieter manner, the sort that gradually creeps up on an entrapped soul who has had their senses dulled into mistrust and bitterness by a prolonged period of loneliness all year round, not just at Christmas. Perhaps it's how Bradley gets this message across that makes this Christmas Carol such an enjoyable experience - when his Ebenezer smiles in a state of frenzied excitement, you're tempted to as well, knowing that this temporary but crucial moment of redemption is as significant for both the character and the audience as it will probably always be.

Simon Fallaha

A Christmas Carol runs at St Augustine's Church, Derry-Londonderry, until Friday December 19. For more information, and tickets, click here.