A Christmas Carol with music and lyrics by the inimitable Dolly Parton, and adapted from the original by David H. Bell, Paul T. Couch, and Curt Wollan – three men who wrote and produced musicals for Ms P’s Dollywood, the theme park she owns in Tennessee, means the magic of Dickens and Dolly must follow, writes Michael Holland.
As the lights went down in the Queen Elizabeth Hall we heard the great lady’s voice asking us not to use our cameras. Alas, that was the last of Dolly’s participation in this production but it got our senses alive and buzzing.
Smoky Mountain Christmas Carol is set in 1930s Tennessee where Marley owns the mines, the shops and the houses, so has control over every cent the locals earn and spend. When Scrooge – who has been mentored by Marley to focus purely on filling his own pockets – takes over the business he is as hard and mean has his late partner. He moans about Bob Cratchit using three pieces of coal to warm the office in the middle of winter: ‘I wanna sell it, not burn it,’ he growls. Scrooge is so mean he threatens anyone he talks to with the sack, knowing he has their lives in his money-grabbing hands.
As the Ghost of Christmas Past appears and takes him back to look at his life we see that Scrooge was once a likeable, personable young man who became embittered by a father he could never seem to please.
He tried to change that by being ‘good at numbers’, a skill that Marley noticed and lured him away from his friends and community with promises of wealth and money while he cooked the books for Marley’s businesses.
At the time his friends were selling Moonshine in Marley’s shop under the guise of maple syrup, when liquor was prohibited in the county. It was a nice little earner for the boys and the shop’s accounts always looked healthy. But once he had been tempted into the clutches of Marley, the first thing Ebenezer did was have them arrested for fraud and selling alcohol, thereby losing the respect of those who knew and loved him. He swaps happiness for riches. His girlfriend does not like the change in her beau and she too leaves; Scrooge slowly becomes friendless and alone.
Further looks at his life are not promising but Scrooge has become used to the ghosts and says he is too old to change and that they should leave him alone.
No chance. They make him watch his own funeral where they have a humdinger of a hoedown to celebrate his passing. While he is still warm and turning in his grave they auction off his belongings, which is all too much for the old miser. It is when he sees his nephew saying nice things about him and watching the Cratchits toasting him at their dinner table that he realises there is love in the world and that he can be a part of that.
Some liberties have been taken with Dickens’ script, and Tiny Tim is given more importance in this hillbilly version, but this is an excellent adaptation. Because the writers have been writing for Dollywood for years you can hear Dolly Parton’s voice in every line. And then there are the songs that she has written which are pure Dolly.
The whole ensemble make this a joy, though con’t expect to be frightened as the ghosts are far too nice. Come for Dolly and bluegrass music played on fiddles, banjos, spoons and washboards.
Queen Elizabeth Hall, Southbank Centre, Belvedere Road, SE1 8XX until January 8th. Times: 2.30pm, 3pm, 7.30pm. Admission: £18.50 – £120
Booking: www.southbankcentre.co.uk
