Matthew Cottle as Ebenezer Scrooge and Neil Morrissey as the ghost of Jacob Marley [Mark Douet]

MARK Gatiss’s acclaimed adaptation of A Christmas Carol returns for another season at Alexandra Palace. The cavernous Victorian theatre provides an evocative backdrop for Dickens’s ghostly tale of greed and redemption.

Adam Penford’s slick, pacy production opens in the office of Ebenezer Scrooge (Matthew Cottle), dominated by designer Paul Wills’s towering filing cabinets.

After grudgingly dismissing his clerk Bob Cratchit (Henry Davis) on Christmas Eve, Scrooge heads home for his customary bowl of gruel. The tone is sombre, the colours muted, with destitution all around. Any sense of seasonal cheer is subdued.

But Scrooge’s life changes forever when the ghost of his late partner Jacob Marley (Neil Morrissey) appears, weighed down by chains to deliver a stark warning. Three further apparitions swiftly follow.

The Ghost of Christmas Past (Grace Daly) springs from Scrooge’s bed and reminds him of the young fiancée (Kalifa Taylor) he lost because of his love for money. The Ghost of Christmas Present (Mark Theodore) takes him to Cratchit’s home. Despite their poverty, the family are warm and caring, and Scrooge is moved by the frailty of their ailing son, Tiny Tim (Elios K Douglas).

Scrooge’s final visitor is the Ghost of Christmas Future, a terrifying hooded presence who leads him to the desolate grave that awaits him should he not mend his ways.

Cottle is terrific, and his portrayal of a miserly old man rediscovering his conscience in the nick of time proves surprisingly poignant.

Gatiss’s version gets to the heart of Dickens’ story by drawing out the supernatural elements to stunning effect, with Nina Dunn’s video, Philip Gladwell’s lighting and Ella Wahlstrom’s sound enhancing Wills’s design.

The versatile cast impress, closing with a festive atmosphere that contrasts with the play’s darker moments.

Warmly recommended.

Until January 4
christmascarolonstage.co.uk/