A Christmas Carol - meet cast member Colin Davies
Tell us about your role in A Christmas Carol.
I play one of the Narrators and also one of the Gentlemen. The Narrator is essentially the voice of Dickens, responsible for introducing scenes and setting the context, and commenting on the action, as a kind of Greek chorus. The Gentleman I play is humorous, slightly pompous, and good natured.
What were some of the challenges you had with this show?
What is unusual about the role of the Narrator is that he does not actually interact with any of the other characters, apart from the other Narrator, who is brilliantly played by Dan Lavanga. He speaks to the audience but not to the other people on stage, which means he does not develop his relationship with others and broaden his character. The challenge is to explain what is happening, or about to happen, without detracting from the action. The role of the Gentleman is a fun part - as I said, slightly pompous, and not necessarily all that bright.
What do you hope the audience takes away from A Christmas Carol?
I grew up in England, and so I was steeped in Dickens, and I admire the way he can write very touchingly without becoming over-sentimentalized. We are living in difficult and unpredictable times, and Dickens' story seems more relevant than ever. Like many people, I have recently been saddened by the lack of sympathy expressed by some towards those in far worse conditions than ourselves, and "A Christmas Carol" expresses very effectively the message of Christian kindness and generosity towards others.
I play one of the Narrators and also one of the Gentlemen. The Narrator is essentially the voice of Dickens, responsible for introducing scenes and setting the context, and commenting on the action, as a kind of Greek chorus. The Gentleman I play is humorous, slightly pompous, and good natured.
What were some of the challenges you had with this show?What is unusual about the role of the Narrator is that he does not actually interact with any of the other characters, apart from the other Narrator, who is brilliantly played by Dan Lavanga. He speaks to the audience but not to the other people on stage, which means he does not develop his relationship with others and broaden his character. The challenge is to explain what is happening, or about to happen, without detracting from the action. The role of the Gentleman is a fun part - as I said, slightly pompous, and not necessarily all that bright.
What do you hope the audience takes away from A Christmas Carol?
I grew up in England, and so I was steeped in Dickens, and I admire the way he can write very touchingly without becoming over-sentimentalized. We are living in difficult and unpredictable times, and Dickens' story seems more relevant than ever. Like many people, I have recently been saddened by the lack of sympathy expressed by some towards those in far worse conditions than ourselves, and "A Christmas Carol" expresses very effectively the message of Christian kindness and generosity towards others.
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