A Christmas Carol is a TV production by Cornley Polytechnic Drama Society and also featuring Dame Diana Rigg and Sir Derek Jacobi. It was first aired on BBC 1 on 30th December 2017.
Description[]
Blacklisted by the BBC after ruining Peter Pan, the Cornley Polytechnic Drama Society do not take their ban lying down and force themselves back on the BBC by hijacking the jewel of the Christmas schedule, a live production of A Christmas Carol, staged by a professional cast.
As the Cornley gang try to make the show work on television, they soon realise they are completely out of their depth, with no idea how to direct a live studio or handle the special effects. Worse still, their internal rivalries are revealed on television, while an angry professional cast tries to get back into the studio. - Description by BBC 1
Differences between TV and stage show
Unlike the BBC version, the story is not about the Cornley Polytechnic Drama Society trying to break into the BBC Broadcast, but rather a stage production being put on in Cornley. Unlike other Stage versions of Goes Wrong Shows, which are set and take place entirely on the night of the performance, the Stage version of A Christmas Carol covers the Auditions, Rehearsals, as well as Set Design and the After Show.
An additional sequence of Scrooge's Past is added, featuring his school days with his Teacher, played by Dennis, as well as Fezziwig, played by Jonathan. However, unlike most tellings of "A Christmas Carol", Belle dumps Scrooge before the Fezziwig scene, and in this version, Scrooge betrays Fezziwig by taking the controlling shares of Fezziwig's business.
The subplot of Max & Sandra's Relationship is cut, and instead their stories focus around Max trying to earn a certificate from Robert's acting class by playing almost every other role (the show has thirty roles and the society has less than a dozen members), and Sandra wanting to get a mention in the review. Additionally, Chris' story is changed from considering leaving the Society to the Society deciding whether to kick him due to his bullying behavior (as he had been with another drama group).
The Ghosts of Christmas Present and Yet To Come are recast, with Robert as Present and Trevor as Yet to Come.
Lucy is cut from the Stage version, with the role of Tiny Tim instead played by a creepy ventriloquist dummy, with horrifying results when the puppet is shoved into the set design model.
Instead of a Car crashing into the set at the climax, that instead happens during rehearsals, with Trevor crashing his van into the theatre wall and the society unable to remove it, as it has now become structurally integral to the building.
Instead of the climax being holding up a store, Dennis accidentally reads the minutes of a secret meeting the society had, and Chris learning about the others talking about kicking him, leading him to crash out. The society reconcile after Chris, having "fallen" into the Canal, returns with a Cake from the Corner Shop to apologize for his behavior and vowing to be better, as well as the Society apologizing for having held meetings to kick him out behind is back.
Cast[]
Cornley Polytechnic Drama Society:
- Chris Bean / Scrooge - Henry Shields
- Robert Grove / Bugsworth / Scrooge / Tiny Tim / Yet to Come / Pallbearer - Henry Lewis
- Sandra Wilkinson / Pallbearer/ Collector / Frances / Belle / Mrs. Cratchit / Olivia - Charlie Russell
- Max Bennett / Young Scrooge / Christmas Present / Collector / Undertaker - Dave Hearn
- Annie Twilloil / Pallbearer/ Frances / Christmas Past / Businessman - Nancy Zamit
- Dennis Tyde / Bob Cratchit / Priest / Pallbearer - Jonathan Sayer
- Jonathan Harris / Marley / Topper / Businessman - Greg Tannahill
- Trevor Watson - Chris Leask
- Lucy Grove / Tiny Tim - Ellie Morris
Other:
- Scrooge/Himself - Derek Jacobi
- Aunt Diana/Narrator - Diana Rigg
- BBC Receptionist - Bryony Corrigan
- Attendant - Matt Cavendish
- Orphan Child - Harriet Mae Webb
- Herself - Naga Munchetty
Trivia[]
- Unlike the sets CDS built themselves, this one (presumably built by the BBC for their own production) seems quite robust. At least, until Trevor drops things on the scale model.
- As in "The Pilot", a relative of one of the cast, who is to make a guest appearance, is running late, arriving just in time to deliver her very last line (and something far more important..........)
- As in Peter Pan, Lucy is injured by her uncle - the extent of her injury is unclear as her character was using a crutch even before the accident, but it was enough to force Robert to stand in for her.
- The running battle between Chris, Robert and Derek Jakoby over who should play the lead is reminiscent of the Annie/Sandra battle in "Haversham Manor". This time it escalates to involve the whole of the rival BBC and CDS casts.
- Apart from instances of deliberate sabotage (usually by Robert), and the effects the revelations about Chris and Sandra's private lives have on the cast, very little actually goes wrong. The main ones are the glue incident ("Annie get (stuck to) Your Gun"), the green screen failures, the not-quick-enough scene change between the Cratchitt's and Frances Hollywell's houses, and Dennis getting his lines wrong even though they are written down on various props.
- Early on, Chris (Scrooge) has difficulty getting through a door that Jonathan then opens easily. This is in contrast to the "Goes Wrong Show", where it is always Jonathan who has difficulties with doors everyone else can open.
- Sandra is not onstage during any of the Green Screen failures, (we see her offstage going over her lines during the second one) so remains oblivious to the reason for the changed in attitude to her displayed by rest of the cast, and Max in particular.
- Even from the back, Chris's paramour is not easily mistaken for Sandra, being noticeably taller (almost as tall as Chris) so that the hemline of "the dress" is much shorter on her.
- Chris and the mystery woman appear to be planning a future together, as he tells her "We'll never have to work with this bunch......."
- CDS costumes are usually the one thing that can be relied upon (except in "The Most Lamentable".....), but three of the four ghost costumes are terribly unwieldy - Jacob Marley's chains are so heavy they cause a floor to collapse, Annie's movement is severely restricted in her "Christmas Past" costume, and Robert's "Christmas Yet to Come" costume is so tall he keeps walking into things - not helped by it being impossible to see out of.
- This is CDS' first production where the company leave the building during the show, (unless you count the on-location film inserts of Captain Hook on the boating lake). The interface between fiction and reality proves difficult when the reformed Scrooge tries to buy a turkey ("if you've got no money you'll have to leave") and deliver it to the Cratchitt's house ("Not without a Pass").
- The BBC Receptionist is played by Bryony "Join me in Fiction" Corrigan (who will be "Vanessa" in future productions).
Gallery[]
