I saw Mark Gatiss' Christmas Carol Ghost Story at Birmingham Rep and it's not what you'd expect

I’ve been creeped out by many of Mark Gatiss’ BBC Christmas ghost stories and The League of Gentlemen in the past so I was prepared to be hiding behind my hands for his reworking of this Charles Dickens classic. A Christmas Carol A Ghost Story is the big Christmas show for Birmingham Rep theatre in 2024 - but it wasn’t what I expected.

Matthew Cottle of Game On fame plays Ebenezer Scrooge while Rufus Hound is his even more miserly pal Jacob Marley. There’s a twist from the get-go as the play opens seven years earlier than in the book when Marley is still alive.

It’s typical inventiveness from actor-writer Gatiss, who famously brought new life to another Victorian classic with BBC series Sherlock. We find the miserable pair working away on Christmas Eve and grumbling like Statler and Waldorf in The Muppets when Marley meets his demise.

Quickly moving on seven years, we are back to familiar territory as a kindly old gent, played by Geoffrey Beevers, narrates from his cosy chair in the corner. He’s tucked away on a lavish set dripping in Victoriana and a backdrop that displays gothic scenes of London and St Paul’s Cathedral along with other atmospheric images.

Cabinets are piled high around Scrooge as he scribbles away with a feather quill on a towering desk. Gatiss has made him meaner than most I’ve seen, not just miserly and bad spirited but the type of person who considers stealing charity coffers from a blind man.

The ghost bit starts early on with eerie projections and door knockers transforming into Marley’s face. What took me by surprise was how unscary it is. There are ghosts and ghouls that are often puppets, but it’s far more sentimental than it is frightening - but that makes it a joy to watch.

Hound reappears as the ghost of Marley weighed down with huge chains to screeches, sudden bright lights and flying white spectres held on sticks. It looks stunning visually, but doesn’t give you chills.

Of the ghosts of Christmases past, present and future, the first is probably the most eerie. Grace Hogg-Robinson playing a pale girl in a short Victorian white dress floating around the precipice of his four poster bed and bossing him around.

Mark Theodore is a jolly ghost of Christmas present sprinkling happy powder to the unsuspecting around him. It’s a lovely touch in what you quickly realise is a very traditional version of A Christmas Carol in terms of look, feel and sentiment.

Of anything, Gatiss has streamlined the story to keep the key plot and juiciest bits. It’s around two hours in all and straight to the point, making it ideal for all the family especially children, who trust me won’t get bored or scared.

We whizz through Scrooge’s childhood and apprenticeship years and there’s a fascinating take on how Scrooge was influenced by a young Marley into his miserly ways. Ryan Weston, who doubles up as young Marley and Tiny Tim, is the creepy pal who’s a bad influence.

There’s romance and laughter along the way but the most heartfelt scenes are among the Cratchett family. There’s less emphasis on Tiny Tim individually and more on the family as a whole, eating and laughing together. That’s what brings a lump to the throat.

It gets even more festive as it progresses with a beautiful carol singing scene that is the essence of the season and a finale that is like something from a Christmas card.

Cottle is well cast as Scrooge, able to come across as nasty enough to detest at the start but also child-like and likeable enough to forgive by the end. Hound has a smaller role than I’d expected but as a big name, he’ll draw in crowds.

Rebecca Trehearn and Oscar Batterham end up being the focal point as the Cratchett parents, beautifully battling their emotions among poverty and sickness but there are a handful of child actors who are utterly enchanting and scene-stealers.

Maybe the Ghost Story title is more about marketing but it’s a bit of a red herring. Yes, of course there are plenty of ghosts in a Christmas Carol but don’t let that put you off if you are worried it is a scary interpretation.

This Gatiss version is one of the most sentimental, heart-warming versions of the Charles Dickens’ classic I’ve seen that is the essence of Christmas and will leave you feeling fabulously festive. And watch out for a bit of a twist at the very end.

Christmas Carol A Ghost Story continues at Birmingham Rep until January 5, 2025. Tickets cost from £19.50.