Review: Scrooge, Edinburgh Playhouse

Scrooge, ****Edinburgh Playhouse

Landing at the Playhouse only a week into November, you could be forgiven for lamenting Leslie Bricusse's musical adaptation of Dickens' classic novel A Christmas Carol as yet another premature reminder that the season of heavy spending approaches.

But, as we're constantly reminded that our collective belt-tightening is down to the greed of a small minority, it might just as easily be argued that the underlying message of the Dickens' 1843 classic is here not a moment too soon.

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After a successful stint back in 2004, veteran actor and stage legend Tommy Steele resurrects his role as Ebenezer Scrooge, a sour, tight-fisted old codger with a vile hatred of Christmas and the spirit of giving.

After grudgingly granting his humble assistant Cratchit a day off to enjoy Christmas with his family, a chilling encounter with the spirit of his deceased business partner, Jacob Marley, warns him that he is to be visited by three ghosts - Past, Present and Yet to Come - who will make him face up to the error of his ways.

Steele commands the stage in a manner you'd expect from a lifelong all-round entertainer, bringing real personality and class to the role of Scrooge at the ripe old age of seventy-three.

The ensemble cast as a whole deliver solid, lively performances; most notably Louis Maskell as the charming and forgiving nephew Harry, and James Head as the larger-than-life Ghost of Christmas Yet to Come. There's also a heart-warming solo number by Cameron Lawrence's young Tiny Tim as Scrooge witnesses the suffering he's unwittingly inflicted on Cratchit's family.

Dazzling dance routines overseen by Lisa Kent, and striking musical accompaniment under the direction of Stuart Pedlar, keep the onstage action fresh and engaging, while Paul Farnsworth's stage design can be credited for the atmospheric Victorian Streets and interiors.

The only obvious criticism is in Steele's tendency to occasionally slip into an unthreatening and docile characterisation of Scrooge, making it hard to empathise with his reformatory journey from penny-pinching miser to repentant Santa.

If we must endure a festive season beginning in November, then this is definitely one of the few perks.

Run ends Saturday