Reviews

• Lydia A

  Jan 13, 2019

  It was one of the best plays I’ve ever seen. Simon Callow was outstanding. He was passionate, engaging, and totally brilliant. He captured the audiences imagination with his excellent performance whilst using very few props and sheer talent.

• Satisfied Sandra

  Jan 13, 2019

  Truly, I did not know what to expect, I thought perhaps Simon would read from the original novel and add his own character to it. The play was fantastic, he was fantastic, little twists and scenes from the novel simply came alive. (Was a tad cold in the theatre, and sometimes it peeves me, that I book ahead and pay full price, then on the day, remaining tickets are sold so much cheaper!) Notwithstanding, it was well worth every penny and I wouldn’t let this spoil the memory. Moving, funny, sincere, a sensational performance that I shall not forget, ever. Congratulations to all those involved.

• Kate m

  Jan 12, 2019

  Simon Callow is amazing he brings to life an integral part of Christmas funny touching and beautifully crafted will definitely take family and friend

• Christine

  Jan 11, 2019

  An excellent production. Simon Callow is superb. He gave a stunning performance over the 80 minutes - the time just flew by. He kept us enthralled right until the end. Congratulations to you Simon and hopefully you will come back again for the next Christmas season.

• John Dempster

  Jan 10, 2019

  Simon Callow’s one man “A Christmas Carol” was an absolute joy. For 80 minutes he kept the audience spellbound, reflecting the satire, humour and commentary of Dickens Victorian London. The minimalist set, just a screen and a few chairs, added to the sense of intimacy and worked really well. It is obvious from the performance that Simon Callow has a great affection for Dickens’ work. This performance truly was wondrous and I only wish I’d seen it before Christmas to add to the sense of joy.

• Diana Hearn

  Jan 10, 2019

  Simon Callow was utterly brilliant and brought to life every Dicken’s character in his this monologue. His alacrity on stage complemented his spellbinding performance. It was a last minute decision to go as I was passing through London and it was the highlight of my trip. To top it all off I have a beautiful photo of Simon and myself...the cherry on the perfectly prepared cake.

• Jen

  Jan 10, 2019

  Wonderful experience- Mr Callow is superb. He is able to conjure up vivid ghosts, characters and scenes. All very moving. Pity Dickens himself is not around to see him perform.

• Mike Keyworth

  Jan 10, 2019

  Simon Callow was wonderful how did he remember all those words. We would always try and attend any thing he does.

• Darren wenlock

  Jan 8, 2019

  Great to be read a classic from a mesmerising actor. To capture the audience with just one's voice alone takes stage presence at it's best.

• Anina Castle

  Jan 8, 2019

  What a delight. The wonderful Simon Callow in full flow. His ability to move from grumpy to happy, laughter to tears, old man to young - and dance around the stage like a man of much fewer years, made this one-man Show seem like a fully casted play. Truly enjoyable.

• Maria

  Jan 8, 2019

  Utterly gripping rendition of A Christmas Carol, close to how it would have been presented to audiences by Dickens himself. Simon Callow is always amazing, but his one man performance was a revelation. Children and adults alike were gripped. The approx. 80 min performance flew by. Moving forward, I look forward to seeing Simon Callow again. A genius in his craft. Regarding the theatre, it is quirky and small enough to make the whole experience all the better, with the audience very close to the stage. Definitely going to keep an eye on future offerings at this venue to.

• Laura

  Jan 7, 2019

  We love this story so much and had been looking forward to seeing this adaptation. I have to admit that I thought that I thought it rather slow for the first 15 minutes and wondered the whole story would fit in . Suddenly, Simon Callow made individual characters come alive and we were swept along in a most entertaining storytelling.

• Alison White

  Jan 6, 2019

  It was a real privilege to see such an extraordinary and accomplished performance. Simon Callows' mastery of Dickens defies description. We were totally absorbed and enjoyed every moment. How he does it, I don't know but I am so pleased that I was able to be there. A huge thank you to Simon, a master of his art.

• Dr Nick Player

  Jan 6, 2019

  An engaging retelling of this masterpiece as a comment on social injustice. Three of my children, aged 15, 13 and 12, were engaged throughout and talking about the execution and key themes on the journey home... well done Simon and thank you.

• sarah

  Jan 5, 2019

  what a joy! what an amazing performance Simon Callow commanded the stage and held us in his story telling - each of us felt it was being told directly to our self. from my mother at 84 to my daughter at 16 we all were entranced. highly recommended.

• Sue

  Jan 3, 2019

  excellent but at only 1hr 15 mins it was too short - thought scheduled time was 1hr 40 mins? Maybe matinee is shorter

• ditchling voyager

  Jan 3, 2019

  I took two granddaughters, aged 11 and 9, to see this magical one-man show. Eighty minutes of illusion, of rich Dickensian language and characterisation, of eyes-defying peopling of the stage with dozens of characters - male, female, adult and child - by a single actor as he plays the parts of Dickens (or the narrator), Scrooge, 'Young' Bob Cratchit, nephew Fred, Mrs Cratchit, Tiny Tim, the Fezziwigs and their scores of guests, philanthropic gentlemen seeking charitable contributions - oh, and ghosts, more or less scary. Simon Callow doesn't just mange this successfully, he revels in it, and the audience with him. The staging is artfully simple, concealing some pretty clever stuff, and the effect, in this so-called 'boutique theatre', is delightfully intimate. I think every member of the audience felt that Simon Callow was putting on the show for them alone. I loved it, my granddaughters loved it, everyone loved it. Dickens may have invented what we now think of as the secular magic of Christmas, but he also cared deeply about those for whom Christmas was no less hard a time than the rest of the year, and worked to do something about it. This show puts across a Christian message without religiosity, and I think Dickens himself would have been delighted with it. The Big Issue benefits from the sale of the programmes - a nice (and appropriate) touch.

• Paula Sullivan

  Jan 3, 2019

  I absolutely loved Simon's rendition of A Christmas Carol and was completely transfixed by his great story telling and acting skills, not to mention his dancing, which was very entertaining. I thought the particular use of the six chairs and stool (props) was indeed very clever, depicting the different characters and scenes. I would highly recommend that this is definitely not a production to be missed.

• Simone Silk

  Jan 3, 2019

  He is superb. You can imagine every character and I enjoyed every minute.

• Gilly

  Jan 3, 2019

  A tour de force. Highly recommended!

• Jane

  Jan 1, 2019

  Excellent one man show with Simon Callow. I wasn't sure how a one man A Christmas Carol would work but it did and was very clever. Simon Callow was brilliant and I would highly recommend anyone to go to see this.

• Jane Williams

  Dec 30, 2018

  I cannot sing the praise of the genius Simon Callow enough....amazing, awesome performance. Would watch again!

• Eileen Sheeran

  Dec 29, 2018

  Excellent show, can’t fault Simon Callow. Injoyed every minute

• Mrs Ruth Charsley

  Dec 28, 2018

  The story is well known but Simon Callow's storytelling brings it vividly and expertly to life. A treat for Christmas and beyond and at a running time of 1 hour and 20 minutes, short enough to stuff into anyone's stocking.

• Twig Hall

  Dec 28, 2018

  I was a bit dubious about the one man show but Simon Callow held the audience for 80 minutes with his brilliant charisma and brought the story to life with only a few chairs for props.

• Peter T

  Dec 27, 2018

  Simon Callow tell’s Charles Dickens Christmas Carol with talent and wit and take’s your imagination into Dicken’s Christmas Carol .

• Lindsey

  Dec 27, 2018

  Really lovely piece of storytelling.

• Carrie

  Dec 27, 2018

  For one actor to speak for well over an hour, non-stop, holding the entire audience in rapt attention throughout is, I would have thought, extremely rare in theatre history. And the simple be effective props - backdrop, candlelight and snow - made for a magical production.

• Dil

  Dec 27, 2018

  The performance was lovely. But the theatre is very run down and it was not pleasant to see rats scurrying up the stairs beside me!

• Terence yarnell

  Dec 24, 2018

  The show was enthralling from the start .Although I know the story well I have never heard it told in such a fantastic way. Mr callow was has good if not better than I have ever seen him

• Paul Abraham

  Dec 24, 2018

  My wife and I first saw Simon callow in a Christmas Carol in 2012 and have tried several times to see him again. We were really looking forward to this and it was magical. This is a must if you are a Dickens fan and love Christmas.

• Amanda T

  Dec 24, 2018

  We arrived at the theatre to be greeted by very friendly helpful staff.The theatre is small and has a lovely atmosphere.We didn't use the bar so can't comment on that. Simon Callows performance was absolutely fantastic,being a one man show my daughter and I didn't know what to expect.If you get the chance to see Simon Callow you won't be disappointed.He got a standing ovation and people couldn't stop talking about how good he was as they where leaving.T

• Brett Gillingham

  Dec 22, 2018

  The show is to be highly recommended. Simon Callow is all things Dickens and essentially this is he, relating the story A Christmas Carol as if he were reading it to you and with the use of minimal staging and lighting. It is a tribute to him that you are lost in this familiar story as it rolls along in 80 minutes with no interval. If you think you’re going to a full on theatrical show, you’re not. It’s basicly an intimate reading of the story which is skilfully done and fits so well with the theme.

• Ramona Thornhill

  Dec 22, 2018

  I was taken back to Dickensian Britain from the very beginning of this performance, the setting was just as I had imagined it accompanied by strains of an old fashioned Christmas Carol. I sat with anticipation wondering how this classic was going to pan out, having not read any previews prior to my attending this play. It was very cleverly played and at times I expected a whole crowd of people to arrive and take their places on the strategically laid out chairs...was slightly disappointed as Simon Callow continued to narrate and act the parts of various characters. The sound effects were fabulous as were the modern interjections. On the whole a well told story but I felt could’ve benefited with more actors just to make it not look like it was conducted on a shoestring budget!

• HelenA

  Dec 21, 2018

  Simon Callow gives a one-man performance of captivating brilliance.

• Jane

  Dec 21, 2018

  Loved every minute of this play! From his first sentence Simon Callow transports you back to Victorian London. It is ‘fireside’ story telling at its best and takes an actor of Callow’s immense abilities to captivate entirely. Go and see it!

• R Street Esq

  Dec 20, 2018

  What a charming evening. A lovely start to the festive season..Simon Callow IS the man for this season. Like being read to by you favorite and we’ll loved uncle! I took me instantly back to primary school where once a week we listened to the Friday story on the wireless.. Would I recommend this ...you bet ya! Thank you Mr Callow xx

• Michael Smith

  Dec 19, 2018

  What a masterful performance! Simon Callow excelled and had the audience captivated throughout. Thoroughly recommended as the perfect theatre visit for the Christmas season!

• Kahryn H.

  Dec 17, 2018

  With few props and the most minimal of sets, Simon Callow brought the essence of A Christmas Carol to achingly beautiful life. His performance evoked to their fullest the contours of dread, joy and pathos of the original text, also pared down but losing nothing in his retelling. I wept three times. If you can, go and be bowled over. Magnificent.

• Susannah

  Dec 16, 2018

  What a great show. Simon Callow was amazing!

• Denise Mullan

  Dec 16, 2018

  Totally in awe of the talent of this fine actor. He had great stage presence and was in my opinion, unique. Highly recommended, esp leading up to Xmas.

• Kay

  Dec 14, 2018

  A new way of hearing a well loved and familiar story . Simon Callow was captivating and brought each character to life .

• Rose Petal

  Dec 14, 2018

  Simon Callow was excellent, but paying £36 to sit on a narrow bench at the back of the circle was incredibly uncomfortable and spoilt what should have been a nice experience. It is also a one man show, which is not pointed out when booking,, so I was a little disappointed. Simon Callow did a great job though.

• J Burnage

  Dec 12, 2018

  Fantastic evening , Simon Callow performed brilliantly . My only problem was a VERY tall gentleman blocked my view for a lot of the performance ... great shame

• Sam J.

  Dec 10, 2018

  Fantastic. Simon Callow was superb in this one man show. His changes of voice, and acting out scenes was brilliant - I particularly enjoyed the dance at Fezziwig's! It had a wonderful intimate atmosphere. At times, I forgot about the rest of the audience - it was as if Mr Callow were sitting in my living room acting just for me. I can't think of a better start to the festive season.

• Caroline Fletcher

  Dec 9, 2018

  Amazing. Simon Callow holds your attention the whole time