‘Twas the night before Christmas. . . But not as you know it, in Andrea Gibbs' hilarious and poignant, Australiana Christmas tale, 'Carol'.
From the opening scenes where we see Mark Storen as Santa Claus, suspended awkwardly from the sky in search of a suitable chimney to descend down into, it’s immediately apparent that this is a Christmas tale with an Australiana twist. Storen, who serves as a sort of Greek Chorus throughout the play, sings a medley of Christmas carols decked out with Aussie slang and references to Aussie Christmas traditions, immediately painting the scene for what we can expect from this Christmas story – comedy, fun, heart and some hilarious tunes.
Santa introduces us to our protagonist, Carol, played by Sally-Anne Upton, who perfectly embodies the essence of an Aussie battler, or as Santa refers to her, as someone on the nice list. Carol’s birthday also happens to fall on Christmas and according to her man-child of a son, it’s her favourite day of the year. She apparently enjoys nothing more than decorating the house with inflatable reindeers and an elaborate tree, preparing the roast meats, setting the table up and buying presents for her grandchildren. But fast-forward a year and Christmas is looking a little different for Carol. Her husband has recently died, her home is about to be repossessed and any form of Christmas cheer is hanging on by a very slight thread of tinsel.
As resilient as always, Carol bottles up her emotions, refuses to share her troubles in her therapy group and avoids saying anything to her son, who is constantly pestering her to organise Christmas – but never once checks in.
Soren’s Santa serves as a form of guardian angel to Carol, as he watches over her dilemmas and tries to perform Christmas miracles for her from a safe distance, without being caught, but even he wonders how many times a true Aussie battler can keep rising back from the ashes.
Sally-Ann Upton delivers a powerful performance as Carol. Her selflessness, resilience and compassion remind us all of a friend or family member, who is constantly keeping everything together – sometimes at their own detriment. There’s a very powerful and uncomfortable scene set in a carpark, where we are finally able to see Carol express her grief that will stay in the audience long after the curtain closes.
Image © Daniel J Grant
Storen is hilarious as an Aussie Santa Claus and really came into the performance during the second half – perhaps being suspended from the sky has its limitations. He perfectly balances the Aussie blokeyness with a touch of cabaret flair – a particular highlight was his delivery on a song about Carol’s son gallantly remembering to bring the ice or ‘frozen water’ as he refers to it, to Christmas lunch – which scored a huge applause from the audience.
Ruby Henaway also garners huge laughs from the audience as a member of Carol’s therapy group, and then shocks audiences for her portrayal as an aggressive intruder. Meanwhile Bruce Denny and Isaac Diamond also give brilliant performances as the many characters and personas they embody throughout the show.
Bruce McKinven’s set design is a beautiful combination of Christmas flair and Australiana nostalgia. With Christmas productions usually set in the Northern Hemisphere, it's wonderful to see a Christmas-themed production with West Australian iconography, from our city skyline, to Aussie Christmas traditions tied in with beautiful and elaborate Christmas motifs.
Andrea Gibbs’ script perfectly balances heart and humour while capturing the Christmas spirit. Her many West Australian references from local traditions to neighbourhoods elicit surprise and laughter from the audience – probably a reminder of how few Australian and specifically West Australian Christmas stories there really are.
From the outset, 'Carol' might look like a light-hearted Christmas pantomime, but like any good Christmas trifle, 'Carol' has many layers. While shows centered around the festive season are usually light-hearted, 'Carol'’s themes will hit a little closer to home – and might be a bit confronting for those that have their own complicated relationship with the Christmas season.
Regardless, it’s a moving, heartwarming and universal story, told with a uniquely West Australian point of view. And like any good Christmas story, 'Carol' will convince even the biggest grinch to walk away with a sense of hope, a touch of joy and a sprinkle of Christmas cheer.
★★★★☆
