The Amazing Mr Scrooge
December 2012
At the end of the year of the bicentenary of Charles Dickens there wasn’t a more fitting time to stage “The Amazing Mr Scrooge,” a musical written by Peter and Arnold Ashbrook, (the latter being Kingsley Players’ very own Andrew Lloyd Webber!) Told entirely in song and dance it tells the traditional tale of “A Christmas Carol,” with Scrooge, ghosts, Tiny Tim, dancing spirits and chorus, it felt like a cast of thousands, where would I find such a cast? The auditions soon put my mind at rest, such an array of talent and enthusiasm.
The first time I heard the demo disc of “The Amazing Mr Scrooge” I knew that it was the right show for me to make my debut as a director for Kingsley Players. So many new challenges within the show and so many “firsts.”
Kingsley Players have never staged a full musical show that required solo singing, a musical trio, a vocal coach and choreographer. The staging required the creation of a Victorian Street, complete with cobblestones and snow! The secret door was a real challenge, to say nothing about a full size coffin being carried onto the stage from the back of the hall, complete with singing bearers. We had a dance troupe and a thirty plus cast of soloists and adult and junior chorus. Everyone rose to the challenges they were given, both the production staff and cast worked so hard to put on such a successful show.
It was a fantastic experience for me to work with such a talented group of people, I would love to name names but the list would be so long. Kingsley Players certainly helped me to push boundaries with the whole production and will only develop in the future.
Mary Lightfoot – Director
