We’re pitting Soulpepper Scrooge against Ross Petty’s Scrooge in a battle of Toronto’s two premiere Christmas Carol productions. Who’s got the biggest, baddest ‘Bah! Humbug’ in town? Find out.
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More than 10 years now. |
For how many years have you played Scrooge? |
I’ve been playing |
| I give myself time. I get to the theatre early, and I get dressed early too. I stay quiet and try to give myself to the play. I try to let the play inhabit me, if that makes any sense. | How do you step into character? | I’m wearing mutton chops. They do 85 per cent of the work. The accent is another 10 per cent. |
| The movie with Alastair Sim. Unforgettable. Beautiful. Funny, sad, terribly moving.… | Most iconic Christmas Carol adaptation in pop culture? | As of the Nov. 30 opening of our show, ours will be. But until then, I’d say the 1951 film starring Alastair Sim is still the go-to. |
| I think it means two things: “Bah!” means “Stop talking rubbish,” and I think “humbug” means something like “I’ve never heard anything so stupid.” |
What does “Bah! Humbug!” even mean, anyway? | I think it’s Victorian grump for: “Oh please. Nonsense!” It’s extremely satisfying to say, even more so to yell. |
| It’s a wonderful story, told by a master storyteller: Charles Dickens. It’s funny, sad, topical and important and reminds us of a lot of things we need to be reminded about. | Why should people come see your show? | It has all the great things from the Dickens classic –– ghosts, redemption, a big bed –– plus singing, dancing and at least one man in drag. |
| A Christmas Carol runs Dec. 7 to 24, at the Young Centre, Soulpepper.ca | Ross Petty’s A Christmas Carol, Nov. 24 to Dec. 31, Elgin Theatre, rosspetty.com |
