NINE years ago, when Forest Forge dropped its eagerly awaited annual Christmas tour, long-time FF member Dom Phillips determined to fill the gap and created the Bumblefly company of Travelling Players. Now the circle has been reconstituted, and the two companies, along with Mischievous Theatre, came together for a tour of A Humbug Christmas Carol, which started in early December and made its way to Mere in Wiltshire on 9th January.

The moving, effective and highly entertaining version of the Dickens’ classic was written by Clive Holland, another Forest Forge and Bumblefly stalwart who has hung up his acting kit and now concentrates on writing. There’s little Clive doesn’t know about the potential of a three-person adaptation, and he uses all his skill and guile to tease a story full of tension, love, hope, songs, audience participation, puppetry, shadow-play, fear, cheer and the true spirit of Christmas out of what can become a tiredly familiar story of a skinflint and a few ghostly apparitions.

Dom joins George Attwill and Liz Garland in this Victorian style re-telling, which as always relies on multi-tasking, huge versatility and perfect coming timing … and a bit of luck with an audience willing to play along.

There are familiar carols and a great new song, sung by Liz as the re-charged Scrooge and written by David Calais. However well the packed Mere audience might have known the story, there were still heart-wrenching moments creeping in, brilliantly captured by the three performers whose various voices and gaits changed with (sometimes) lightning speed.

It’s a terrific show, and a welcome promise of what’s to come from the newly formed partnership of some of the South’s most creative and funny performers.

GP-W