A Christmas Carol As Told by Jacob Marley (Deceased)
15 December 2025
Upstairs At The Gatehouse
5.0 out of 5.0 stars
A Christmas Carol, as told by Jacob Marley (deceased) is a Brother Wolf production starring James Hyland as the ghost of Jacob Marley. The production is running at Upstairs At The Gatehouse on the 15th and 22nd December this year.
This version of A Christmas Carol is a very moody production that takes a look at the story from the perspective of Marley, who has been wandering the world in his heavy shackles and chains for almost two centuries. The weary, worn apparition gets a short reprieve from his torment to tell us of his greatest success, the story of Ebenezer Scrooge.
The costume and make-up design for this show is superb, Hyland is suitably covered in grey paint, torn and soiled clothes held in shades of grey as well, with a loudly jangling chain wrapped around him, evoking the image of a long deceased Marley journeying through the world of the living to atone for his sins in life. The visuals are amazing for this small-scale production and really set the scene for the well loved story. With agonised moans and cries, Marley is a tortured soul desperate to atone for his sins, gorgeously portrayed in this stunning retelling.
With only an hour and 15 minutes this is an abridged version of the tale, hitting the well know main plot points while boiling the story down to its essence.
As far as the story telling goes, this one is an absolute masterclass in one-man shows! The dynamic way in which Hyland embodies all the different characters with distinct voices, postures, facial expressions, is outstanding, energetically jumping from scene to scene and involving the audience at times. It is immediately apparent which character is speaking, through body language and voice, making it a delight to follow the myriad of important players, all embodied in this ghostly figure whirling across the stage.
What a joy this show is, a brilliant Christmas tradition that entertains and delights year after year.
