Don’t miss this hilariously R-rated show, which runs until December 21
Photo courtesy of Mark Dusseault.
With the arrival of the holidays, it is time for A Christmas Carol adaptations. Daisy Theatre, an improvised puppet theatre company, has a fantastically funny one in Little Dickens, currently showing at the Belfry Theatre in Fernwood. As puppeteer Ronnie Burkett put it on opening night, once you’ve got a Christmas show, you’re playing it every year.
Little Dickens takes Daisy Theatre’s puppets and casts them in an improvised version of the classic Dickens novella, A Christmas Carol, all played by Burkett. Esmé Massengill, a has-been (not according to her, of course), abusive vaudeville-era showgirl, takes the star role as this story’s version of Scrooge. This adaptation plants the story in the world of the theatre and entertainment industry, bringing with it all the stereotypes that entails.
The show’s set places the puppets in a smaller theater, constructed upon the Belfry stage. The puppets are wooden marionettes, and the set is designed so the audience can see Burkett behind them, manipulating the puppets. From the balcony, the audience can also see marionettes behind the set, waiting for their cue. Surprisingly, seeing “backstage” is not distracting at all. The action remains on stage, and although it’s small physically, the personalities of the puppets are big enough to be seen clearly from the balcony. It is also striking to watch Burkett at work behind the scenes.
Burkett was clearly having a great deal of fun with the show, and this charisma comes through in the various puppets. Their personalities are large, with the puppets embodying well-known stereotypes. It is very entertaining to see a faded diva invited to eat tofurky with her hippie-nephew (who definitely knows how to play Wonderwall on his guitar).
It is a very tongue-in-cheek, raunchy show. There is a reason it is rated R — mostly because of the prevalence of risqué jokes, though there is also one striptease at the beginning to immediately set the tone. As someone in Canadian theatre, I noticed many metatextual jokes about both the Canadian theatre industry and the entertainment industry as a whole. Scrooge as a faded diva works particularly well, and Burkett is able to draw a lot from that premise.
The show features sing-along carols, and audience members are called on throughout the show to participate — heads-up to anyone sitting in the front rows. This gives Burkett something new to riff on, by poking fun at audience members. Weaving jokes about these volunteers into the show as a whole personalizes each performance for its audience.
But, of course, there has to be a little sincerity in A Christmas Carol. The Scrooge analogue needs to recognize the error of their ways and change for the better. This is where Tiny Tim comes in. Burkett chooses an appropriately pathetic puppet, Schnitzel, to play the role in a genuinely heartwarming scene where puppet and puppet master thank the audience members who volunteered to get up on stage. It ties everything together and brings the evening to a satisfying close.
Little Dickens is full of hijinks and heart. It is a great adaptation of a familiar story, and stands proudly on its own wooden feet. It is definitely a must see this holiday season. If you have an evening open on the last weekend before Christmas, check this one out, you won’t be disappointed.
Little Dickens is playing at the Belfry Theatre until Dec. 21. Tickets can be purchased at the Belfry’s website.
