SCROOGE MACBETH. A two-act Shakespearian Christmas comedy authored by David MacGregor. Directed by Judith Herbig. By Milnerton Players. At Milnerton Playhouse in Cape Town. Weekends only until 7 December, 2024. SHEILA CHISHOLM thoroughly appreciated David MacGregor’s puns and witticisms.
Stop … for a moment, think about the compositions, operas, musicals, erotic and non-erotic songs regularly fed to the public over radio, and we realize just how much of Shakespeare’s language and characters we know.
Then, shoot over to Milnerton Playhouse to savour Kathryn Griffiths as Sylvia. Chris Doran as Bob. Hannah Molyneux as Renee and Richard Wade as Victor. Bob and Sylvia are married. So too are Renee and Victor. Completing the quintet is Beryl Eichenberger as the unhelpful (grumpy) Stage Manager.
Scrooge Macbeth begins as the four, 10 minutes before ‘curtain up,’ are preparing to perform Shakespeare’s A Winter’s Tale, when they learn the remaining cast (15) have all been struck by gastro and are too ill to appear.
The show must go on
While the stage manager continues her ‘countdown’ the four are in a tizzy. What can they do? It’s against all tradition ‘not to go on.’ The audience is seated. But worst of all not to open means returning their money. Money desperately required to repair a bathroom leak and save their Hartland Community Theatre from bankruptcy.
Not in the least concerned about the ongoing drama, the Stage Manager continues her’ countdown’, until the curtain goes up on the four’s impromptu improvised plan.
Now the fun really begins as mixing Shakespeare characters with rewritten Christmas Carols gives the cast extraordinary ways to prove their talents. And prove themselves these four did as they moved from Romeo and Juliet (on a ladder), to Tiny Tim (with his crutch) to a jolly Scrooge and an unhappy Othello, killing his beautiful Desdemona. Santa Claus also appeared. I loved his snowy white beard as did Skittles and Jingles from the Follies Bergère.
Top performances
Dressed in her finest robes Cleopatra’s song wanting “a poisonous asp’ could hardly be considered a tragedy… in fact she had the audience in stitches as did Bob and Sylvia in their brilliant comic mimed song The Twelve Days of Christmas.
David MacGregor gave director Judith Herbig a golden opportunity to direct top performances from her four thespians.
If Griffiths and Molyneux came across a tad more powerfully than the men, that is not to downgrade them. The women’s roles were stronger, and they benefited by having attractive costumes.
Speaking of which, gold stars to backstage crews for assisting with numerous quick costume changes. Not a second was lost.
Scrooge Macbeth is well worth seeing.
What: Scrooge Macbeth by Milnerton Players
When: Weekends only until 7 December, 2024
Where: At Milnerton Playhouse in Cape Town
Booking: https:// milnertonplayers.co.za/scrooge-macbeth
WS
