Review: Teto Maranatha's Production of A Christmas Carol Melts Hearts

A Christmas Carol is Teater Topeng’s latest show and their first major one after the pandemic. Adapted for the stage by script writer and director Jessica Nangoi, it tells the timeless story of one Ebenezer Scrooge and how he learns the meaning of Christmas, with some notable additions. 

The year is 1866. In Victorian England, Ebenezer Scrooge (Mario Hasan) is a miserly businessman of some renown; his company brings him great wealth, but he is a lonely and grumpy old man, with seemingly only his clerk Bob Cratchit (I Ketut Vairagya Nanda) as his companion at work.

As Christmas Eve comes, Scrooge’s mood worsens. He passes by some carolers (Yunitha Kristin Andrie Brigitha and Jemima Priscilla Kurniawan), scoffing at them. He also refuses an invitation to spend Christmas Day with his cousin (Sekar Perbayun    ). As the day goes by, he begrudgingly lets Cratchit off work earlier to go home to his only surviving family member, his daughter Annabelle (Maylav Angelique Miryea).

At night, Scrooge is visited at his own home by an apparition of one Jacob Marley (Hamonangan David Cesario Cibro), a business partner and Scrooge’s sole confidant, who has been dead for years. Jacob is bound in chains, each link representing a life taken by the result of his and Scrooge’s ruthless business decisions. He comes to warn Scrooge of the ghosts that will appear to warn him.

The incredulous Scrooge tries to shrug it off, yet, just as Marley says, the Ghost of Christmas Past (Christian Emmanuel Mamun Sare) appears before him. It takes the form of his father, an even more callous businessman who taught Scrooge to only give to people if they can return the favor. The young Scrooge grows into the cold person he is now by adhering to this creed and pursuing his greed. He even closed his heart to his old love, Elizabeth (Agnes Verawaty).

Next, the Ghost of Christmas Present comes in the form of Scrooge’s late step-sister, Lottie (Hildegardis Ajeng Rahayu). They take a walk and reminisce about their childhood and how Scrooge also grew distant from her. They arrive at the Cratchits’ house, where Bob and Anna celebrate Christmas with what meager food and gifts they can scrounge up.

Finally, the terrifying phantom of Ghost of Christmas Future shows up before Scrooge, a ragged figure clad in black, with glowing blue eyes. He leads Scrooge into a vision of the future; not only will Scrooge perish a lonely man, but his merciless, calculating self led to the death of Anna Cratchit as well, leaving Bob as the anguishing sole survivor in his family.

Shocked and saddened by these visions, Scrooge demands to know if these visions are sure to happen, or if they can yet be changed. The Ghost of the Christmas Future reveals itself to be the ghost of Jacob Marley under the black robes. He assures that Scrooge can still save himself from eternal condemnation by changing himself.

The two embrace, remembering their friendship. Scrooge vows to be a better man. Finally, the sun rises on Christmas Day.

Scrooge greets the town folks and makes a very generous donation to their charity cause, including giving a substantial amount of coins to Anna. He lets Cratchit off early, with 10 years’ worth of Christmas bonuses. They all celebrate a joyous and bright Christmas.

As a classic story, it’s always fascinating to see what the creative mind can add to the table. Jessica Nangoi’s interpretation largely kept the same message and characters at its heart, with several changes.

The most notable is how this production made use of the Ghosts of Christmas. Instead of being enigmatic spectral apparitions, each of them represent a person from Scrooge’s life. It adds an additional layer to Scrooge’s characterization, shedding light on his life journey and the choices he made along the way.

Particularly, the choice of making Jacob Marley being the Ghost of Christmas Future was an inspired one; the twist not only gave the show a surprise factor, but also made the relationship between Marley and Scrooge an even deeper one, as the former tried to save his friend from going down a path he would regret. 

The cast did a remarkable job in bringing these characters, and Victorian London, to life. Although most of them were college students, the acting was evenly solid throughout. However, some of the cast members could improve on their voice projection; there were some faint line deliveries that were difficult to catch.

It should also be noted that the show is performed in Bahasa Indonesia, although the script for some reason keeps the Ghosts’ names (‘Ghost of Christmas Past’, etc.) in English. The language used in the script is more on the literary side rather than naturalistic, but works fine in the context.

The standout cast was Mario Hasan as Ebenezer Scrooge. As the main character, he had a difficult task in conveying both sides of the character: the misanthropic grump and the repentant man shaped by his experiences and looking for redemption; and he did a stellar job in making us root for him, as we gradually see his softer side.

But of course Scrooge couldn’t have had the character arc without Jacob Marley. As played by Hamonangan David Cesario Cibro, Jacob Marley is a fascinating character. He’s dead and bound by the chains of his sin, but he wishes for Scrooge to not end up like him. It’s emotionally rich material and David did a great job in delving into it.

That being said, it raises some questions on why Scrooge ended up as the miserable man he was with so many positive influences in his past. Couldn’t Marley have prevented his best friend’s descent, as in this version he’s shown as compassionate and loyal? This question does make one wonder, but the emotional impact of the show’s climax is moving enough to set this aside for the most part.

Finally, in terms of production design, it is a remarkably intricate one for a college production. There are snow machines that make for a great, immersive snow effect on stage. The sets are decently detailed, and the lighting does help with building the ambience, although more interesting or bold choices would be appreciated for the climactic moments.

All in all, A Christmas Carol is a worthy take on the Christmas time classic. It’s a moving tale delivered with both theatrical competence and humanistic warmth. The changes are interesting but it still retains the message of the original story that makes it so timeless. It’s a great return to the stage for Teater Topeng Maranatha. The show will run two more times on January 20th.

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