Interview: Jeffrey Nolan And Hawken Paul of A VERY GOOD CHRISTMAS CAROL at Laugh Camp Comedy Club

Hawken Paul and Jeffrey Nolan are no strangers to bringing joy to the stage. The duo lives in Uptown Minneapolis and, for the past five years, has worked as teaching artists with the Children’s Theatre Company and the Zephyr Theatre Company.

This month, they’re debuting a bold, unique, and hilariously offbeat take on the timeless classic A Christmas Carol at Camp Bar in St. Paul with their show Three Ghosts, Two Actors, and One Enthusiastic Audience.

Running December 13, 18, and 21, the production follows a script but leaves plenty of space for improvisation and audience participation. Before they transform into their orphan alter-egos later this month, we asked Hawken to share more about their inventive spin on the beloved classic, what they’re looking forward to this holiday season, and why The Muppets remain the gold standard for holiday hijinks.

Tell me about the show itself. How long have you been doing it, how did the idea come together, and what has the experience been like?

The original pitch for the show — A Christmas Carol performed by only two actors — actually happened in a bar, thanks to some folks from the Northern Light Opera Company in Park Rapids, MN. That company later gave them the chance to workshop the idea in front of an audience.

The interactive element grew out of a moment of frustration over not having enough actors to fill a crowd scene, followed quickly by the realization: “Wait… we have a whole audience sitting right here.”

This marks their third year performing the show, and it’s been a consistently joyful experience. Each season the script gets a few tweaks, but the spirit remains the same. With plenty of built-in improv and audience involvement, every performance stays fresh.

What’s your favorite version of A Christmas Carol — The Muppets, Scrooged, or the classic?

There’s no hesitation here: The Muppet Christmas Carol is the best adaptation, hands down. The script and pacing are nearly perfect, balancing the heart of Dickens’ original story with just the right amount of silliness. It played a huge role in inspiring this production.

How exactly do two actors play three ghosts, two orphans, Tiny Tim, and the rest of the cast?

With lots of hats and lots of running — and plenty of help from the audience. Whether someone needs to play Dick Wilkins, one of the Cratchit kids, or a random towns-person, the audience jumps in to help bring the world of the story to life.

What’s your first memory of seeing A Christmas Carol? And what made you think, “the orphans need a say in this story”?

The funny truth is that the story wasn’t fully read until after they’d already been hired, prompting the very honest, “We should probably read this thing, huh?” Once they did, they were blown away. What started as a plan to create a parody shifted into a desire to honor the themes of community and redemption, which they felt were too powerful to ignore.

As for the orphans: with so much audience participation, there needed to be a fun way to prepare the crowd — a kind of “buckle up, here’s what’s coming.” And over-the-top Cockney accents felt like the perfect introduction.

Outside of the show, what do you enjoy most about the holiday season?

There’s something beautiful about choosing to celebrate warmth, light, and kindness during the darkest, coldest time of year. And, on a simpler level: peppermint bark.

What do you hope attendees take away from the show?

Ideally, a set of sore ribs from laughing too hard — and maybe a more open heart toward the people around them.

Thank you Jeffrey and Hawken your time. For more ticket and show information, please click the ticket link button below.

Minneapolis / St. Paul Awards - Live Stats

Best Musical - Top 3

1. 9 TO 5: THE MUSICAL (Eagan Summer Theatre)

13.6% of votes

2. URINETOWN (Buffalo Community Theatre)

10.6% of votes

3. CHURCH BASEMENT LADIES (Rags to Rags Productions)

8.2% of votes

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