Bah Humbug! Student actors gear-up to bring Dickens’ ghosts to life with retelling of A Christmas Carol at Rockingham Castle

The stage is set for a sold-out retelling of a Christmas classic later this week, courtesy of a collaboration between students on the University of Northampton’s creative courses.

Written by Charles Dickens, adapted by Mark Gatiss, and by arrangement with Nick Hern Books, a festive feature production of Charles Dickens’ ‘A Christmas Carol’ will entertain audiences at Rockingham Castle on Thursday 4 December, thanks to students on the University’s Acting for Contemporary and Devised Performance, Music Production, and Hair, Makeup and Prosthetics for Stage and Screen courses.

It is no coincidence the stage has been set at Northamptonshire’s Rockingham Castle, which boasts a rich connection with the story’s author, Charles Dickens, who stayed at the castle multiple times and is believed to have found inspiration there for his 1852 novel Bleak House.

Dickens remained a regular visitor and close friend of the then owners of Rockingham Castle, delighting his hosts by acting out scenes from Nicholas Nickleby and School for Scandal in the castle’s Long Gallery – only a stone’s throw from the Great Hall, where the University’s Acting students will tread the boards in the shadow of their Victorian counterparts to deliver an exclusive performance.

Taking on the responsibility of bringing Ebenezer Scrooge’s transformation from penny-pinching to Christmas-spirited, third-year student Harry Quinn is excited to bring the central character to life: “In total, there are 40 characters in the play performed by eight student actors – and with each character comes costume changes, accent switches, and lots of running about behind the scenes!

“I feel very fortunate to take on one of the role of such a recognisable character in a Christmas family favourite, and it has been a great experience working with students from other courses to deliver the production.

“Traditionally, A Christmas Carol was a tale of horror, so our production leans more into the eery, spooky side of the tale more to reflect this. We’ve been working on this production every day for roughly four weeks, and we’re now in the final days of polishing and refining performance, and I can’t wait to bring Ebeneezer to life at Rockingham Castle.”

“Costuming and make-up are so impactful on channelling a character – just a simple change of clothing transforms you into another person, it’s pretty magical!, explains Aleyna Kochan who plays Jacob Marley.

“I am a huge fan of horror, and I am so excited to play Marley (particularly in his shackled and ghostly form). Marley has a lot of power in the play with an other-worldly, ghostly power, but the shame he feels makes the character oddly familiar and relatable.

“Playing Jacob Marley truly has been my dream role for a long time, and to have the opportunity to play him when I’m only 20 years old at University is incredible.”

One of the three Make-Up Artists working on the show is second-year student Liam Gambrell, who adds: “There are so many character changes in this play, it really pushed my skills – it’s so full-on.

“At one point, we must deliver an old-age make-up change within 60 seconds off stage, which is a real challenge but one we’ve become used to through our work on stage productions with Royal & Derngate.”

Deputy Head of School in the Culture and Creative Industries, Rory O’Neill said: “Here at the University of Northampton, we’re offer a dynamic and contemporary training experience that prepares students for careers across theatre, television, film, and digital media.

“A huge part of the acting industry is collaboration, through working with a host of fellow performers, set designers, music and lighting technicians, make-up artists and costume leads. To reflect this in a collaborative project between students on different courses not only develops their interpersonal skills, but also enhances their professionalism as actors.

“To bring one of Dicken’s own works of literature to the hallowed halls of Rockingham Castle – a place which has a deep-rooted personal history for the author – is a special opportunity, and there’s a real buzz of excitement from our students who have been working so incredibly hard.

“Members of the public who have been lucky enough to secure tickets for this sold-out performance are in for a real treat!”

Find out more about studying Acting for Stage and Screen at the University of Northampton.