'A Christmas Carol' at the Queen Elizabeth Hall

OK, so Christmas festivities started today with giving a Tree a home for Christmas and going to hear a reading of 'A Christmas Carol' at the Queen Elizabeth Hall on the Southbank. I also wore my thick, furry winter hat for the first time so it must be nearly Christmas.

Most years I read 'A Christmas Carol' in the run-up to Christmas and I never get tired of it. Dickens is a master story-teller and this is one of his best, the tale of how Mr Scrooge became the epitome of Christmas spirit. It's not easy but old Ebenezer does it.

We all know the story of Scrooge being visited by the spirits of Christmas past, present and future and how he grows to love Christmas, of Bob Cratchit and Tiny Tim. All classic characters that tell a very touching tale of one man's journey into Christmas and humanity. Yes Ebenezer, that's you.

It's a stage reading - the same as I saw last year - with different actors taking on the characters and reading an abridged version of the story by Rosie Kellagher. Griff Rhys Jones was Dickens/the narrator and Bill Paterson played Scrooge (reprising their roles from last year). Ron Cook played Bob Cratchit and Tim McInnerny played a few roles. It was great fun and surprisingly dramatic given they're all dressed in suits and wotnot rather than costumes. The big screen at the back of the stage featured various period illustrations in black and white but I can't help feeling the atmosphere would've been enhanced with a Christmas Tree or two on stage. Or maybe just some candles?

In any case, it was a really good start to the real run-up to Christmas. The foyer had a small brass band playing carols and everyone was cheerful as we trooped into the hall to take our seats. I'd wandered along the Southbank beforehand, browsing in the Christmas market and the excitement of the colourful magic roundabout and found a huge tree outside the Royal Festival Hall for the Macmillan's cancer charity, a wish tree where you can write wishes and memories of people with cancer and some of them were very touching. This is, I think, the first time I've seen a Tree on the Southbank and it's most welcome.

Welcome to Christmas 2014!

'Henry V' at the Noel Coward Theatre

We went to see 'Henry V' at the Noel Coward Theatre the other night and I thoroughly enjoyed it. I saw Adrian Lester play Henry a decade ago and now it's the turn of Jude Law to take the part. I've seen him on stage a couple of times ('Hamlet' which I enjoyed and 'Anna Christie' which I enjoyed less so, both of which were Michael Grandage productions) and this was, I think, his best and most immediate performance.

Why did I like it? Well, firstly, it was in period costume (Adrian Lester's version was in modern battle dress and modern weapons) and that worked really well. The acting across the whole cast was really good and the lighting and staging was superb. It all came together nicely to give us a really good production.

The smell of dry ice was in the air in the theatre and the stage was a plain wall painted as if grey timber that moved and opened up for different scenes but kept the background to the action largely the same. There was lots of movement on the stage so that provided some continuity.

I particularly liked Noma Dumezweni as Mistress Quickly - she really knows how to speak verse and kept all eyes on her, as did Ron Cook as Pistol, particularly when he captures a Frenchman for ransom (a truly funny scene) and when he eats leek (the leek nearly flew off the stage that night). It's probably unfair to pick those two out of an all-round excellent cast but I did enjoy their performances.

I also really enjoyed Jude Law's performance as well and the depth of his characterisation was quite impressive. Jude nailed the 'St Crispin's Day' speech

... And gentlemen in England now-a-bed

Shall think themselves accurs’d they were not here,

And hold their manhoods cheap whiles any speaks

That fought with us upon Saint Crispin’s day.

Where's my sword? I'll fight beside you my King! It was a stirring speech and, if we weren't (mainly) British, we would have rushed the stage to join his army there and then. Watch out you French, we have 'Enerey Vee!

It was odd to see the ushers walking round with 'no photography' signs (that some people ignored) that suggested this wasn't a standard 'theatre audience'. I'm not too bothered about that though, if Jude is bringing in people new to theatre and new to Shakespeare. That's a good thing really.

If you get the chance you really should see this production. Bring your sword but leave your camera at home please.