In houses so quiet, without even the squeak of a mouse, to those full of ghosts of past, present, and future, it is undeniable the festive season offers many tales that bring families together. One of the most beloved Christmas classics comes to Canberra Theatre Centre when A Christmas Carol brings the festive spirit to the stage on 20-24 December.

Bringing the show to the stage is the shake & stir theatre company, which has received acclaim at home and abroad for its work in theatre, television, and film. For the past five years, they have been touring  A Christmas Carol to theatres around the country.

Having worked on the production from the start, actor Arnijka Larcombe-Weate says the cast and crew are like a family and are grateful they get to start their festive season together. They celebrate a Christmas of sorts before each celebrating with their families, like their own family tradition – one they hope to pass on to the recurring audiences of their show.

By the end of the show season, she says the team all feel how Scrooge does at the end of the play; knowing worldly goods aren’t everything and it is better to give the gift of love and time together rather than an object.

“Each time I do this show, it is such a beautiful reminder that money isn’t everything; it helps us pay the bills and buy the things we want but don’t really need. Scrooge falls into the trap of things make me happy more than anything else,” Larcombe-Weate says.

The story follows a selfish and greedy businessman, Ebenezer Scrooge, who puts money above all else. When Christmas time comes, he reluctantly lets his employee, Bob Cratchit, have time off. He then scoffs at an invitation to Christmas dinner, carollers, and a request for a donation from a charity.  

As Scrooge spends Christmas Eve alone, he is visited by the ghost of his old business partner, Jacob Marley, who has come to warn Scrooge that unless he changes his ways, he will be doomed to wander the afterlife bound by the heavy chains of a life full of greed and self-centredness.

Through the evening, we are transported back to the Christmas of Scrooge’s youth spent with those he once loved. The ghost of Christmas present takes him to his underpaid employee’s home. Lastly, the ghost of Christmas yet to come shows Scrooge what he will leave behind – a neglected tombstone and a home to be ransacked with no-one mourning his passing.

“Looking at the future [ghost], he is showing Scrooge the scary future that could be, which I think, from an objective point of view, is the most powerful. A dark and scary eyeopener to what could be, but I think there is so much power to that present ghost,” Larcombe-Weate says.

Larcombe-Weate plays a number of roles each year, with her hero character being Belle. Before becoming a bitter old man, Scrooge had a more social life and a promising romantic relationship, however, his greed got in the way.

“She really is an emotional reminder for Scrooge that love and money are very different things. For Belle, love is more important, and for Scrooge, it is the opposite. Financial wealth for Scrooge leads to poverty of love and emotion,” Larcombe-Weate says.

Though she loves him, Belle makes the decision to leave Scrooge as she knows he will never love her as much as money. Belle is a relatable character for anyone who has been in that difficult situation where you have to walk away from the one you love because you know the relationship will just cause pain and suffering in the long run.

“Regardless of how Scrooge feels about her, she did and always will love Scrooge, but the love he has isn’t for her – and why would you want to stay with someone who doesn’t love you the way you love them? You get hurt.”

Larcombe-Weate says it isn’t just romantic relationships that end this way. Friendships are also torn apart under similar strain where one person is heading somewhere dark and the other can’t follow; not for a lack of love, which is something she has experienced herself.

“You can try to enforce or suggest a better life or better resolution that you think will help them,” the actor says.

For her, the beauty of Christmas lies with the Cratchit family. During the visit of the ghost of Christmas present, we see how they celebrate. At the table with what Larcombe-Weate says is the world’s smallest chicken and rotten veggies, they are grateful for the time they have together as a family with their gravely sick son, Tiny Tim.

“I truly believe that if we all follow through that Cratchit family belief we will all be better off. They have nothing yet they are the happiest people in the story,” she says.

Remembering Christmas when she was growing up, the actor says she was always excited about the presents, as children are. Now that she’s older, she understands the magic of Christmas is in the connections with those around you.

Lucky to have grown up in a loving and supportive family and grateful to have experienced the good life, her heart goes out to those who may have not. She is always blown away by how many people at the end of the show thank them, which she says is the best part of the job.  

“I am so grateful that I can hopefully show people that this is the good life, this is what life should be about; connecting with good people and trying to be the best version of yourself and, in turn, it warms other people and warms audiences’ hearts,” she says.

While Christmas has roots as a religious holiday and for some it is still about celebrating the birth of Jesus, in recent years there’s been an influx of non-Christians joining the festivities. Larcombe-Weate says her mother instilled in her from a young age the importance of celebrating the differences – something the play embodies, as its message is that love, family, and connection are the most important parts of life, making it a fun and welcoming story for those from all backgrounds.

“Christmas is not in a box; it is something that can be celebrated in different ways by different people, but the thing that isn’t different is that we get to celebrate as a community through love, food and connection. It goes beyond any differences that may divide us,” she says.

Charles Dickens wrote the cautionary tale in 1843, during a time when Christmas was being reimagined in the United Kingdom. Christmas trees had only become festive centerpieces in homes at the turn of the previous century, with Queen Victoria and Prince Albert increasing their popularity. In the early 1800s, Christmas carols were making a resurgence; Dickens himself showed a particular interest in the holiday season, writing several short stories with the most well-received being A Christmas Carol. In Prose. Being a Ghost Story of Christmas. (conveniently shortened to A Christmas Carol).

As the year comes to a close, it is also a time of reflection on the 12 months that have passed and how or what we might want to change in the New Year. Larcombe-Weate says Dickens, being one of the greatest writers of all time, would have had that idea at the forefront of his mind; the character arcs demonstate it is never too late to change or reinvent yourself – all you need to do is start.

“I think everyone’s New Year’s resolution should always be to be the best version of yourself. Scrooge is the representation of that. He had that lightbulb moment where he sees he is really hurting other people, and he realises ‘I have the power to change that, I have power to change who I am’,” Larcombe-Weate says.

Share with your loved ones the perfect Christmas present with the gift of a theatre experience in A Christmas Carol at Canberra Theatre Centre, 20-24 December. Tickets: canberratheatrecentre.com.au

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