A Christmas Carol - Teachers' Resource Pack for Key Stage 2/3

A Christmas Carol

A Teachers Resource Pack for Key Stage 2 / 3

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Contents Introduction Page 2 Scenario Pages 3 to 4 Characters Pages 5 to 8 The Creative Process: an Interview with Director Christopher Gable Pages 9 to 11 Music Pages 12 - 13 Set Page 14 to 15 Costume Page 16 - 17 Lighting Pages 18 - 19 Practical Ideas for in the Classroom Pages 20 - 24

Creative Team Directed by: Christopher Gable Choreography by: Massimo Moricone Production Design by: Lez Brotherston Music by: Carl Davis Original Lighting by: Paul Pyant Tour Lighting by: Johny Eyre

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Introduction When Northern Ballet produced A Christmas Carol in 1992 it was the first time that the Dickens novel had been performed as a ballet. Produced under the then Artistic Director Christopher Gable, the first performance was on 26th September 1992 at the Theatre Royal, Bath, and has since proved an extremely popular ballet.

David Nixon, Northern Ballet current Artistic Director says: "The magic of Dickens' A Christmas Carol never fails to entertain and touch audiences. It is my pleasure to continue this work in our repertoire as it is one of the most successful pieces created in NB's history. It follows the tradition of narrative dance that is one of the strengths of our company's identity."

This resource pack is aimed at teachers of Key Stages 2 and 3 with the option to use the information and ideas presented for other Key Stages. aditional as you The Daily Telegraph

Act 2: Mr and Mrs fezziwig

A Christmas Carol enjoyed a The Guardian

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Scenario Prologue Marley is dead. Seven years before our story begins Scrooge is seen as a solitary mourner, at a funeral gives meaning to all the events that follow.

Act 1 In a street in the old city of London, on Christmas Eve, shoppers hurry to buy last minute Christmas presents. Outside the counting house where Ebenezer Scrooge and the late Jacob Marley have made their money, carol singers arrive collecting for the poor.

-hearted Bob Cratchit, joins them but the reappearance of Scrooge signals an abrupt end to the festivities.

Inside the counting house Bob Cratchit shivers and suffers under the tyranny of his stoneyembittered and miserly old man.

At the end of the working day scrooge reluctantly gives his clerk permission to leave but as scrooge returns to his lodgings he has a disconnecting experience. In the meantime Bob Cratchit, on his journey home, meets some workmen at Cornhill and stops to join in a lighthearted game before hurrying back to his wife and family.

While Scrooge is finishing his lonely supper of gruel the ghost of his dead colleague, Jacob Marley, appears with a terrible warning. Scrooge will be condemned to endless torment as a phantom unless he changes his meaningless way of life. Scrooge buries his head in his pillow to escape the fearful sight.

Act 2 The Ghost of Christmas Past appears and takes Scrooge back to a Christmas of many years ago, to a party in the counting house of Fezziwig and Family, his first employer. The same party where his first love, Belle, was to tell him that she would not be his wife for he had a greater love aspirations fall off one by one, until the master-

Act 2: Belle and Young Scrooge

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Scrooge becomes distressed as he discovers he is powerless to undo the mistakes he made as a young man. He can bear no more and covers the light of the Ghost - the scene fades into darkness.

He is comforted by the Ghost of Christmas Present who leads him to the Cratchit household. their shoes were far from being waterproof; their clothes were Scrooge is affected by the warmth and love that illuminates the home as Tiny Tim sings a Christmas Song. The happy family move off with the Ghost of Christmas Present and Scrooge is unable to follow. He is left with only the phantoms who grown more powerful.

Act 3 The Ghost of Christmas Future leads Scrooge back to the Cratchit home where he finds the family grieving for the loss of their beloved son, Tiny Tim. Another vision of the future shows three hags ransacking the bedroom of a corpse. Dark scenes Finally Scrooge sees the Angel of Death approaching with a tombstone and realises, with horror, that it is his own. As he throws himself at the headstone it dissolves and he finds himself in his own bed on Christmas morning. There is still some time to change!

sses frantically and sets off into the streets to prepare for an enormous Christmas feast.

Children, passers-by, are all enlisted into helping to bring the best that money can buy and soon a dazzling array of food is assembled for the arrival of the guests of honour - the Cratchit family.

As Scrooge welcomes them to his party the first flakes of snow begin to fall and the street becomes the scene of a joyful celebration. Scrooge's journey is complete.

The embittered and maligned old man has found the generosity of spirit to regain his lost humanity and to share in the love of his fellow man.

The story ends with an affirmation of peace on earth to all men.

'God Bless Us, Every One!' Act 3: scrooge

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Characters Charles Dickens words are brought to life through the choreography, music, set, lighting and costume. All elements contribute towards communicating the story, as Gable explains, understanding of character Ebenezer Scrooge A miserly old man whose heart has been hardened to human kindness for many years and who has forgotten the true meaning of Christmas.

Scrooge...the cold within him froze his old fea This first scene introduces Scrooge as a mean, pinched character and shows his impatience for anything that keeps him and tight, to reflect the meanness within. His face is pinched and his posture is round shouldered.

Act 1: Scrooge himself from others. He keeps his hands very close to his chest with his elbows close to his sides and his gestures to other people are sharp and small. He avoids any physical contact which is shown in Act 1 when his and he fends her off by turning his back and flicking his hand at her.

Repetition of gestures highlights elements of his character, such as the counting of money close to his chest. This is repeated when we see Young Scrooge and his fiancĂŠe Belle in Act 2, highlighting the importance of money to Scrooge and explaining the subsequent loss of Belle.

In contrast, in Act 2 when Scrooge embraces the Christmas spirit, his posture is open and his movements are spritely. He stands tall, and holding his chest out and elbows out to the side, he uses lots of quick steps and jumps.

Act 3: Scrooge

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Bob Cratchit is a kind hearted man with a large and loving family.

around, taking small steps and cowering away from Scrooge as he tries to keep unnoticed and se again when Scrooge reprimands him. In contrast, in Act 2 when Bob is at home with his family, he uses large sweeping movements and physical contact, showing his loving character and closeness to his family and friends.

Act 1: Bob Cratchit and Scrooge

Act 2: Bob Cratchit and his family

The Phantoms The idea of phantoms is conveyed through a combination of the elements previously mentioned.

-grey, ragged costumes and ghoulish masks are complimented by the low level blue light creating a chilling atmosphere. Their movement is continuous and fluid, and their unease and restlessness is conveyed through reaching movements and twisted shapes that they move in to and out of.

The music used when they appear is an urgent waltz, which rises in pitch. Tension is created as the volume and speed increase as the phantoms close in on Scrooge.

In Act 1, the dancers use the set to hang from and roll off, conveying an unnatural sense of their body weight. In direct contrast to the openness and

Act 3: Scrooge and the phantoms

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strong use of weight in the previous scene of the Cornhill workers dancing to keep warm, this fluid and twisted movement highlights their other worldliness.

The Ghost of Christmas Past This ethereal spirit, in a tunic of the purest white, shows Scrooge images from his past. a thing with one arm, now with one leg, now with twenty legs... in the very wonder of this, it would be itself again; distinct and The Ghost of Christmas Past movement vocabulary is strong and angular. She quickly moves her arms and legs, her limbs making straight lines or strong angles in contrast to the fluidity of movement of her torso.

The original costume had a much longer silk chiffon skirt. But choreographer Moricone felt it was important to show the shorter and lighter to allow leg movements to be seen.

Act 2: The Ghost of Christmas Past

The Ghost of Christmas Present This lively and joyous spirit, dressed in a simple green robe with a wreath of holly upon his head shows Scrooge images of Christmas present.

A colourful character, his costume and movement reflect the warmth and love of the Cratchit household and encapsulate the spirit of Christmas.

His movements are smooth and lively, often crouching low in second position, showing a grounded element of

Act 2: The Ghost of Christmas Present

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The Ghost of Christmas Future A terrifying spectre, shrouded and with ghostly eyes, shows Scrooge the images of what will come to pass if he does not repent and try to change.

The movement of the Ghost of Christmas Future is slow and steady, limited partly by the elaborate costume, but also representing death and the emptiness of the future vision.

tavern scene, the contrast of the slowly carried coffin and the drinkers dancing and fighting in and out of the procession, highlight the disregard and host of

costume and dark, somber lighting, creates a scary and foreboding atmosphere.

Act 3: The Ghost of Christmas Future

Jacob Marley niece and nephew with their own Christmas spirit.

Mr and Mrs Fezziwig ll how to celebrate the festive season with food, drink and dance.

Belle he soon grew to love money more than the sweet and tender Belle.

Tiny Tim Youngest son of Bob Cratchit, Tim is in poor health touching.

even Scrooge finds his sweet nature

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The Creative Process: an interview with Director Christopher Gable (Quotes are taken from an interview with Gable in 1992) Christopher Gable was artistic director of Northern Ballet from 1987 until 1998. During the opening week of A Christmas Carol in Bath, 1992, Gable shared this thoughts and feelings about the production and creative process.

The Idea The original idea for using A Christmas Carol came from composer Carl Davis who felt that the story had great potential as a dance production using traditional and lesser known carols and word songs as a basis for the score. Both Davis and Gable wanted to make a special Christmas production with a real meaning to it that was a good alternative to The Nutcracker. As Gable Act 3: Scrooge and villagers A Christmas Carol journey from being a shrunken, mean and self-centred character to a person who understands

At first Gable was anxious about producing a ballet from such a famous piece of literature. He

looked at the story I decided there were a couple of moments that just had to be narrated. The first is establishing that Marley is dead, which is central to the purpose of the story. At first I thought that would be recorded voices but then voice coach Karen Greenhead had been doing such fantastic work at the school (Central School of Ballet of which Gable was director) I got her to work with the company. In Victorian times people automatically sang and played the piano the story telling.

The Creative Process Throughout the creative process gable was trying to say through t passionate about the exploitation of the poor, the horror of the workhouses, and the grinding poverty that supported the flamboyant lifestyle of the upper classes. Dickens burned with indignation that good, honest folk were not valued i

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other members of the creative team, Gable wanted that message to come across in his production.

- Four Pence a Day. I had an image of Bob Cratchit and Scrooge in the cold, Bob trying to keep warm, and a child outside in the street singing a song, the image of the workhouse, children, small bowls They wanted to merge those images, which marked the beginning of designer mixed. In that scene the children pass along the bridge abo build the scene further choreographer Massimo Morricconi created a solo for Bob Cratchit which dance about keeping warm, it can also be seen as about his yearnings and aspirations for himself

atmosphere, and Brotherston

Lighting designer Paul Pyant

Gable began his own creative pro the bible: the detailed description of what is going to happen in this production, what it will look s with Davis discussing resource material, the possibility of singing, and the kind of rhythms they the music and then sometimes it has to be altered or cut as rehearsals get under way and we see how the action is working out. When I write the bible I think like a performer, an actor and think myself into what the characters might be Similarly with Brotherston, Gable left him to create the design after the initial discussions. leave him to come up with the designs. He knows my insistence on cross-fading rather than changes as the story progresses. When Brotherston comes back with his ideas we have a pact. I can hate or disagree with anything he has done but I have to give him a reason why. Then he can However, the collaborative process with Morriconi has to work differently due to restrictions on time. This means there is not so much room for exchange of ideas as once he starts working it is with the whole company, not just on paper. Gable listened to the music with him and gave him a detailed description of the scenario and photographs of every scene change and costume design.

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Massimo has to do all his work two weeks in total from start to polished finish, and that means an average of three and a half work with lighting designer Paul Pyant, came near the end of the process in the final technical preparation week before the first performance.

Difficulties As Gable explains, each creative working on the production has their own priorities and it is finding a single vision that can prove challenging: , well if you think it should be done that way then do it yourself. The difficulties come in making the different parts come together as a whole, when everyone has different priorities. For instance Paul is interested in the atmosphere he can create with his lighting states, Lez wants to make the costumes look as authentic as possible, and Massimo wants as much of the body to be seen so that the dancing However, for Gable the greatest difficulty in directing A Christmas Carol was ensuring the individual scenes fitted into high energy level and I was worried that the ball scene with the ravishing pas de deux of the Young Scrooge and Belle, would be so exciting and wonderful that the next scene with Characterization As a renowned actor himself, Gable saw the importance of his dancers understanding the character they were playing and

Act 3: The Ghost of Christmas Present and Scrooge

the dancers to think as actors in their performing. Sometimes now I can have a difficulty with a scene and the dancers will come up with the best way to do it. I talk with them about their characters, and all the dancers think for themselves about how their communicate their characters motivation and emotions more convincingly in performance.

Finally, Gable shares what he hoped to achieve through the ballet; size of a pinhead and how the scales

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Music Carl Davis is a distinguished composer, musical director and conductor who has collaborated with Northern Ballet on productions such as A Simple Man (1987) and Liaisons Amoureuses (1990).

For A Christmas Carol, the orchestra is made up of 25 musicians and there is an extensive percussion section including marimba, glockenspiel, vibraphone, tubular bells and a flexitone. a synthesiser and keyboard make the sounds of the cathedral organ for the Ghost of Christmas Integral to the work are the sound effects: times of day, bells ringing, the bells of Christmas day and dragging footsteps with chains which help to create the atmosphere in the scenes. These sound effects are on tape and are played through loudspeakers at the theatre. This means that ves the beat. By implementing the idea only dance and song, but also modern technology in order to have sound.

Writing the music Gable aimed for the production to be in three half-hour acts as it is intended for a family audience. As he Gable first indicated how long he envisaged each key dance section to be: 2, 3, 4 or 5 minutes, before he and Davis then went on to establish the proportions of other sections of the piece. Davis explains e talk about the mood, and what aspect of the story we want to bring out within these sections happiness, melancholy and regret. All this has to be expressed in the music. I then re-read Dickens A Christmas Carol just before I composed it and I wrote the music sections with all this in mind. This way of working followed right through the whole piece, so we have horror music, melodrama, ghostly music, happy music and the

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Source material and period Traditional waltzes are used, particularly during the party scene at the Fezziwigs in Act 1, in keeping with the music of the period and to create the atmosphere of a Dickensian Christmas. In contrast to this, for the scene in the counting house in Act 1, Davis wanted a Victorian ballad ne which was a broadside ballad a we went right back to source to Cecil Sharp House in London and found the original score from Carols are used throughout the production to add texture to the score and to help narrate important moments in the story. Following the ban of carols and parties at Christmas by th Century, the revival of Christmas traditions during Victorian Cromwel particular did a lot to rekindle the joy of Christmas.

Familiar to audiences today, the carols create both a sense of celebration and allows them to

The carols used in the production are: Funeral Song God rest ye merry gentlemen Four pence a day Patapan Song of Marley The Holly and the Ivy A great and mighty wonder I will be merry (round) How far is it to Bethlehem?

Come follow me (round) A great and mighty wonder (reprise)

Act 3: Scrooge and villagers

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Set (Quotes are taken from an interview with Lez Brotherston in 1992).

Lez Brotherston is a highly renowned opera, dance and theatre designer who had designed the sets and costumes for Romeo & Juliet in 1991 and Swan Lake in 1992 previous to working on A Christmas Carol.

Design process After reading the book three or four times Gable and Brotherston met to discuss which elements of the story were most important, refine the synopsis and start solving problems. This was also when they decided to keep the story set in Victorian England.

Brotherston explains the collaboration process for A Christmas Carol.

- to realise the text visually and then solve the problems with the director. Independently the director is responsible for making the performance happen in the set and the designer takes responsibility for the technicians to build The research period then began and involved finding old photographs and books featuring Victorian London. Brotherston used images from the original plates in the text for the Ghost of Christmas Present.

Problem solving The set designer and production manager have to liaise during the production process to make sure the most important elements of the design are included and decide where compromises have to be made to fit within budget limitations.

In one of the early synopses there was bridge at the back of the stage came about because more dancing space was needed. The first design featured a gantry that went round three sides of the stage, but that was later changed to the current design. This in itself caused structural difficulties though, as the bridge had to reach across the whole stage as a single span, whilst remaining sturdy and safe enough to dance on.

Act 3.

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Successes Some of the more successful aspects of the set design are not seen by the audience. As the production manager Alison Walker explains, clever and very simple - they move on wheels which go either side of a solid metal rail which is fastened to the floor. Those trucks are very well designed in their build, and of course you have to anti-rake everything and the whole bottom section hinges up with a row of bolt holes to accommodate the different slope in all the theatres we go to. Also the way the free-moving trucks break is very clever -they are on hinges and they brake by coming off their wheels and resting on the floor using a simple lever which can be oper In Act 2 when the Ghost of Christmas Present shows Scrooge the Cratchit household, moving trucks are brought together to create a small room within the larger set. This highlights not only sense of closeness and unity as all the action occurs within a smaller area.

Act 1: The Cratchit family

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Costume (Quotes are taken from in interview with Sasha Keir in 1992) The costumes for A Christmas Carol were designed by Lez Brotherston and there are 650 items of costume in the production. Not only do these costumes have to survive the rigours of being worn for seven performances a week, but they also have to reflect the style of the period and allow the dancers to move freely in them.

Design Process With some costumes, such as the fantastical costumes of the three ghosts, it is important to have a good idea of how they will look early on in the production process as they can affect the way the character is played, which needs to be considered before starting the choreography. The weight of a costume can wife weight of the costume affects how the movement looks. For example, the costume for dancer put it on for the first time in rehearsal, and did the very quick, jumping, turning movements of her solo, the weight of the petticoats actually made it impossible for her to move fast enough so we cut out some of the petticoats Most costumes however, are only worn for the first time during the technical week, and under the lights on stage, potential problems have to be spotted, resolved and alterations made quickly.

had to be cut down on the index finger because that finger is used so much in his initial characterisation Reflecting the period When designing the costumes, Brotherston had to research the designs of the period and incorporate the line and styles in his costume. Brotherston explains, Cornhill people are poor, in my logic their clothes would come from an earlier period, so

Act 2: Young Scrooge and Belle

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instead of 1840 they can be from 1810. The colours used are dim blues, greys, slatey colours, whereas the middle class people wear more natural colours and the upper classes wear reds, blues, purples and greens.

When we go to the Fezziwig party we go back another thirty years and we get the empire line, which is where the skirt starts from just under the bust. The colours used are light and bright to project innocence and youth, as well as their status of being fairly well-off. In the future we introduce the bustle, which is where a lot of material is gathered at

Act 3: Villagers

Act 3: Villagers

Parts of the set had to go through a process called look older, threadbare and dirty by painting them and cheese grating so that the edges become worn, then we dirty them all up. This is to create the contrasts between groups of people. For example, the Cornhill costumes are all made to look old in contrast with those at the Fezziwig

Act 2: Fezziwig Ball

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Lighting Paul had worked on two productions with Northern Ballet before A Christmas Carol: Romeo & Juliet and Swan Lake and had worked several times with Lez Brotherston.

Lighting is used within the production, both to set the action in different locations and to create the atmosphere of a scene. All the elements of the production, such as movement, music, lighting, costumes and set, work together to create a strong visual narrative and help communicate the story.

Act 1: Villagers

Setting the scene Effects can be used to set the action in a specific location and to build layers to a scene, within the limitations of a theatre. An example of this is the snow effect in the opening scene, created by projecting light onto a circling image to create the effect of falling snow. Also in Act 1, to create the cobbled street of the Cornhill scene, metal plates with designs cut out of them (called

Lighting is used not only used to place the action in a certain setting, but can also contribute to the feeling of a scene and to creating the right atmosphere. For example, in the street scene in Act 1, soft, warm lighting is used to create a happy, festive atmosphere as shoppers go about their last minute Christmas preparations. As the action moves into the counting house, some very hard focused lamps, with a white light are used to give a cold, heartless interior. When the nephew and niece arrive some warmer lights are added to give the impression that the spirit of Christmas has arrived. Again, the scene is warmed up and softened with light when Cratchit does

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of warmth and beauty and the lighting state helps to say this. oom scene where something more surreal and the top o very tightly on Marley while the rest of the scene is sparsely lit, giving the impression that he is floating in mid air.

Emphasizing character traits the Ghost of Christmas Past, a bright white light shines from directly behind her so that it looks as if she brings the light with her. When she steps into the room, we see that she also has flickering lights on her headdress, portraying the innocence and optimism of the characters in Christmases past.

In contrast, the gloomy scene in Act 3 when the Ghost of Christmas Future shows Scrooge the bleak consequences of his behaviour, is created with minimal blue light.

The low lighting emphasizes the lifeless, harrowing nature of the scene.

Act 1: The Ghost of Christmas Past and Scrooge

Act 3: Scrooge and the Ghost of Christmas Future

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Practical Ideas for the Classroom Characterisation

Scrooge

(See page 5 for a description of his characterisation)

Task 1 (5 mins) Individually find 3 gestures that Scrooge might make. These may include pointing, counting money, or other gestures that reflect his mean, cold character. Pay attention to posture (hunched, closed) and how he relates to other.

Task 2 (5 mins) Decide on the order and find a way of linking them. This could include stationary movements (eg turns, changes in level, balances) and travelling movements (walking, sliding, shuffling).

This will create a dance phrase that can be repeated.

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Task 3 (10 mins)    

Entrances and exits where do you enter/exit space, when (at the same time, one by one?).

Decide on pathways and directions which pathway does each person take, which direction are they facing?

The relationship between the performers is there any interaction (eye contact, reaction), spatial relationships and formation?

Group dynamic and timing is there a moment where you all gather together? Move at the same time or hold moments of stillness? Changes in speed and tempo?

Task 4 (10 mins) movement vocabulary, quality and posture completely change. Gestures become open and expansive, reflecting the personal revelation and rediscovery he has gone through. His new vocabulary includes jumps, hops and heel digs and has a light, lively dynamic.

Individually find 3 movements demonstrating this change in outlook. stationary or travel. Link in the same way as task 2 to create a phrase

These may be

Task 5 (10 mins) Experiment with ways of incorporating this new material into the previous group sequence. This may be through splitting the group into the two roles, structuring into sections, dividing/using the space in different ways. Focus on the contrast between the

Act 3. Scrooge

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Phantoms (See page 6 for more information)

Task 1 (10 mins) arm gestures. Introduce these features and use them to improvise across the space: 

Concentrating on different kinds of turns (swirling, spinning, using different levels and speeds)



Concentrating on extensions with different body parts (as if being pulled by your toe, fingertips, elbow, hip)



Concentrating on undulating arm gestures (as if underwater, floating)

Stress the importance of a continuous flow and soft quality of movement throughout each improvisation task.

Task 2 (10 mins) Create phrases in pairs using material found through the improvisation. Include turns, leg extensions and arm gestures, again ensuring the movement is fluid with a soft quality. Decide how many counts each movement will take and fit to a phrase of 16 counts.

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Task 3 (5 mins) Teach this phrase to another pair.

Task 4 (10 mins) movements using this idea. As a group decide on 4 and use to create a phrase. This may include stationary and travelling movements and fit to a 16 count structure.

Task 5 (10 mins) This scene, like the music, starts slowly with phantoms appearing gradually before slowly building in numbers of dancers, energy and speed. Repetition is used alongside unison and canon.

Using the above as a guide, structure all the material created into a group dance sequence.

Consider: 

Entrances and exits

where, when, who.



Group formation



Unison and cannon sections where the whole group are performing the same movement at the same time, sections where one person follows on from the next (Mexican wave) or cumulative cannon (dancers joining in one by one until all moving together).

relationship in space, lines, patterns etc.

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Fezziwig Ball The Fezziwig Ball is a party scene involving a large number of dancers taking part in a formal dance. Mr and Mrs Fezziwig bustle around their guests creating a lively atmosphere of excitement, jollity and festive cheer. In the warm up it may be useful to introduce travelling steps such as skipping, galloping, triplets and jumps which could be used in the following tasks.

Task 1 (10 mins) In pairs, find ways of: 

travelling around your partner - this may involve using different levels, contact (such as holding hands) and a range of travelling steps (skipping, galloping, hops, jumps etc). You may or may not have exchanged places by the end of this motif.



moving towards and away from your partner - again, this may or may not involve contact, but concentrate on mirroring each other and working in unison.



find a travelling step that can be repeated - this may include gallops, skips, turns, hops or movements that are assisted by your partner such as jumps or balances.

Task 2 (10 mins)

Task 3 (10 mins) As a group decide on an order and practice linking them together to create a sequence. Pay attention to timing, deciding on how many counts each movement will take to ensure the group works together in unison.

Task 4 (10 mins) Set a clear group formation considering:    

starting position relation in space to each other. floor patterns and pathways you could make (such as lines, circles, peeling off, weaving or crossing). changes in group formation you may decide to change position to form another shape. finish how does the dance end?

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