Theatre
Pantocution!
f the Jew Money-Lender buys (I say if. because of
course I shall never believe in him until he has paid the money) . . .’ Thus wrote Charles Dickens
of the Jewish banker who was in the process of
buying his house in 1860. This letter to a friend was not published in his lifetime. but we could pretty well guess after Fagin in Oliver Twist. ‘a very old shrivelled Jew. whose villainous-looking and repulsive face was obscured by a quantity of matted red hair.’ that he was not well disposed to Jewish folk.
Thus it was that in 1843. four years after Oliver Twist. Dickens followed up his success with another miserly old bugger with every Jewish stereotype you could think of. Scrooge. The name Ebenezer. by the way. means ‘the stone of lsrael'. a name given by the Prophet Samuel to a rock commemorating the defeat of the Philistines. so anyone who has had dealings with the Arts Council might sympathise with it. but not Dickens. Admittedly. A Christmas Carol sees Scrooge journey to redemption through conscience. so this particular Semite is saved. but only by joining a specifically Christian feast. His conversion is a very gentle. egalitarian. Iinglish form of Auto De lie without the torture. where the heretic is brought into Christian ritual by getting a bit of a fright. A contemporary parallel would be like saying: ‘lf only those silly Muslims would give up Ramadan and celebrate Easter like us. we‘d all be ()K.’
Dickens would later disclaim anti-Semitism. writing to Mrs Davis. the wife of the Jewish man who bought his house that ‘Fagin. in Oliver Twist. is a Jew. because it unfortunately was true of the time to which the story refers. that that class of criminal almost invariably was a Jew . . . and secondly. that he is called “the Jew" not because of his religion but
because of his race.‘ This seemed to clear him of
religious bigotry and replace it with pure racism. a
90 TI'IE LIST 1—15 DOC 2005
Steve Cramer sees the darker subtext under our Christmas favourites
more acceptable trait among Victorians.
Now. I‘m sure that the Lyceum‘s Christmas production. which features the excellent John Bett as Scrooge. and the debut of a very bright young talent in director Jemima l.evick. will contain no such bigotries. any more than the two other versions of the story doing the rounds this Christmas. Btu it does give us a hint of the prejudices that often underlie the panto season. Perhaps Scrooge has just grown bitter at his isolation. an understamlable affliction. and one that also affects Mother Goose.
There’s a number of these on display this Christmas.
and the origins of the piece represent another form of
concealed bigotry. The first appearance of Mother Goose was as a witch in the l7th century. All this was at the height of the liuropean witch craze. where the most frequently dispatched victims of the accusation were old. female and regarded as ugly. In fact. if you were a woman. long in the tooth and a bit of a munt. your survival was far from guaranteed in the average late feudal village. The real reason for this. of course. is that these folk were least able to contribute to the community. Their persecution was a form of persecution by economic rationalisation. like the means-tested pension.
Again. we can be sure that the pantos we see this Christmas will contain no such bigotry. but there is a stigma attached to age and lack of beauty in any version that‘s plain for all to see. Bigotry and the panto‘.’ It’s all there. whatever you see — bring the whole family.
A Christmas Carol, Royal Lyceum, Edinburgh, until Sat 31 Dec, 0131 238 4848; Mother Goose, King’s Theatre, Edinburgh, until Sat 31 Dec, 0131 529 6000. See listings for more pantomimes, and next issue for full panto reviews.
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THE BEST THEATRE & DANCE
# A Christmas Carol Dickens’ celebrated festive tale comes to life at the Lyceum with the much loved John Bett in the role of Scrooge. Karen Louise Hebden’s version already has a strong track record down south, so this one looks worth the admission for the family. Royal Lyceum Theatre, Edinburgh, Fn’ 2—Sat 31 Dec.
# Ween: In the Wood Forbes Masson's musical comedy treats have become a highlight of the festive season over the past few years. This year a very Glasgow version of a distinctly English panto should afford the usual variety of laughter and songs. Tron, Glasgow, Mon 5 Dec—Sat 7 Jan.
* Cinderella Ashley Page's Scottish Ballet brings us a new version of an old tale, this time set in 18th century France. An acclaimed and very family orientated ballet can be expected. Theatre Royal, Glasgow, Tue 13—Sat 31 Dec. * Molly Sweeney This dark story from the pen of Brian Fn’el tells of a woman who is given the power of sight for the first time late in her life. This piece should play well at the Citz.
Citizens' Theatre, Glasgow, antifr-
Fri 23 Dec. it Healer dam The King's Theatre, Edinburgh is back with those two old favourites, Andy Gray and Allan Stewart, in the tale of golden eggs and not so golden years in life. Popular entertainment with fizz can be expected. King's Theatre, Edinburgh, until Sat 31 Dec.