The redemption of Scrooge

The classic Charles Dickens tale of Scrooge, the miser, being visited by the ghosts of Christmas past, present and future is being brought to life by Opera Otago, discovers Rebecca Fox.

Judy Bellingham is going to bed most nights with the songs of A Christmas Carol playing in her head.

''I love the music. The opera is in English and the music is extremely singable.

''It's hard to get the tunes out of your head,'' the Opera Otago executive member and A Christmas Carol choir master, among other roles, said.

That has not deterred her from bringing together a cast and crew of more than 80 people to put on Philip Norman's A Christmas Carol.

As the ''driving force'' behind the production - Bellingham appeared in the premiere of the production in 1993 for Canterbury Opera - she wanted to bring the magic to Dunedin and help the company branch out into the community.

Opera Otago brought from Sydney retired opera singer Christine Douglas to direct, Timothy Carpenter from Auckland to

conduct, Shona Bennett to do the choreography, Brenda Rendall to do the costumes, Martyn Roberts to do the stage and lighting design and John Drummond to transfer the orchestral score to synthesizer.

Together, they have brought together a cast of about 84 including a children's chorus of 35, an adult chorus of 30 and six dancers as well as the five principal singers.

''It's a logistical nightmare but we will win.''

Scrooge is played by James Adams, recently seen in Phantom of the Opera, while two young boys have solos - Jesse Hannan as Scrooge as a young boy, and 8-year-old Joseph Kelly as Tiny Tim.

''The entire scene had me in tears the other night.''

There are also a few families involved - the Kelly mum and three sons; the McGrath mum, son and daughter; the McAdam father and son; the McGuire father and son, the Hill siblings, the Hornal sisters and the Burchell siblings.

The amount of time required in rehearsals and production had ''flumoxed'' a few who did not realise the commitment involved in such a production, she said.

''But they've stuck with it and hopefully they might re-audition for something in the future.''

The opera has only been performed four times before - twice in Canterbury and twice in Auckland.

Doing the opera continued the company's proud history of performing New Zealand works.

It is a huge endeavour for Opera Otago, which has not done a production this big in a long time.

''It has 43 scenes - they are short, sharp and quick.''

But the company could not stretch to a full orchestra to accompany the piece so that is where Drummond stepped in to create the soundtrack.

The director

It took Bellingham to drag Douglas away for six weeks from her work in Sydney, Australia, where she helps develop young talent.

''It's all Judy Bellingham's fault,'' she says. ''Taking time out is a biggie for me. It's only Judy who could have done it.''

Although she admits to having a hankering to visit Dunedin as her parents visited the city as part of a theatre troupe in the 1940s and talked endlessly about the place.

''I felt I had to come.''

As a colleague of Bellingham's at the New Zealand Singing School, she was an automatic choice for director.

''I wanted to introduce some fresh blood as director,'' Bellingham said.

It was great fun working with Douglas.

''She never loses her cool and teaches you a lot at the same time.''

Douglas also loves the story of Scrooge - the redemption and transformation - and had done so since childhood.

''To turn it into a operatic musical is extraordinary. A fabulous idea.''

Given the tumultuous times the world is in with the United States election and the Kaikoura earthquake, it is important for the community to come together and experience an uplifting story.

''It is still a relevant story.''

Theatre is in her blood - she was five days old when she was first backstage. She saw it as her kind of ''church'', her ''sacred place'' where wonderful things happen.

''It creates a community and develops things which for some people are life-changing.''

So, after 30 years as a opera singer working with the likes of Opera Australia, she decided she was interested in the ''bigger picture''.

''I was sick of wearing tight red dresses and singing the top notes.''

She converted her energy into helping emerging artists and founded a company in Sydney to develop talent.

''I love seeing that light bulb go on in young ones.''

Working with so many children in A Christmas Carol was a real pleasure, she said.

''They're amazing. There is a great deal of commitment.''

Scrooge

Adams does not know where to start when you ask him for a description of his character in A Christmas Carol.

''He is a miser but that doesn't explain him really. He's tight-fisted and distances himself from other people.

''Scrooge has this strong belief in survival of the fittest, and to get that way by getting money and holding on to it.''

He is a very ''black and white'' character who has little compassion for people.

''He learns to become more compassionate and realise how important it is to have other people around him.''

The role is an interesting challenge for Adams as an actor as he does not have a lot of lines but is on stage most of the time.

He has been trying to figure out how to show his progression to redemption without the words.

''I'm starting out playing the bad guy and playing the bad guy is always good.''

He is enjoying being part of such a large opera.

''It's a massive cast. A big community effort and the children are fantastic.''

While the story might be old, its theme of the importance of community and people could not be more current, he said.

''Opera has this image of being a bit stuffy and not very approachable for people so it's nice to show an opera in English and a story people know.

''I hate to use that term 'relevant', but this one is.''

To see

A Christmas Carol, Mayfair Theatre, November 26-December 4.