Review: A CHRISTMAS CAROL: A GHOST STORY TOLD BY JEFFERSON MAYS at The Old Globe

The Old Globe Theatre offers a delightful holiday gift with “A Christmas Carol: A Ghost Story Told by Jefferson Mays” a solo show that is a masterclass in storytelling.  Playing only through December 22nd, make this show a part of your holiday present before it becomes a regret of your holiday past.

Jefferson Mays brings the classic Christmas story of “A Christmas Carol” by Charles Dickens to life in this one-man show, where he plays all of the characters as he retells the story.  He walks out in a lovely suit to a stage with only a small table, a glass, and a water pitcher.  As the show begins, he shares how this story made an impression on his life and how reading the story aloud became a treasured family tradition and his gateway to the magic of performance.

Over this 80-minute one-act, it is a treat to see Jefferson relate to the audience as he relays this story about his family and transforms into the narrator and each character of the story as he tells it.  It is spellbinding because of how easily it appears that he transforms from one character to another - with a change in posture, a hand curled in, and differing voices as he spins from one character into another back and forth, having a conversation between them.  

While Mays has performed this story over the years in multiple venues and various productions, he mentioned in an interview with him last month that he has never adapted this show to theatre in the round.  Directed by Barry Edelstein, Mays uses the entire stage and addresses everyone in the audience.  He leaps, dances, and even floats up and down like an ethereal ghost. 

While this story has been told in many beloved ways, from comedic to dramatic, with a stage full of people, puppets, and special effects, this production doesn’t need all of that.  Instead, it needs someone with talent, a playful spirit, and a love for storytelling.

How To Get Tickets 

“A Christmas Carol: A Ghost Story Told by Jefferson Mays” is playing at The Old Globe through December 22nd.  For ticket and show time information, go to www.theoldglobe.org 

Photo Credit: Jefferson Mays in The Old Globe’s “A Christmas Carol: A Ghost Story Told by Jefferson Mays.” (Jim Cox)

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