Dickens Tale for New Years Eve

The Chimes – Remy Bumppo Theatre Company

Toby “Trotty” Veck, a poor British public messenger in Victorian London, works hard to put bread on his table and a roof over his head. Depressed by newspaper accounts of all the crime and immorality among London’s lower classes, Trotty seeks solace by working diligently, as the year 1844 draws to a close. In spite of running into his daughter Meg, who’s brought him a hot dinner to enjoy during his break, and her fiancee, Richard, Trotty’s brought down even further by the remarks made by some upper class gentlemen. Pompous Alderman Cute and his two companions comment about the low lives of the poor. In doing so, they make Trotty, Meg and Richard feel hopeless, as if they hadn’t even the right to exist.

Upon hearing the bells tolling later that night, a suicidal Trotty is drawn to climb the church tower. There the old man encounters the spirits of the bells and their goblin attendants. They scold him for losing faith in humanity. To teach Trotty a lesson, they offer him a look at how beak his loved ones’ lives would become, if not for his continual love and encouragement. Much like Scrooge, Trotty wakes up in his own home, as the chimes ring in the New Year. As in “A Christmas Carol,” Trotty Veck comes to understand the value of savoring living in the present and offering help to those less fortunate than him, whenever possible. This is the means for assuring a brighter future for his family, friends and everyone around him.What Charles Dickens did for Christmas with his popular novella, “A Christmas Carol,” this second, in a series of of five holiday morality stories, does for New Years Eve. Both books contain strong social messages and, with the way 2020 has gone, Artistic Director Nick Sandys felt this was a perfect offering for today’s audiences. Mr. Sandys not only adapted Dickens’ work, he plays all the roles, delivering his well-rehearsed performance while sitting in the suggestion of a Victorian parlor. Bedecked in period garb, Nick’s one-man presentation is absolutely flawless. He IS Charles Dickens, the popular writer and showman, giving a public reading of his newly-published story. During the course of this 100-minute production, Mr. Sandys plays both narrator and a variety of other roles, making each character three-dimensional, with just a slight change in dialect, vocal quality and posture.

This magnificent, polished production is, understandably, more talk than action. But, it allows the viewer to use his own imagination as he joins Nick Sandys in creating images and painting pictures with Dickens’ words. The play is nicely stage managed by Mara Sagal and Ian Frank works a special magic as Video Editor. While the production takes place entirely in a single location, the lovely English sitting room is perfectly appropriate. Sound effects, evocative background music and unique lighting all help indicate mood and locale. All-in-all, this excellent one-man performance is another perfect production by one of Chicago’s finest theatres.    

Highly Recommended

Reviewed by Colin Douglas

Presented December 7-January 3 by Remy Bumppo Theatre Company, available for on-demand streaming.

Tickets are available by calling 773-244-8119 or by going to www.RemyBumppo.org/Shows/Chimes.

Additional information about this and other area productions can be found by visiting www.theatreinchicago.com.