A Christmas Carol will be reimagined this December by award-winning theatre company Wonderheads—bringing the classic Charles Dickens’ story to Victoria’s McPherson Playhouse.
Co-founders and performers Kate Braidwood and Andrew Phoenix say they’ve turned the story into a play where expressions speak louder than words—omitting words entirely.
“Wonderheads is a full-face mask and theatre company. We also like to say that we are visual storytelling or live-action animation. That’s our finance elevator pitch,” says Phoenix. “But, really, that’s the heart of it, full-face masks that cover our entire heads and all kinds of puppetry, from small puppetry to 10-foot-tall backpack puppets.”
The masks and puppets used in Wonderheads are unique, transforming the actors into otherworldly creatures. However, in regards to other aspects of the play, Braidwood says the team took on the challenge of telling the timeless story without any words.
“The most unique aspect of our version of [A] Christmas Carol is that it’s entirely wordless,” says Braidwood. “Our full-face masks cover our entire faces, so there is no dialogue in the show, which I am sure people would be like… ‘How can you tell a Charles Dickens story without dialogue?’ But using the masks and puppets allows us to create a really inventive, whimsical, and very accessible version of the show.”
Wonderheads’ wordless approach invites the audience to experience A Christmas Carol freshly, Braidwood says, adding a touch of magic to the tale.
“Whereas more traditional interpretations might not have puppets and things like that,” says Braidwood, “our puppets can fly, they can be tiny, they can be huge, or we have a flying Ghost of Christmas Past and they go on a time travel together with Scrooge. It is a quite whimsical and magical version of the story.”
Braidwood says the reason the story can be told without words is thanks to the artistry and emotion of the cast.
“We’ve got masterful performers doing the puppetry and the mask performance. They are able to give new life, a new heart to the story,” she says. “The masks and the puppets are very distinctive, they have a lot of character sculpted into their faces, [and] when our performers wear the mask or when they animate a puppet, they use their whole body to communicate emotion.”
The masks and puppets brought to life by Wonderheads’ skilled performers create emotional depth that resonates with audiences, Phoenix says, even without dialogue.
“The biggest thing that people say when they see our work is that they swear they saw the masks move, like they swear they saw it change, saw it come to life. But they don’t move,” says Phoenix. “You really feel like it is living animation, like you are watching an animated version of [A] Christmas Carol, but live and it’s human. Or is it? You are not quite sure and [it] certainly elevates you to a kind of fantastical place, hence the name ‘Wonderheads.’ People are often surprised by how much emotion they feel in our shows.”
In regard to audiences’ emotional response, Phoenix reflects on the constant change and ongoing adaptation of the show each year.
“Every year we continue to work on it, it changes and adapts. We add characters, enhance the puppets, we are always working on [the show],” says Phoenix. “And that is the beauty of running your own company and being the co-creator. So even for those who may have seen it before, I think they might be surprised to see what is different about it.”
A Wonderheads Christmas Carol
7:30 pm Wednesday, December 18 and Thursday, December 19
2 pm and 7:30 pm Friday, December 20 and Saturday, December 21
Various prices, McPherson Playhouse
rmts.bc.ca