Celebrate the Holidays with NeverlandNEXT Chapter's 'A Christmas Carol'

“You will be haunted by three spirits this Christmas Eve.”

NeverlandNext Chapter is excited to perform Charles Dickens’s classic novel A Christmas Carol. Ebenezer Scrooge doesn’t believe in the spirit of Christmas and disapproves of the festive delights. On Christmas Eve, he is visited by three ghosts who show him events from his past, present, and future.

A Christmas Carol has been read and performed for audiences since 1843. Andrew Diskes and Tony Bellerose have wanted to be involved in staging A Christmas Carol for many years and decided to present it for the NeverlandNext Chapter holiday show.

Neverland Theatre started in 1990. Producer and assistant director Andrew Diskes has produced 265 musicals and non-musicals year-round, featuring over 5,000 children and adults. In 2022, Diskes decided to start a new branch and produce more off-beat content, thus creating the new name ‘NeverlandNext Chapter.’

Lynn resident Tony Bellerose directs A Christmas Carol in his debut community theatre production. Bellerose has acted in several shows over the last thirty years. Some of his favorites include playing Donkey in Shrek and Willy Wonka in Charlie and the Chocolate Factory. He also wrote and directed a staged reading of his own play, Trinity.

“I chose to direct this production because I love the story very, VERY much,” Bellerose comments. He immediately started planning, preparing, and making creative changes to this well-known story. Most importantly, Bellerose focused intently on honest portrayals of characters and themes in Dickens’s work.

In addition to directing, Bellerose also plays Ebenezer Scrooge, a bucket list role for many years. Bellerose drew from his own personal experiences to peel away layers of Scrooge's emotions. “Scrooge is the best of us and the worst in us all,” Bellerose explains. “We hope to learn from our past and to forgive ourselves as well.”

NeverlandNext Chapter assembles some new actors, mixed with veteran performers. Actors have explored their characters and the story’s themes in rehearsals. They’ve also been learning cockney accents. “It’s the closest theater family I’ve ever had,” Swampscott resident Joshua Madruga (Jacob Marley) adds, “We laugh, cry, and overall have a lot of fun.”

This is not the Christmas Carol show audiences will expect. Get ready to witness a new telling of A Christmas Carol, adapted by Jack Babb, who gave the theater creative liberties to make changes where Bellerose saw fit. Scenes, dialogue, or new character depth were added to bring fresh light to the show.

A Christmas Carol will be performed at the Peabody Black Box. This space allows the team to add projections, lighting, and set decoration to enhance the atmosphere. Music propels the show's emotional resonance. Peabody resident Nadia Robertson Gemma, who plays the Ghost of Christmas Past, is delighted to wear her own wedding dress for her costume.

The cast doesn’t have one favorite scene, but several they’re excited for audiences to see. There’s a surprise or two. Prepare to dance in the party scenes and be thrilled by Marley’s spooky visit to Scrooge.

What is the message of A Christmas Carol? Lynn resident Savannah Finnegan (Lily) explains it wonderfully, “The most important aspect of A Christmas Carol that audiences should walk away with is that no matter our differences, the holiday season is a time for love and forgiveness, and everyone, even Scrooge, deserves a second chance.”

NeverlandNEXT Chapter performs A Christmas Carol at Peabody Black Box in Peabody, MA from December 13 through December 15. It’s a joyful production of a classic story brought to new life by this cast and crew’s hard work and love.

Come and be haunted!