Why Colombo Can’t Miss This Christmas Carol

By Tyron Devotta

Final Weekend at the Lionel Wendt – A Magical, Big-Hearted Spectacle That’s Already Winning Audiences Over

When Dr. Sean Amarasekera steps on stage each night in Jehan Aloysius’ A Christmas Carol, he is in a story he has lived with for decades — one that still finds a way to surprise him each time he visits it.

Colombo’s theatre lovers know Sean as one of the most distinctive voices on our stage, a performer with a career that stretches from South Pacific in the early 90s, to Shakespeare, to Jerome de Silva’s classic "Fiddler on the Roof", to countless musicals with the Workshop Players. But even with a lifetime in the theatre, Sean insists this production of “A Christmas Carol” is something truly different — something Colombo rarely attempts, and something that may not come again for years.

And it is only on for four more days.

A Dickens Classic — But Unlike Any Seen Here
A Christmas Carol has been staged, filmed, animated, modernised, and reinvented for nearly 180 years. But what Aloysius has created is not another retelling — it’s a full re-imagining through his own unmistakable lens:

Lavish Victoriana fused with fantasy
Sweeping original music
Cinematic lighting and movement
A deep emotional core that strips the story back to its humanity

“This version has magic,” Sean explains, “but it doesn’t rely only on magic. It’s not a shortcut to redemption. It is profoundly human. Scrooge changes because he finally understands people. He empathises. And that message feels desperately needed in the world today.” It’s a story of connection, community, transformation — and Colombo, in this season, is hungry for that.

Every Character Shines
One of the things that makes this production so unexpectedly moving is how balanced it is. “In many productions, Scrooge dominates everything. Here, everyone has a moment to shine,” Sean says. “Every ensemble member. Every featured role. Every ghost. Even the children.”

Jehan has expanded Dickens’ characters thoughtfully, retaining the recognisable structure of the Victorian novel, but making the relationships more nuanced, more textured, and more intertwined. In fact, in a moment that is not in Dickens’ book, the entire cast ends the story together on stage — a powerful symbol of unity.

A True Jehan Aloysius Experience
People familiar with Aloysius’ work know what to expect — and this production delivers it all:

Ravishing costumes inspired by the original 1843 illustrations
Rich, atmospheric lighting
Meticulous choreographic detail
A score that swells, whispers, startles, and comforts
A sense of being transported somewhere else entirely

A Christmas Carol The Musical

But perhaps the most unexpected delight is what happens before the curtain even rises. The show begins in the Wendt lobby, where the carolers step out — lanterns in hand — greeting the arriving audience with live Christmas carols. “The entire lobby lights up,” Sean says. “People walk in smiling, surprised, suddenly in a Christmas mood. You win them over even before you begin.”

And in November’s cool evenings, with Colombo feeling uncharacteristically wintry, the effect is magical. It feels like stepping into Dickens’ London… without ever leaving Guildford Crescent.

A True Family Show
This A Christmas Carol is not the kind of adult-only “festive entertainment” Colombo is used to — it is intentionally crafted as a total family experience. Sean’s own twin daughters appear as Tiny Tim’s sisters. Children, teens, young performers, veteran actors, grandparents — the cast itself mirrors the audiences the show is meant for.

“It’s one of the few Christmas productions that is genuinely for everybody,” Sean says. “It’s heartfelt. It’s warm. And it’s a perfect way for a family to enter the season together.”

Why You Must See It Now
Christmas will get frantic soon — the office parties, school events, carol services, church programmes, family dinners.

“This is the pre-party for Christmas,” Sean laughs. “The perfect moment before the madness. And honestly, I don’t think a musical of this scale and this heart will come again soon.”

There are only four shows left. Tickets are moving fast. And the production is one of those rare ones Colombo will talk about long after the season fades.

Don’t Miss the Magic – Final Weekend at the Lionel Wendt
Whether you know Dickens’ classic or not, this version feels fresh, alive, and unexpectedly emotional. It is the kind of show that leaves you smiling… and thinking. It is the kind of show that reminds us what Christmas can be. And it is, without question, one of the most visually beautiful productions Colombo has staged this year.

This is one to take your children to. One to bring your parents to. One to treat yourself to.

Four shows. One weekend. A timeless story brought back to life.

Grab your seats now — before Ebenezer Scrooge closes his ledger for the season.

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