A Christmas Carol Goes Wrong (2017)

Following their disastrous production of “Peter Pan”, the Cornley Polytechnic amateur dramatic society have been banned from participating in this year’s “A Christmas Carol” with Sir Derek Jacobi. However, the enthusiastic amateurs, undeterred, nobble Sir Derek and the other cast members to stage their own version. There is dissent in the company when Chris (Henry Shields) and Robert (Henry Lewis) both want to play Scrooge, while nervous Dennis (Jonathan Sayer), as Bob Cratchit, has to read all of his lines off prop and Annie (Nancy Zamit) gets glued to her chair. When Lucy’s (Ellie Morris’) Tiny Tim is knocked out by falling scenery, the hulking Robert rather improbably must replace her. With faulty greenscreen special effects, and a seemingly romantic betrayal exposed, the company’s version seems doomed until Sandra’s (Charlie Russell’s) Aunt Diana (Dame Diana Rigg) comes to the rescue. —don @ minifie-1