Christmas is here and with it those days when we would like to believe that all our wishes may come true, and also when we perhaps think about second chances which life may give us. These are days on which we can also reflect on our actions throughout the year and whether we might change something.
This is exactly what happens to Mr Scrooge, the character in Charles Dickens´ “A Christmas Story”, one of the classic works in English literary fiction. Our KS1 students really enjoyed this beautiful Christmas story in an interpretation by the La Bicicleta theatre company, adapted by Ana María Boudeguer and staged at the Sanpol Theatre in Madrid.
Ebenezer Scrooge is a mean and bad-tempered man who hates Christmas and everything to do with it. He is totally selfish and rejects everything that isn´t about making money. After he refuses his nephews´ invitation to dinner on Christmas Eve, his life is suddenly changed when he is visited that evening by three ghosts. They show him his past, present and future, letting him know what will become of him and his family. Mr Scrooge has to face up to all his miserly deeds, both large and small and he has to re-live all his previous bad behaviour. In one night, in an incredible dream, Scrooge learns a lot very quickly. He learns, for example, that we can´t just look at material things on earth, but that we also need to look to the stars and find a shinning light to guide us. And also, above all, that nobody can go through life without love. On this night, Scrooge learns to reflect on his attitude towards life and towards other people.
This is also undoubtedly, a great opportunity for our children to learn the value of re-evaluating things and the need to change things that we do wrong. At the same time, they have also enjoyed one of the best classics in English literature.