‘A Child’s Christmas in Wales’: Where the Past Is Reborn

The cast of "A Child's Christmas in Wales." Carol Rosegg

NEW YORK—Part and parcel of every Christmas season is wistful nostalgia with the conjuring of memories from times gone by. Recollections may grow dimmer with each passing year, yet they still have a strong emotional pull. So it is with the Irish Repertory Theatre’s returning production of Dylan Thomas’s “A Child’s Christmas in Wales.” In it, a now-older Thomas, looks back on those times, and can’t remember if it snowed for six days straight when he was 12 or 12 days straight when he was 6.

Adapted for the stage and directed by Irish Rep artistic director Charlotte Moore, this marks the production’s 7th revival since its premiere in 2002.

A Christmas Classic

Dylan Thomas (1914–1953), who originally wrote the story for radio, demonstrated a clear gift for lyricism as the text’s words and phrases never fail to evoke a striking images. His masterful writing depicts an icy sea, empty snow-blown streets with the occasional bundled up pedestrian trudging by, and a deserted house with a sinister presence, as young Dylan and his friends discovered one cold, snowy Christmas Eve.

Also recalled in loving detail was a childhood hunt for the “dreaded and terrible-whiskered saber-clawed arctic tiger.” Thomas and his companions eagerly followed the creature’s tracks in the snow, arms filled with snowballs, ready to strike at any passing adversary.

Reed Lancaster, Polly McKie, and the cast of "A Child's Christmas in Wales." Carol Rosegg

The poet’s memories are remembered, and sometimes reenacted, by the six-member ensemble. Musical director David Hancock Turner is onstage at the piano. Woven in with these recollections are various Christmas songs, both old and new, some sung solo, and others offered up by the entire cast. 

This nostalgic holiday experience unfolds the moment one walks into the theater and sees Colm McNally’s beautifully decorated and intimate set. It calls to mind an old-fashioned parlor or sitting room adorned with Christmas trees, wreaths, and stockings hung over the hearth. Many boxes of impeccably wrapped presents are each tied with a bow and placed about the stage.

For those of us unfamiliar with old-fashioned Welsh holiday treats, a glossary of terms in the show program is nice to have—particularly when it comes to things like laverbread and cockles, Welshcakes and crawl. Even so, the festivities sweep the audience along and the details become less important than the holiday frivolity. 

Kimberly Doreen Burns and the cast of "A Child's Christmas in Wales." Carol Rosegg

The musical has an air of quiet wistfulness. Among the mounds of food, heaps of presents, and busy family get-togethers are mentions of the relatives you only see once a year, including elderly aunts “posed and brittle” and “afraid to break, like faded cups and saucers.” There’s some genial family gossip that both gently chides and excuses the actions of those who imbibe the holiday spirit a little too enthusiastically. But Christmas is a place where everyone is welcomed, even those you may be glad to see only once every 12 months.

Charlotte Moore’s score is delightful, offering a mix of well-known and lesser-known Christmas tunes, as well as songs written especially for the production, like “Open Your Eyes” and “Take My Hand, Tomorrow’s Christmas.” Both look toward the future and remind listeners that there are still memories to be made in times to come. Several songs (including “Silent Night”) are sung in Welsh, along with a very enjoyable Christmas carol medley.

Standouts among the cast include Ashley Robinson, who at times takes on the character of Dylan’s father, and who delivers every line with joyful relish. Reed Lancaster’s rendition of “I Don’t Want a Lot for Christmas” is a complete delight as he embodies the young Dylan Thomas recounting his wants and desires. However, it might have worked better if he sang the entire song himself instead of it being shared with other cast members.

Ashley Robinson and Reed Lancaster (C), and the cast of "A Child's Christmas in Wales." Carol Rosegg

There’s more than a little rueful acceptance as Dylan recalls how incorrigible he was as a youngster. The adults, including Dylan’s father and an aged park watchman (Howard McGillin), admonish a group of boisterous children for causing trouble. The watchman, though, admits to himself how he was just like them at that age.

McGillin also throws himself enthusiastically into the delightful “Miss Fogarty’s Christmas Cake,” which tells of an annual dessert whom all would be wise to avoid. Ali Ewoldt, who has a particularly fine singing voice, soars with “In the Bleak Midwinter” and “O Holy Night.”

As the song goes, if you’re looking for something with “scary ghost stories” (well, one anyway) “and tales of the glories of Christmases long, long ago,” look no further than “A Child’s Christmas in Wales.” The Irish Rep offers a chance to experience a “never to be forgotten day at the end of the unremembered year” as it presents a tale that’s heartwarming, magical, and certainly not to be missed. 

‘A Child’s Christmas in Wales’ Irish Repertory Theatre 132 W. 22nd St., New York Tickets: 212-727-2737 or IrishRep.org Running time: 1 hour, 15 minutes (no intermission) Closes: Dec. 29, 2024

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