By Taylor Clements

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Cast and crew of UK’s Department of Theatre said their rendition of “A Christmas Carol” will be a unique take on possibly the most renowned Christmas story.

The classic Charles Dickens tale comes to UK’s Guignol Theatre at 7:30 p.m. Thursday for the opening performance.

Theatre sophomore Rob Miller, who plays the protagonist Ebenezer Scrooge, described the plot as, “a bitter man redeeming himself through love and Christmas joy.”

This year, however, it’s a holiday classic with a twist.

“I can just about guarantee that you’ve never seen this take on ‘A Christmas Carol,’” said theatre and ISC sophomore Katie Noble. “The playwright intended for the show to only be done with six people playing all the roles. It relies on the ensemble to do just about everything.”

The department brought expert on “A Christmas Carol” and former Woodford County Theatre artistic director Beth Kirchner to direct the show and visiting lecturer of dance Ariella Brown to choreograph.

Kirchner chose an ensemble-based rendition of “A Christmas Carol” by Neil Duffield, meaning that each cast member plays several roles.

Noble plays three roles: Mrs. Fezziwig, Chorus 1 and Charitable Lady.

“It’s been a blast to have the chance to be all of these characters,” Noble said. “It’s always a challenge to make each one of them different from the next.”

Miller said that this year’s production breaks the fourth wall, a phenomenon in which the actors speak directly to audience members rather than act out the story.

“The whole ensemble comes out as storytellers and they sort of piece together the story of ‘A Christmas Carol.’ pulling pieces from our [set] to form the different scenes,” he said.

This year, audiences should expect a dash of quirk and whimsy as Brown will make her choreographic debut on the Guignol stage.

Brown describes her choreography as a lively, joyous folk dance with partnering.

She said she set the movement first then let the actors interweave their character’s personalities, making the movements unique.

“She’s pretty fun to work with because, although she obviously had an idea of what she wanted in the dance, she gave us the flexibility to make the dance our own for the character,” Noble said.

“The audience should expect to see actors engaging with them from beginning to end and hopefully they’ll leave filled with Christmas cheer.”

“I really enjoyed (working with Ariella). She adjusted things for us when steps got complicated,” theatre and arts administration sophomore Liz Ellis said. “I’m excited just to see how people react.”

Ellis plays Mrs. Cratchit, the Ghost of Christmas Future and performs in Ariella’s choreography.

“The audience should expect a warm, heartfelt story about someone discovering their true colors,” Brown said. “It’s a great way to start the holiday season and bring in the spirit of giving and joy. The audience will leave the theatre with a sense of satisfaction in the character development.”

The theatre department website promises audiences a, “hearty helping of nostalgia with a sprinkling of the supernatural.”

“Sound cues, elaborate lighting cues, singing and costumes come together to create this really impressive picture,” Miller said. “It’s a classic Christmas tale told in an exciting, engaging way.”

The show runs Thursday through Saturday at 7:30 p.m. with matinees on Saturday and Sunday at 2 p.m. Tickets are $10 for students and $15 for general admission.