In The Tiger Lillies’ Christmas Carol: A Victorian Gutter, the post-punk pioneers present a dark musical twist on Charles Dickens’ classic.
The trio dissect and reassemble the story that everyone knows to shine a light on the poverty and depravity laid bare on the cold London streets. The world of The Tiger Lillies is dark, peculiar and varied, with moments of deep sadness, cruel black humour and immense beauty. Their songs cover all the dark aspects of life, from prostitution and drug addiction to violence and despair. The music is a mixture of pre-war Berlin cabaret, anarchic opera and gypsy music. Part Grand Guignol, part seedy vaudeville, part grunge cabaret, The Tiger Lillies never cease to shock, surprise and entertain.
“There is so much to admire in the writing of Charles Dickens. He tells wonderful stories . A Christmas Carol is one of the best. So writing a song cycle to tell the story was easy. The fact that Dickens characters are filled with insight into all our frailties and faults made that songwriting even more enjoyable. What’s so great about this story is Scrooge and his journey from selfish monster to regretful benefactor. It’s made comedic by the fact the three ghosts of past present and future literally terrify him into transformation. What a writer he was!”
“Our musical version of Christmas Carol strips the story back to its fundamental narrative elements of social inequality and the ever present fear of death due to poverty and starvation. A haunting soundtrack of minimalist instruments capture the cold Victorian streets of London but also show the hope of human connection over greed and ignorance.”
A Chistmas Carol will be premiered from 14-30 December in a show at the Southbank Centre in London.