Richie has not lost his charm

Review: Scrooge, Alexandra Theatre

Christmas may have been almost a month ago, but any January blues melted away as soon as Shane Richie burst onto stage in the musical Scrooge.The ex-EastEnder ditched his trademark Cockney accent to play the miser Ebenezer, but luckily had lost none of his cheeky charm.

The former Pontins Bluecoat was barely recognisable to fans as he wore make-up to age him and adopted a shuffling gait. But he earned an extra cheer at the end of the show by ripping off his grey wig and taking a bow.

The show is packed with toe-tapping original musical pieces and Richie is well supported by fellow cast members.

Spectacular stage effects, which see ghouls and ghosts appearing from nowhere before vanishing into thin air, will leave even the most eagle-eyed audience member guessing.

With a fantastic musical score, stand-out performances and impressive stage effects, my advice is not to wait until next Christmas to catch the show.

By Emma Sloper