The Nov. 20 performance of “A Christmas Carol” was very different — and very entertaining.

Director and narrator, Jonathan Thompson’s updated version of this holiday classic kept the audience spellbound from start to finish.  

One of the first surprises of the evening was the dawning realization that Scrooge was wearing pink pig slippers under his evening gown. Laughter rippled through the audience as one after another, the audience caught on.

The production was complete with remarkable sets, which were accented by stage lighting and sound effects to set the tone for each scene. The cast was large, with about 35 actors and actresses playing out their parts.

There was no typecasting here as Jana Ashe portrayed Bob Cratchit and Arianna Fournier played the young boy, Peter Cratchit.

The ghostly Bob Marley was played by Dennis Folker, while the winsome ghost of Christmas Present was played by Christy Zornes and the sad girl, Caroline, was played by Cheyann Quattlebaum.

Lee Thomas played a Scrooge with a mind of his own, as he and the narrator bantered off-script at several points in the show. There was a great deal of audience participation as well, as cast members walked out among the audience, while they ate their dinner.

Toward the end of the performance, cast members gave the audience an opportunity to vote on the play ending with either a sad or a happy ending.

The happy ending won the day and Scrooge repented and changed his ways.