Dronfield Players’ It’s A Wonderful Life – 19 November 2025, Dronfield Civic Hall
Review by Nicola Bourne.
Having been a fan of this Frank Capra film for many years, I was intrigued to see how Mary Elliott Nelson’s adaptation of It’s a Wonderful Life fared on stage, with the added constraints of theatre and a live audience. Despite being essential viewing for our family every Christmas, and the bar being set rather high, I was more than happy to experience this story in a different format and see Dronfield Players put their own stamp on this beloved classic.
Fans of the film will already know the story follows George Bailey, a selfless businessman, down on his luck on Christmas Eve, in Bedford Falls, New York. George is feeling desperate and suicidal, due to financial worries, and is questioning what happened to the life he had planned. Intending to throw himself from a bridge, divine intervention comes in the form of Clarissa Odbody (Clarence in the film version), a guardian angel, who is sent from heaven to earn her wings, by helping George see the value of his life. Wishing he had never been born, George is shown snippets of how terrible things would be, in a reality where he had never existed. Inspired by Dickens’ A Christmas Carol, it’s a similar tale of hope and redemption and serves as a reminder to appreciate what really matters in life.
Director and assistant, Roger Bingham and David McClelland, have achieved something special with this production, and while they have maintained a certain gloominess in some scenes, reminiscent of the black and white film, there’s also an occasional injection of colour and the inclusion of a little more humour. Somehow, despite the underlying darker themes, they have made the show accessible to all ages.
The set design by John Pashley, though minimalistic, provides a great seasonal backdrop to all scenes, and the use of projected screened images, which change regularly to depict the high street or snowy landscape, for instance, gives the audience something new to look at without the burden of having to move the set around. The cloudy sky gives a heavenly feel whenever the angels are upstage and the wooden bridge, where George intends to end his life, always feels cold and wintry, due to the frosty background. The sound effects, by John Pashley and Richard Thompson, add to this atmosphere, with blizzard-like sounds, as George is transported to the new reality. I also found the sound of the war planes particularly emotive and realistic.
Costumes, by Donna Sweet and Joan Cohen, are representative of the era and include some great 1940’s tea dresses, gentlemen’s suits and soldier’s uniform, all adding to the sense of style, decency and simpler times. An intentional choice, or not, young Harry’s red hat and accessories also seem to offer a flash of colour in an almost monochrome early scene! Nostalgia shines through in the music and choreography too, and I loved the nod to the Charleston/swing dancing style at the prom and the wartime song, “Boogie Woogie Bugle Boy”. The old-style Christmas carollers were also a nice touch and I must admit to having a tear in my eye, at the very end, when all was well again and everyone was singing!
Dronfield Players have put on a show that was an absolute joy to watch; a testament to the hard work of all cast and crew. With a relatively large cast, it would be impossible to acknowledge everyone, although it needs saying that everyone was good in their roles. However, Daniel Roberts carried the show well, in the main role of George Bailey. His dialogue was always clear, his American accent good and he appeared comfortable playing the lead. I found Ian Brady’s Uncle Billy to be similarly strong too, and he seemed to immerse himself in his character, often enhancing his performance with subtle movements and gestures. Another favourite was Bert, the policeman, played by David McClelland, who stood out for his stage presence, voice and physicality.
So, after seeing It’s a Wonderful Life from a fresh perspective, it still has the same effect as the film and I suspect it will go down well with most audiences. It left me feeling festive and thankful, with my heart suitably warmed! Thank you, Dronfield Players for a lovely, sentimental production!
