SERIOUSLY, who could say ‘bah humbug’ to the ultimate family feel super good musical? Okay this famous seasonal tale of counting your blessings instead of your change comes to Liverpool a few days shy of December. But while TV ads exhorting you to invest in a three piece sofa suite or a frozen prawn ring for Christmas might leave you desperate to leave the country, Scrooge enveloped the Empire audience in a warm tingle of anticipation.

Adapted from Charles Dickens' 1843 novel, A Christmas Carol, Scrooge stars Tommy Steele as the skinflint hero.

Visited on Christmas Eve by the ghosts of Christmases past, present and future Scrooge learns just in the nick of time where lasting value really lies.

A couple of weeks off 73, the legendary Steele just seems to improve with age. By now he probably couldn’t forget the lines if he wanted to, but his brilliant Scrooge crackles with so much energy it’s as the first time he did it.

From his nervy shuffling walk to bashful enjoyment at a family get together, Steele filled the stage with his Ebenezer, without ever resorting to hamminess. By turn you despised, pitied, chuckled at and finally celebrated with old Scrooge. His voice was in fine form as well.

The rollicking musical score features the Oscar nominated hit ‘Thank You Very Much’. The choral numbers, from discordant carols at the curtain opening to the joyous numbers at the end, were uplifting.

The stunning Dickensian sets and slick scene changes were the best of any Empire production this year. But the specially created illusions

by magician Paul Kieve, who conjured up the magical effects in the Harry Potter films, were what had crowds buzzing in the interval.

The ghost of Christmas Past vanished in and out of a mirror, while Scrooge’s departed sidekick Jacob Marley’s dramatic appearance drew shouts of surprise from the stalls.

It was a big production in every sense with a 35-strong cast and children drawn from Liverpool’s Elliot-Clarke Theatre School.

Geoffrey Abbott excellently played poor-but-happy Bob Cratchit without becoming saccharine and Barry Howard (Marley) James Head (Christmas present) made charismatic ghosts.

A snowy final scene and a triumphant flourish by Steele was enough to draw audience members to their feet a the end to give the Bill Kenwright production a standing ovation at the end, many likely already mentally dialling those long lost rellies to invite them round to Christmas lunch. Or at least a turkey buffet.