If you imagine that Charles Dickens was ever blue and furry and hung around with a rat, you are half-way to enjoying this irreverent Muppet version of the author's classic seasonal story.

The Great Gonzo appears as Dickens, who narrates the tale with his sidekick Rizzo the Rat, quipping and wisecracking to keep both kids and adults amused.

Michael Caine, the only human member of the cast as the miserly Scrooge, blends so well with the Muppet characters that Muppet and human are indistinguishable.

Paul Williams's songs are apt and tuneful in a lively, colourful and witty show which Caine may well remember with affection as one of the highpoints in the latter stages of his chequered career.