Dolly Parton’s Smoky Mountain Christmas Carol review humbug hoedown

Parton’s music is as warming as ever but a snowfall of schmaltz and minimal menace make this Dickens adaptation sickly sweet

Corey Wickens as the spirit of Christmas Future and Robert Bathurst as Scrooge in Dolly Parton’s Smoky Mountain Christmas Carol

stuffed into hand-knitted sweaters and assembled for hoedowns as they sing Dolly Parton’s festive songs

This twist on Charles Dickens’ Christmas staple is nothing if not novel.

But sickly sweet and simply not spooky enough, it is also one just for Parton’s diehard following.

With Parton writing the music and lyrics, the songs and the band do not disappoint

There are infectious bluegrass numbers like Smoky Mountain Christmas, and beautiful, meditative ones like Appalachian Snowfall

Dolly”, especially in the mouth of Vicki Lee Taylor who plays various characters including Mrs Cratchit and sings gloriously