I have always had a curious fascination for Charles Dickens and his bicentennial is an opportunity for me to further exploit my interest in this brilliant writer and performer who turned some of his own life experiences into some of the best comedy drama in British literature.
I inherited a bound set of Dickens’s works from my father (which I suspect he never actually read because the the fly covers were remarkable unblemished when I took ownership) and ploughed my way through most of the books while my imagination was further triggered by atmospheric film versions of his ‘greatest hits’. Hideously haggard ghosts and fragile dusty Miss Havishams enlivened my childhood imagination.
So, I can thoroughly recommend Simon Callow’s one-man-show of Dicken’s biggest hit, A Christmas Carol, a must for anybody trying to engender some festive spirit in these times of austerity – the similarities almost abound! So eschew the crowded London streets, ditch the shopping and spend some money on some great live theatre instead, or give a couple of tickets to your number one Dickens fan for Christmas.
“Callow is rapidly becoming as much a fixture of the holidays as figgy pudding and non-specific ennui” reads the publicity material. There is a five week run at the Arts Theatre, all clanking chains, booming clocks, smoke and mirrors (well, a moving screen) so plenty of time for you o get a dramatic Dickensian fix. Callow has already enjoyed huge international success with ‘The Mystery of Charles Dickens’ in the West End and on Broadway, and releases his Dickens biography next year so you're in expert hands.
A Christmas Carol is presented by Assembly and Riverside Studios at the Arts Theatre, London WC2 until 14th January 2012. 7.30pm (matinees 3.30pm) tickets from £12.50. Book HERE or call 020 7907 7092.
Lynne Parker.
