"It’s a hopeful, optimistic, uplifting story at its heart" Mitch Benn on 'A Christmas Carol'

Out of all the Christmas tales out there, why did you specifically choose ‘A Christmas Carol’ to perform?

It’s my favourite Christmas story, my favourite Dickens story, my favourite story about London and perhaps my favourite story of all. Its power never diminishes however many times you read, hear or see it.

How did you find The Space and how do you think our venue fits your performance?

I think it’ll be absolutely perfect. Wonderfully atmospheric; it can be cosy or bleak depending on how the audience is feeling at that moment, which is ideal for A Christmas Carol.

What’s your favourite version of ‘A Christmas Carol’? The original version, the Jim Carrey version, the Muppets version, or something even better?

My FAVOURITE version is Dickens’s original book, but if we’re talking movie adaptations I’m very fond of a slightly lesser known TV movie from 1984 starring George C Scott.

You’ve already done a recording of ‘A Christmas Carol’, why did you decide to do a live version of this story? Do you think performing it live will give the story a different feeling versus the audio recording?

Well for a start it’s shorter; the whole book takes about three and a half hours to read out but I’ll be working from Dickens’s own abridged “performance text” which he used when he gave live readings of the story himself. That only lasts about an hour and fifteen minutes.

In the recent political climate, how do you think this story is relevant? Do you think spreading ‘Christmas Spirit’ can truly help others?

I think it’s truer and more relevant than ever, sadly enough. But it’s a hopeful, optimistic, uplifting story at its heart and we could always use some of that.

December 18th, 2019

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