A CHRISTMAS CAROL at Greenwich Theatre

Our modern idea of Christmas is almost entirely down to Charles Dickens – he’s why the iconography of the festive season remains so steadfastly Victorian. And to prove the point, actor John O’Connor gave a beautiful rendition at Greenwich Theatre of the great man staging one of his legendary public readings of his ghostly classic, A Christmas Carol.

The European Arts Company production, directed by Peter Craze, nailed Dickens’ magical ability to combine sentimentality, wit and unsparing social criticism in his morality tale about the redemption of Ebenezer Scrooge.

Dickens himself read the story to an audience in Greenwich in 1866. And I wouldn’t mind betting that O’Connor’s bravura performance 153 years later would have won the genius author’s undying admiration both as a piece of theatre and as a tribute to its creator.

O’Connor will be reprising this fine 90-minute

production, which also raises funds for Great Ormond Street children’s hospital, at Greenwich Theatre on December 23 and I can’t recommend it highly enough. It’s a perfect distillation of the spirit of the season.

Tickets and details at https://www.greenwichtheatre.org.uk/events/christmas-carol