A Christmas Carol - (Modern Plays) by Gary Owen & Charles Dickens (Paperback)

Book Synopsis

The traditional Christmas classic novel by Charles Dickens adapted for the stage by award-winning playwright Gary Owen.

Tucked up in his old, decaying house on a cold Christmas Eve, lonely, curmudgeonly Scrooge hears the rattle of chains and strange wailing noises: it's the ghost of his old business partner, Marley, come to warn Scrooge that if he doesn't change his ways, he will suffer a terrible fate. Whilst Scrooge meets the three Ghosts of Christmas Past, Present and Future, he must learn to embrace the true spirit of Christmas before it's too late.

Gary Owen's adaptation translates the novel's narrative fluently and portrays the Dickensian caricatures with flair and fun but not crudeness. Whilst translating the novel for the stage, he also refreshes the 1843 morality tale of ghosts, poverty, avarice and the redemptive power of compassion for a 21st century audience.

Review Quotes

"An impressive adaptation for our times... This is a rousing family show, with belly laughs and cheering songs, yet it also presents the dark side of Dickens's tale with tremendous boldness...There are lots of contemporary references and echoes...but the production, which is boisterous and thoughtful in equal measure, retains a Victorian sternness....Hugely likable show is confident enough to work with that, and meld it with our world." --The Guardian

About the Author

Gary Owen is an award-winning Welsh playwright. Gary won the George Devine and Meyer Whitworth Award for his play The Shadow of a Boy and The Pearson Best Play Award for The Drowned World. Gary is currenlty working on an original series for BBC Wales called The Fabulous Baker Boys which he is co-writing with Helen Raynor and is under commission for the National Theatre of Scotland.