A Christmas Carol worthy of no bah humbug
Gerald Dickens, the great great great grandson of famed author Charles Dickens, performed a one-man show of “A Christmas Carol” at the Cape Henlopen High School auditorium Dec. 9. The performance was made possible by the Lewes Public Spoken Word Society working with Byers Choice to bring Dickens back for his second performance in the area. Last year’s show sold out and was held at the Lewes Public Library. In preparation of a larger crowd, a new venue was needed.
On the brink of becoming an annual tradition in Lewes, the show is a masterful mashup of the original story and later interpretations that caught the eye of Gerald. An actor by trade, Gerald first began performing the one-man show at the request of a charity that needed fundraising. During the post-show interview, Gerald offered up a brief masterclass in acting by explaining how he was able to capture the essence of each character. The actor brilliantly slipped into Ebenezer Scrooge as he offered up the very first description of the squeezing, wrenching, grasping, scraping, clutching, covetous, old sinner!
Gerald informed the audience that while he draws from each version of the classic tale he experiences, there were three that stood out most to him. The 1951 version starring Alastair Sim took home the highest honor in his top hat, but he also pointed out the brilliant performance of the 1984 version that featured George C. Scott. Gerald felt Scott played the role of a shrewd businessman appropriately, as Scrooge was accomplished and respected for his business acumen. Both versions received cheers from the audience, but the third title netted laughter in addition to applause. Gerald said The Muppet Christmas Carol was one of his favorites because it is one of, if not the only version, that contains text directly lifted from the book.
The event was free thanks to grants from M&T Bank and Sussex County Council and funding from The Lewes Spoken Word Society, who receives grants from Delaware Humanities. Donations to the Lewes Public Library can be made at mygiving.net/donate/LewesLibrary.
