A Christmas Carol

By Charles Dickens

Directed by Scott R. Brill

Adapted and Performed by Patrick R. Spadaccino 

Music by Nick Bicât

Produced by special arrangement with WriteStuff Creative Services, LLC.

Music used by special arrangement with the composer.

A one-man adaptation of the Charles Dickens' A Christmas Carol.  This classic 19th Century tale of the greed, bitterness and the harsh reality of life in that period is in stark contrast to the joyous Christmas season.  Patrick Spadaccino plays 25 different roles in the 90 minute performance and brings each character to life.  

Author’s Note

I HAVE been an enthusiastic admirer of Charles Dickens’ A Christmas Carol since childhood; this “ghostly little book” captivated me the very first time I read it. The story, with its unforgettable characters and timeless themes, included three of my favorite narrative elements: Christmas, the supernatural, and personal transformation.

I loved the novel so much that, in unknowing imitation of Dickens’ own public readings, I soon began performing the tale for my family every Christmas Eve, with my younger relatives all taking part. Later, I wrote a full-scale musical version, and now, this solo adaptation. I own at least twenty different editions of the book and all the well-known film and television versions.

I’ve often wondered why this tale has endured, and why it continues to so deeply move me. Thematically, I am most affected by Scrooge’s dramatic repentance at the end of the novel, and by the beautiful ways his newfound generosity and love of life enriches everyone around him. 

Scrooge’s transformation reminds us that we can, in fact, change for the better, and Marley distilled the practical aspects of this theme down to a single concept: people, working kindly in their various spheres of influence, can have a profoundly positive influence upon those nearest them, and even upon the larger world.

Even so, why create another adaptation, considering the number of versions that already exist? I discovered that while many people have experienced some variant of this tale, surprisingly few have actually read the novel. Having been a lifetime supporter of theatre, I wanted to bring the book’s uplifting message to the stage using Dickens’ own dialogue, narrative style, and descriptive imagery. I resolved to keep my edits to a minimum, and to provide an experience akin to hearing someone read the book aloud, complete with vivid character portrayals and all the emotional impact of the original work.

I was inspired to adopt this format after seeing Sir Patrick Stewart perform the novel as a solo play on Broadway. Though I’d participated in many theatrical interpretations of the story, seeing it produced in that manner was a revelation. I was awed by the fact that one actor, on a virtually empty stage, was able to stir my emotions and paint such vivid pictures in my mind. The goal to write my own stage version was therefore born of a desire to preserve both the story itself, and this powerful method of telling that story.

I’m grateful that you, too, appreciate the original novel. Whether this is the first time you’ve heard this tale or the hundredth, I hope this version of A Christmas Carol inspires and delights you, engages both your imagination and your heart, and helps you enter into the joyous spirit of the season.

Faithfully,

P.R.S.

December 2021

Antiquated Words, Phrases and Customs found in “A Christmas Carol”

Bah! Humbug! Scrooge’s famous, oft-quoted expression: “bah” is an expression of disdain or contempt; “humbug”” is another word for “fraud” or “cheat.” 

Clerk: Someone who worked with records, accounts, letters, etc. This word is actually pronounced “clark” in England because the word was originally spelled that way. When the spelling changed to “clerk,” English people continued to pronounce it as they always had. However, Americans pronounce “er” just as it’s spelled, leading to the divergence of pronunciations.

Counting house: a counting house had several purposes in 19th-century England. It often served as an accounting firm, where money was invested and sometimes banked. A counting house could also exchange foreign currency for English currency, and vice versa. In addition to these functions, a counting house may also have served as a money-lending institution (in the novel, there is an oblique reference to Scrooge loaning money, either from his own resources or during the course of his business dealings).

Comforter: a long, woolen scarf—not the large, thick blanket that the term describes today. A comforter is Bob Cratchit’s only outdoor garment, besides his everyday clothing and hat. More well-to-do men would also own a greatcoat, which provided much more protection against the elements.

Fifteen shillings: Bob Cratchit’s weekly wages, paid for sixty hours of work per week. In the 1800s, fifteen schillings equated to about £89.78, or $120.19 in today’s dollars. As if those wages weren’t low enough, the novel implies that the only paid holiday Scrooge provides is Christmas Day—and even that is a grudging concession.

Half a crown: two and a half shillings. This is the amount of the tip Scrooge gave the boy for fetching the Poulterer. Since Scrooge’s clerk makes only fifteen shillings for an entire week’s work, this is quite a generous gratuity; it illustrates Scrooge’s newfound generosity.

Bedlam: a corrupted form of the word “Bethlehem.” This term referred to the Bethlehem Royal Hospital in London, a famous sanatorium for the mentally ill. The word “bedlam” came to stand for all such institutions, and was later used as slang for chaos and confusion. So, when Scrooge says, “I’ll retire to Bedlam,” he is essentially asserting that the day he understands why people would wish each other a merry Christmas is the same day he is likely to be committed to an institution like “Bedlam.”

Waistcoat (pronounced “weskit”): a sleeveless upper body garment, or vest; very popular in men’s fashions of the day among rich and poor alike.

Liberality: in 19th-century England, this term meant “generosity” in the financial sense.

Prisons, union workhouses: Scrooge mentions these institutions as resources the poor must utilize if they can’t support themselves. In the novel, he also mentions The Treadmill and the Poor Law.

Under these programs, families were often separated (sometimes to prevent them from further procreation), never to be reunited. People were worked so hard at the treadmill that they sometimes died from the strain.

Debtors prisons were similar to workhouses, in that the poor were literally forced to work off their debt via hard labor.

Dip: a candle, so named because of the way candles were sometimes made during this time period: by repeatedly dipping a wick into hot wax or animal fat.

Gruel: a thinner version of porridge composed of oatmeal (or other meal) boiled in milk or water. It was often consumed as a home remedy for various ailments. (Scrooge has a head cold during the events portrayed in the novel.)

Bells hanging in rooms: bells were often used to summon servants from other parts of the house. This is the case in Scrooge’s chambers, though no one has used the bell for years.

Fettered: chained.

Fire extinguisher: this device, which also doubles as a cap for the Ghost of Christmas Past, resembled a large megaphone (though the smaller end would have been sealed). It was intended for use with small household fires. Placing the extinguisher over the flames starved the fire of oxygen. The extinguisher cap serves as a metaphor for mankind’s tendency to ignore or even suppress the lessons (or light) that the past can provide.

Twelfth-cake: a cake made for a Twelfth Night celebration (also called the Feast of the Epiphany). It typically contained a bean or a coin for determining the “ruler” of the feast. The cake contained spices like cloves, mace, nutmeg and cinnamon along with dried fruits like raisins and candied orange or lemon peel.

Mince pies: A sweet pie of English origin, filled with a mixture of dried fruits and spices called “mincemeat,” traditionally served during the Christmas season.

Plum pudding: Despite the name, this pudding contains no plums. It is called plum pudding because the pre-Victorian word “plums” actually meant “raisins,” and this dessert has those in abundance.

The pudding is also composed of many other dried fruits held together by egg and suet, sometimes moistened by molasses and flavored with cinnamon, nutmeg, cloves, ginger, and other spices. The pudding is usually aged for a month or more. Its high alcohol content prevents the pudding from spoiling and keeps it moist and fresh.

Dowerless: a term used by Scrooge’s fiancée in Christmas past. This term means “without a dowry,” or the money, goods, or estate that a wife of this time period would typically bring to a marriage. In other words, Scrooge’s fiancée was a poor woman, with “only herself” to offer. Given his growing obsession with wealth, Scrooge would have found it unthinkable to marry such a woman.

Hob: a shelf, grate or bench at the rear or side of a fireplace; used to store utensils or to keep food and drinks warm.

Charwoman: essentially, a housekeeper—literally, one who “does chores” in a home for wages. Though not explicitly mentioned, it is implied that Scrooge employed a charwoman in his home. When he dies in the future, she has so little regard for him that she steals his belongings and sells them, profiting by his death as he so often profited at the expense of others during his life.

Laundress: it is also implied that Scrooge employed a household laundress, who, like the charwoman, steals from him after his death.

Bed curtains: since heating fuel was expensive and home insulation was not yet used, curtains were often employed in beds of this time period to minimize drafts and retain the body heat of the sleeping person.

Cab: slang, with essentially the same meaning as today: a conveyance people could hire to take them from one place in the city to another. The term is the shortened form of the French word “cabriolet,” meaning, “to leap.” At the time of this story, of course, the cab was not a motorized vehicle but a horse-drawn carriage.

Smoking Bishop: a type of mulled wine, punch, or hot mulled cider. It was especially popular in Victorian England at Christmas time.

Stave: each section of this play and the original novel is called a “stave”. Why not use traditional scenes or chapters?

The full title of Charles Dickens’ novel is A Christmas Carol in Prose, Being a Ghost Story of Christmas. Since a carol is a song, and songs are written on the lines and spaces collectively known as staves, Dickens simply extended the metaphor of his title. He used a term of musical notation in his “carol in prose” instead of typical literary divisions; hence, staves instead of chapters.

The Music

The music used in this stage adaptation was written by internationally acclaimed composer Nick Bicât for the 1984 film version of “A Christmas Carol,” starring George C. Scott (produced by Entertainment Partners Ltd.).

The lyrics of “God Bless Us Everyone” were written by Mr. Bicât’s brother, Tony Bicât. The score was conducted by Tony Britten.

The music was used by kind permission of the artist, and was edited only to make it fit within the time constraints of each scene.

You can purchase this music in its entirety via Nick’s website, either in digital form or on a limited-edition CD: https://nickbicat.com/product/a-christmas-carol/.   Be sure to check out Nick’s other projects, too!

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