A few thoughts on the audio dramatization of "A Christmas Carol" by the Wireless Theatre Company, as narrated by Sir Derek Jacobi as Charles Dickens.
If you have the Audible app and search for versions of "A Christmas Carol," you'll find a zillion of them, so I look for something distinctive, other than someone I'm not familiar with reading the text for three-plus hours.
So, audio dramas like this do catch my attention.
It's a nice listen, but nothing that will sway from my favorite audio versions, especially because it's just so long, clocking in at three hours and thirty-one minutes!
As such, some of the scenes drag a bit, as they're better read than sort of acted out in the form of exposit dialogue. Particularly, the descriptions of Christmas day sound strange when recited by the Ghost of Christmas Present (who's played by a woman, Miriam Margoyles).
This brings up what is the oddest thing of all to me It's that the script follows the book very closely, plot-wise, but is almost entirely paraphrased! I've seen/heard that sort of thing before and I'm not really sure what the point is, but, hey, it's something different!
There a a few minor changes here and there, such as some characters getting names, but there is one big twist!
This version has the not uncommon variation of Belle (with the last name "Granger" added) making an appearance at Fezziwig's Christmas party, but... she's presented as the would-be girlfriend of Dick Wilkins!
So, did the fiddler at the party have "The Tennessee Waltz" in his songbook?
If you don't get the reference, Patti Page will explain it:
The whole production is well-done and Sir Derek Jacobi does a good job narrating as Charles Dickens. He's still no Edmund Gwenn, though!
No comments:
Post a Comment