The stage at Alexandra Palace Theatre in London set for a performance of A Christmas Carol in December 2021.
A Christmas Carol, the 1843 novella by Charles Dickens (1812–1870), is one of the English author's best-known works. It is the story of Ebenezer Scrooge, a greedy miser who hates Christmas, but is transformed into a caring, kindly person through the visitations of four ghosts (Jacob Marley and the ghosts of Christmas past, present, and future). The classic work has been dramatised and adapted countless times for virtually every medium and performance genre, and new versions appear regularly.
Public readings
The novel was the subject of Dickens's first public reading, given in Birmingham Town Hall to the Industrial and Literary Institute on 27 December 1853. This was repeated three days later to an audience of 'working people', and was a great success by his own account and that of newspapers of the time.[1][2][3][4] Over the years, Dickens edited and adapted the piece for a listening, rather than reading, audience. Dickens continued to give public readings of A Christmas Carol until his death.
Public readings of the novel continue to be held today, with some readers performing in character as Dickens.[citation needed]
Throughout the late nineteenth century, and into the early years of the twentieth, British actor Seymour Hicks toured England with his own non-musical adaptation of the story, in which he played Scrooge.[citation needed]
A Christmas Carol: Scrooge and Marley (1980), a theatrical adaptation by playwright Israel Horovitz, starring Orson Bean as Scrooge, which premiered at the Charles Playhouse in Boston.[9]
A Christmas Carol (1988), Patrick Stewart's one-man reading/acting of the story, made its first appearance in London and later on Broadway. On stage he would use a table, chair, stool, lectern and a book with an oversized print cover to enact the entire story. The production has been revived in London and New York several times.[citation needed] It has also been released on compact disc.[11]
The Scrooge Diary (Canada) (1990 to the present) (In the USA: Scrooge Tells All). Adaptation by Avril Kelly, performed by Welsh actor Phil Arnold, in a solo staged performance. Later performed on license only (two performances) by John Gray, late of RSC.[citation needed]
A Christmas Carol – A Ghost Story of Christmas (1990), a theatrical adaptation by Michael Wilson (director), with original music by John Gromada, performed at the Alley Theatre for 19 years (1990–1998; 2005–present); Hartford Stage for 17 years (1998–present); and at Washington D.C.'s Ford's Theater for 11 years; published by Dramatists Play Service.[citation needed]
A Christmas Carol: The Traditional Story with Modern Music (2005), a musical adaptation with music and lyrics by Matt Corriel and book by Erica Lipez, premiered at the Foothills Theatre in Worcester, MA in 2005 and is published by Dramatic Publishing Company.
A Christmas Carol (2009), an adaptation written and directed by Susie McKenna and featuring original music by Steve Edis. In this adaptation, the story is presented as a play-within-a-play, as told by a misery uncle and his nephew while locked inside a theatre. The play was performed at Arts Theatre, and starred comedian Gareth Hale as Scrooge/Uncle Sidney.[14]
2010–present
A Christmas Carol (2010), a new stage adaptation written by Jim Cook Jr. and produced by the Off Broad Street Players Theater Company in Bridgeton, New Jersey. Follows much of the original text of the novella with some character relationships explored. Premiered in November 2010.[15]
A Christmas Carol (2010), a stage adaptation by The Pantaloons theatre company, touring England in Winter 2010.[16]
A Christmas Carol (2010), a musical stage adaptation by Bruce Greer and Keith Ferguson that premiered in Carrollton, Texas, in December 2010.[17]
A Christmas Carol (2012), a musical adaptation with book and lyrics by Ben Horslen and John Risebero and music by Christopher Peake and Nick Barstow, first performed by Antic Disposition in Middle Temple Hall, London, in December 2012[19] and revived in 2014, 2015, 2017 and 2019. A cast recording featuring Brian Blessed as The Ghost of Christmas Present was released in 2019.[20]
A Christmas Carol (2014), an adaptation by Anne-Louise Sarks and Benedict Hardie for Belvoir St Theatre, Sydney. The original production featured Robert Menzies as Scrooge, Ivan Donato as The Ghost of Christmas Past, Kate Box as The Ghost of Christmas Present, Steve Rodgers as Bob Cratchit, Ursula Yovich as Mrs. Cratchit, Miranda Tapsell as Tiny Tim, Eden Falk as Fred, and Peter Carroll as Jacob Marley and Grandpa Cratchit (a new character written for the production).[21]
A Christmas Carol (2017), a new adaptation by David Edgar, directed by Rachel Kavanaugh for the Royal Shakespeare Company. Cast included Phil Davis as Scrooge.[28] This production was revived for Christmas 2018 with Aden Gillet as Scrooge and will be revived again for the Christmas 2022 season with Adrian Edmondson as Scrooge.
Charles Dickens' A Christmas Carol (2018), a one-man show adaptation of the story performed by Jefferson Mays at Geffen Playhouse, Los Angeles.[29] In 2020, the show was filmed live at New York's United Palace and released for a limited time on streaming site On The Stage.[30][31] The show premiered at Broadway's Nederlander Theatre in November 2022.[32]
Charles Dickens' A Christmas Carol (2018), an adaptation by Nelle Lee for Shake & Stir Theatre Co, Brisbane. The play first premiered at the Queensland Performing Arts Centre, and included Eugene Gilfedder as Scrooge, Lee as Mrs. Cratchit, and Bryan Probets as all four ghosts.[33][34] Since then, the play has received seasonal revivals.[35][36]
A VHS Christmas Carol (2021), a 1980s musical style adaptation by StarKid Productions. With Music by Clark Baxtresser. Originally streamed as a pandemic-era online musical,[38] with a free live performance recording released on YouTube in 2021.[39][40] Revised in 2023 to become VHS Christmas Carols, featuring a first act adapting The Gift of the Magi and The Little Match Girl, incorporating positive twists on both stories- thanks to Scrooge's newfound generosity- into Christmas Carol's epilogue.[41]
A Christmas Carol - A Radio Play Live on Stage (2023), an adaptation by Martin Parsons for The Crime and Comedy Theatre Company. The cast included Colin Baker as Scrooge and Peter Purves as Charles Dickens.[43]
Film
Live action films
Scrooge, or, Marley's Ghost (1901), starring Daniel Smith as Scrooge. A short, silent, British film produced by Paul's Animatograph Works, regarded as the earliest surviving film adaptation of A Christmas Carol.
Il sogno dell'usuraio (1910), an Italian silent film.[46]
Scrooge (1913), starring Seymour Hicks as Scrooge. Hicks also starred in the 1935 adaptation. Produced in Britain by the Zenith Film Company, the film was re-titled Old Scrooge for its 1926 US release.
A Christmas Carol (1914), starring Charles Rock as Scrooge.
Scrooge (1922), starring Henry V. Esmond as Scrooge. An 18-minute version, directed by George Wynn. Reissued in 1929 in a 10-minute "sound film" version (musical score only).
A Christmas Carol (1923), starring Russell Thorndike as Scrooge, Forbes Dawson as Fred, Nina Vanna as Fred's wife, and Jack Denton as Jacob Marley. Produced in the UK.
Scrooge (1928), starring Bransby Williams as Scrooge. A short film, made by British Sound Film Productions using the Lee DeForest Phonofilm sound-on-film process.
Scrooge (1935), starring Seymour Hicks as Scrooge, Donald Calthrop as Bob Cratchit, and Philip Frost as Tiny Tim. Hicks had previously starred in the 1913 adaptation. This film was produced in Britain by Julius Hagen Productions,[47] and released that same year in the United States by Paramount Pictures. An hourlong edition was released to schools and libraries in 1941; many video versions derive from this edited version.
It's a Wonderful Life (1946), includes Charles Dickens in the opening credits
Leyenda de Navidad (Christmas legend) (1947), a Spanish adaptation.
Scrooge (1951), retitled A Christmas Carol in the US, starring Alastair Sim as Scrooge, Michael Hordern as Jacob Marley, Mervyn Johns as Bob Cratchit, and Hermione Baddeley as Mrs. Emily Cratchit.[48] Critic A. O. Scott of The New York Times regarded this film as the best adaptation ever made of the Dickens classic.[49]
A Christmas Carol (2012), a digital film adaptation released online starring Vincent Fegan as Scrooge. It was released worldwide by Guerilla Films via the Distrify player at 12:01am on 1 January 2012 on the Dickens Fellowship website and a number of other websites and Facebook pages, making it the first new production based upon a new work by Charles Dickens in his bicentennial year.[citation needed]
A Christmas Carol (2015), an original musical featuring Colin Baker as Charles Dickens and Anthony D.P. Mann as Scrooge.
A Christmas Carol (2018), a BBC Films stage-to-film adaptation of a one-man performance by Simon Callow, which ran for several seasons on stage in London, based on Charles Dickens's own performance adaptation.
The Passion of Scrooge (2018), a film adaptation by H. Paul Moon of the opera by Jon Deak, featuring the composer with baritone William Sharp and the 21st Century Consort.[50]
Spirited (2022), a modern musical comedy re-imagining focused on the perspective of the Ghosts, with Will Ferrell as the Ghost of Christmas Present and Ryan Reynolds as the person visited by the ghosts.
Christmas Carol: The Movie (2001), an animated version produced by Illuminated Films (Christmas Carol), Ltd/The Film Consortium/MBP; screenplay by Robert Llewellyn & Piet Kroon; with the voices of Simon Callow, Kate Winslet and Nicolas Cage. Winslet also recorded the song "What If" to promote the film. This film has live action scenes at the start during the opening credits and at the end prior to the closing credits.
A Christmas Carol (2006), a computer-animated adaptation featuring anthropomorphic animals in the lead roles.
Scrooge: A Christmas Carol (2022), an animated musical version and a remake of Scrooge (1970), produced by Timeless Films, directed by Stephen Donnelly, with Screenplay by Donnelly and Leslie Bricusse. It was released on December 2, 2022, on Netflix.
A Christmas Carol (1954), a filmed musical television adaptation starring Fredric March as Scrooge and Basil Rathbone as Marley, was shown on the TV anthology Shower of Stars. The adaptation and lyrics were by Maxwell Anderson, the music by Bernard Herrmann. The first version in color, only a black-and-white version is currently known to survive. March received an Emmy Award nomination for his performance.
Eye on New York (1955) A live broadcast on A Christmas Carol with Jonathan Harris as Scrooge
The Merry Christmas (1955), musical adaption starring Hugh Griffith as Scrooge.[46]
Story of the Christmas Carol (1955), starring Norman Gottschalk as Scrooge. Directed by David Barnhizer.[46]
The Stingiest Man in Town (1956) was the second musical adaptation. It starred Basil Rathbone and Vic Damone as, respectively, the old and young Scrooge. This was a live episode of the dramatic anthology series The Alcoa Hour.
None of the later versions were done live but were either shot on videotape or filmed. They include:
The Merry Christmas (1958), starring Stephan Murray as Scrooge and directed by Ronald Marriott.[46]
Tales from Dickens: A Christmas Carol (1959), was another filmed episode of the half-hour anthology series, again featuring Rathbone as Scrooge, with Fredric March as narrator, produced by Desmond Davis, with the cooperation of The Dickensian Society, London, distributed by Coronet Films "Copyright 1959, Transcription Holdings Ltd.".[57]
Carry on Christmas was broadcast in 1969. Scripted by long-term Carry On author Talbot Rothwell, the story was an irreverent take on the tale and featured Sid James as Scrooge.
A Christmas Carol (1977), a BBC adaptation with Sir Michael Hordern, who had played Marley's Ghost in two other versions, as Scrooge.[58]
A Christmas Carol (1984), starring George C. Scott as Ebenezer Scrooge, David Warner and Susannah York as the Cratchits, with Edward Woodward as the Ghost of Christmas Present. Scott received an Emmy Award nomination for his performance. Clive Donner, who had been the film editor for the 1951 film Scrooge, directed. Novelist and essayist Louis Bayard described this adaptation as "the definitive version of a beloved literary classic", praising its fidelity to Dickens's original story, the strength of the supporting cast, and especially Scott's performance as Scrooge.[59]
Buckaneezer Scrooge (1985), starring Ron Barge as Buckaneezer Scrooge. This Canadian adaption features real-life Scrooge interacting with puppet characters.[46]
Conto de Natal (1988), short film made for Portuguese television. Directed by Lauro António.[46]
Bah, Humbug!: The Story of Charles Dickens' 'A Christmas Carol' (1990), an abridged dramatic reading performed and recorded live at the Pierpont Morgan Library in New York City and broadcast on Public Television. The production was based on Dickens's own adaptation for his dramatic readings. It was hosted by Robert MacNeil and featured James Earl Jones as Scrooge and Martin Sheen as the other characters.[60]
A Christmas Carol (1999), a television movie directed by David Jones, starring Patrick Stewart as Ebenezer Scrooge. Inspired by Patrick Stewart's one-man stage adaptation of the story but featuring a full supporting cast, this was the first version of the story to make use of digital special effects. Stewart was nominated for a Screen Actors Guild award for his performance.[61]
A Christmas Carol (1969), a 45-minute children's afternoon special directed by Zoran Janjic and produced by Australia's Air Programs and aired in the U.S. on CBS on 13 December 1970. Ron Haddrick voiced Scrooge for the Australian production. It was the first in a series titled Famous Classic Tales and sponsored by Kenner when broadcast.[66]
A Christmas Carol (1970), directed by John Salway and broadcast on Anglia Television.[46]
A Christmas Carol (1971), an Oscar-winning animated short film by Richard Williams, with Alastair Sim and Michael Hordern reprising their roles from the 1951 film. This film was also released theatrically.
The Stingiest Man in Town (1978), a 51-minute animated made-for-TV musical produced by Rankin-Bass based on the 1956 live-action television musical, starring Walter Matthau as the voice of Scrooge and Tom Bosley as the narrator. Scrooge was drawn to physically resemble Matthau.[67]
A Christmas Carol (2002), a bonus feature on the DVD release of Peter Ackroyd's docudrama Dickens, portraying a Christmas dinner at Gads Hill Place where Charles Dickens recites the novella to his family and friends. The author is portrayed by Anton Lesser, reprising his role from the docudrama.[68]
A Sesame Street Christmas Carol (2006), a direct to DVD special featuring Oscar the Grouch in the Scrooge role.[69]
On 19 December 1923 BBC Radio broadcast an adaptation of the story by R. E. Jeffrey.[71]
Lionel Barrymore starred as Scrooge in a dramatisation on the CBS Radio Network on 25 December 1934, beginning a tradition he would repeat on various network programs every Christmas through 1953. Only twice did he not play the role: in 1936, when his brother John Barrymore filled in because of the death of Lionel's wife, and again in 1938, when Orson Welles took over the role because Barrymore had fallen ill.[72][73][74][75]
On 24 December 1949, Favorite Story broadcast an adaptation with Ronald Colman both hosting and starring as Scrooge. This version used a script nearly identical to the one used in Colman's famous 1941 record album of the story, but a different supporting cast.
On 24 December 1949, Richard Diamond, Private Detective adapted the story with characters from the series playing the Dickens characters in the style of the radio series and transplanting the story to New York City, with Dick Powell in character as "Richard Diamond" narrating the story.
On 20 December 1953, The Six Shooter broadcast Britt Ponset's Christmas Carol, in which the title character Britt Ponset tells a young boy who's running away from home a western version of A Christmas Carol, with Howard McNear playing the role of Eben (the Scrooge character).
Alec Guinness starred as Scrooge in a BBC production from 1951, also broadcast in America, and repeated for several years afterward.
On 24 December 1953, Theatre Royal, also from the BBC, starred Laurence Olivier in his only recorded performance as Scrooge.
On 25 December 1965, the BBC aired an hour-long radio version adapted by Charles Lefeaux with music composed and conducted by Christopher Whelen, and starring Ralph Richardson as both The Storyteller and Scrooge.[77]
On 24 December 1973 and every year until 1987 WNBC-AM in New York City broadcast an adaption featuring prominent on-air staff Don Imus as Ebenezer Scrooge, Big Wilson as the Ghost of Christmas Past, Wolfman Jack as the Ghost of Christmas Present, Pat Whitley as the Ghost of Christmas Future, Murray The K as Bob Cratchit, Gordon Hammet as Jacob Marley and Donna Patrone as Tiny Tim.[78]
In 1975, CBS Radio Mystery Theatre ran A Christmas Carol starring E. G. Marshall as Scrooge. This is the only episode in which Marshall appeared in a role other than host.[48]
In 1979 KGO News/Talk radio presented a live radio play featuring the station's on-air personalities in the roles of Dickens's characters.
Beginning in 1990, NPR began broadcasting a version read by comedian Jonathan Winters, using the same script Dickens himself used in his readings. Winters plays all of the male roles. Many NPR stations play it every year on Christmas Eve or Christmas Day.
In 1995, Quicksilver Radio Theater broadcast a dramatization directed by Jay Stern and starring Craig Wichman as Scrooge, Anthony Cinelli, John Prave, Ghislaine Nichols, Deborah Barta, Joseph Franchini, Jodi Botelho, Elizabeth Stull and Tony Scheinman.[80] The production was originally aired on Max Schmid's The Golden Age of Radio on WBAI, New York, NY on Christmas Eve 1995 and repeated Christmas Day 1995, and is currently syndicated on National Public Radio.[81] The program is currently part of the Theater Collection at the Paley Center for Media in New York.[82]
Paul Oakenfold's Urban Soundtracks (1999) included a remixed celebrity reading of the book, including sound effects and dance music in a version for UK dance radio stations.
WBZ Newsradio 1030 in Boston adapted the play for its radio listeners in 1999.[citation needed] It starred now-retired morning news anchor Gary LaPierre as Ebenezer Scrooge with members of the WBZ Newsradio staff (renamed the WBZ Radio Holiday Players) in various roles, including Carl Stevens as Scrooge's nephew Fred, Deb Lawlor as the Ghost of Christmas Past and New England Patriots play-by-play announcer Gil Santos as Marley's Ghost. WBZ radio producer Michael Coleman gave the prologue and played various characters in the play. It has been broadcast on WBZ every Christmas Eve since.
The Colonial Radio Theatre of Boston produced A Christmas Carol in 2004, and it has been broadcast yearly on Sirius XM Radio. It was released by Blackstone Audio in 2007. Brilliance Audio released the production on CD in 2010.
On 20 December 2014, BBC Radio 4 broadcast a new production adapted by Neil Brand for actors, the BBC Singers and the BBC Symphony Orchestra, recorded before an audience in the BBC Maida Vale Studios and directed by David Hunter. The cast included Robert Powell as Scrooge, Ron Cook as Marley and Tracy-Ann Oberman as Mrs. Fezziwig.[84]
Texas Shakespeare Festival 2014 broadcast of "A Christmas Carol".
On 18 December 2015, Kathleen Turner starred as Scrooge in a live performance presented as a radio drama at the Greene Space in New York City; a recording of the performance was broadcast on WNYC on 24 December and 25 December 2015.[85] Previous broadcasts at the Greene Space featured F. Murray Abraham (2011), Brian Cox (2012), Tony Roberts (2013) and Mark-Linn Baker (2014) in the role of Scrooge.
Recordings
In 1941, Ronald Colman portrayed Scrooge in a famous American Decca four-record 78-RPM album of A Christmas Carol with a full supporting cast of radio actors and a score by Victor Young.[86] This version was eventually transferred to LP and in 2005 appeared on a Deutsche Grammophon compact disc, along with its companion piece on LP, Mr. Pickwick's Christmas, narrated by Charles Laughton. (The Pickwick recording had originally been made in 1944.) The Ronald Colman A Christmas Carol is slightly abbreviated on both the LP and the CD versions; on the LP, this was done to fit the entire production onto one side of a 12-inch 33 RPM record. With the greater time available it was hoped that the CD would have the complete recording, but Deutsche Grammophon used the shorter LP version.
Also in 1941, Ernest Chappell narrated A Christmas Carol, "dramatized to a musical background," on an album of four 12-inch records for RCA Victor.[87]
Peter Pan Records released "Charles Dickens: A Christmas Carol" which features a studio recording.
In 1960, Dan O'Herlihy recorded the complete Dickens novel on a set of 4 16-RPM LP's, one of the few instances that this speed was used for a professional recording. This version was one of the first audiobooks ever made, and is now available on CD.[88] It was originally released on LP by a company called Audio Book Records, perhaps the first use of that term ever coined.[89]
An Adaptation of Dickens' Christmas Carol (1974) is an audio musical recording with six original musical numbers, featuring various Disney characters playing the Dickens roles. It was adapted (without the songs) into the animated short Mickey's Christmas Carol in 1983.
In 1977, Roy Dotrice recorded a slightly abridged reading for Argo Records (ZSW 584/5) with music as linking for the "staves".
The actor Gerald Charles Dickens, the great-great-grandson of Charles Dickens, has recorded a CD of A Christmas Carol which is unabridged and in which he plays twenty-six characters. His performance is based on Charles Dickens's original reading tour script.
In 2003, actor Jim Dale released an unabridged reading with full characterizations of all the roles as part of the Random House Listening Library series.[92]
Tom Baker recorded an unabridged reading released in 2012 for the BBC's AudioGo Ltd.[93]
Nottingham broadcaster Steve Oliver recorded an audio book in four 'staves' based on the original public reading script.
Tim Curry narrated an unabridged "Signature Performance" recording for Audible.[94]
Audible released an original audio dramatization of the novel in 2016,[95] adapted by R.D. Carstairs, featuring Sir Derek Jacobi as Charles Dickens, Kenneth Cranham as Scrooge, Roger Allam as Marley, Brendan Coyle as The Ghost of Christmas Past, Miriam Margolyes as The Ghost of Christmas Present, Tim McInnerny as The Ghost of Christmas Yet To Come, Jamie Glover as Bob Cratchit, Emily Bruni as Mrs. Cratchit, Jenna Coleman as Belle, Joshua James as Young Scrooge, and Hugh Skinner as Fred. (NOTE: This is one of the only two currently-known audio productions in which the Ghost of Christmas Yet to Come actually speaks, the other being a rare 1947 ABC radio version starring Lionel Barrymore.)
Opera
Mister Scrooge (1958–1959); alternative name: Shadows (Tiene), an opera by Slovak composer Ján Cikker.
The Passion of Scrooge (or A Christmas Carol) (1998), a chamber opera by Jon Deak for one baritone and chamber orchestra.[97]
A Christmas Carol (2014), by Iain Bell, libretto by Simon Callow, which premiered at Houston Grand Opera on 5 December 2014, with Heldentenor Jay Hunter Morris and former Houston Grand Opera Studio member Kevin Ray alternating in the single role of the Narrator.
A Christmas Carol (2022), an opera composed by Graeme Koehne and set to a libretto by Anna Goldsworthy.[98] In this adaptation, the story is relocated to present day Melbourne, and features a number of references to Australian culture (such as The Ghost of Christmas Present being portrayed as a surf lifesaver[99][100]). The opera was produced by Victorian Opera, and ran for four performances at the Palais Theatre in mid-December.[101]
Ballet
A Christmas Carol (1992), a live production performed by Northern Ballet. This adaptation was recorded in 1992 and released on DVD in 2005
A Christmas Carol (1994–present), a production performed annually by The Ulster Ballet Company of Saugerties, New York
John Clifford premiered his new production A CHRISTMAS CAROL:The Ballet, for The Portland Ballet on 27 November 2021
Batman: Legends of the Dark Knight, Halloween Special #3: Ghosts (1995), written by Jeph Loeb and drawn by Tim Sale. The setting was changed to Halloween.
Zombies Christmas Carol (2011), an adaptation of the original story by Marvel Comics with zombies as a metaphor for the hungry and needy, the source of the plague being Scrooge's own hatred and bitterness towards man.[103]
A Christmas Carol (2012) Stephen L. Stern and artist Douglas A. Siroisin a full-color adaptation of the story.
A Christmas Carol Starring Scrooge McDuck (2019) based on the Disney version, adapted by Guido Martina with art by Jose Colomer Fonts. Cover drawn by Giovan Carpi.
Comic strips
A story arc in the comic strip FoxTrot has Jason dreaming that he is Ebenezer Scrooge, with his friends and family members playing the other roles.[104]
Blackadder's Christmas Carol (1988), in which the central character, Ebenezer Blackadder (Rowan Atkinson), is initially kind and generous, but after being visited by the Spirit of Christmas (Robbie Coltrane), becomes greedy, insulting and mean.
Karroll's Christmas (2004), The Scrooge character, Zebidiah Rosecog (Wallace Shawn) is the neighbor of Allen Karroll (Tom Everett Scott), who is visited by the three ghosts instead due to a mistake in address.
In the Bleak Expectations series 3 episode "A Now Grim Life Yet More Grimified" (2009), Pip Bin is visited during Harvest Festival by the Ghost of Harvest Festival after torture by his nemesis Mr Gently Benevolent resulted in him becoming a reclusive miser. However, it is revealed that this was a theatrics-based con by Benevolent, himself playing the Ghost, to trick Pip into giving him his fortune.
A Christmas Chuckle (2009), a family comedy show written by and starring The Chuckle Brothers which toured Britain in November and December 2009.
A Christmas Boner in 2013 by Conor Lastowka, a rewrite of A Christmas Carol in which Scrooge has priapism throughout.[106][107] This was in the vein of other parody mashups like Pride and Prejudice and Zombies.
Epic Rap Battles of History (2013) episode "Donald Trump vs. Ebenezer Scrooge" features Ebenezer Scrooge rap battling Donald Trump (representing Jacob Marley), J.P. Morgan (representing the Ghost of Christmas Past), Kanye West (representing the Ghost of Christmas Present), and the Ghost of Christmas Yet to Come (represented in traditional form).
Soylent Scrooge, (2017) a radio parody inspired by A Modest Proposal and the film Soylent Green in which Scrooge and Marley own a factory that converts the poor into foodstuffs. Other Dickens characters also appear in the story and fake commercials.[108]
Q Brothers Christmas Carol (2018), a hip-hop parody of Christmas Carol, produced by the Q Brothers (JQ and GQ), performed at the Chicago Shakespeare Theater.[109][110]
Canadian comedy actor Don Harron recorded a version as "Charlie Farquharson" using malaprops.
Turn of the Scrooge, a parody sequel wherein Marley faked his death and conspired with Bob Cratchit and Tim, himself a child-faced gangster, to steal Scrooge's fortune on Christmas Eve, and attempt to successfully repeat their performance the following year.[111]
A VHS Christmas Carol: Live! (2021), A 1980s inspired Christmas Carol musical parody, performed by Starkid Productions.[112] The musical was written by Clark Baxtresser and directed by Corey Lubowich. It ran successfully for three nights (9–11 December) at the Bourbon Room Theater in Hollywood, California.
The basic plot of A Christmas Carol has been put to a variety of different literary and dramatic uses since Dickens's death, alongside sequels, prequels, and stories focusing on minor characters.
Surviving Christmas (2004), a romantic comedy about a wealthy advertising executive who hires a suburban family to be his pretend family. The film ends with the main characters seeing a community theatre production of A Christmas Carol. Earlier in the film, the executive also hires the actor who plays Scrooge in the production to be his pretend grandfather.
Mister Scrooge to See You (2013) One year after the classic Dickens A Christmas Carol Ebenezer Scrooge finds himself on a new journey. Once again he is visited by Jacob Marley. This time Scrooge is sent on an adventure which takes him into the life of Timothy Cratchit the VI, the great-great-great-grandson of Bob Cratchit.
A Dennis The Menace Christmas (2007), Mr. Wilson is shown by an angel his past, the present, and the possible future if he doesn't change his ways.
My Dad Is Scrooge (2014), a fantasy film about talking animals using the novella to help a Scrooge-like father (played by Brian Cook) see the error of his ways.
A Christmas Carol (2018), a contemporary retelling of the story set in Scotland, featuring Stuart Brennan as distillery-owner Scrooge, Bonnie Wright as Nell and Sarina Taylor as a female Bob Cratchit.[114] Digital online release.
Skinflint: A Country Christmas Carol (1979), an American country music-inspired TV film starring Hoyt Axton as Cyrus Flint.[117]
Scrooge's Rock 'N' Roll Christmas (1984), starring Jack Elam as Scrooge.[46]
John Grin's Christmas (1986) African-American adaptation produced, directed and starring Robert Guillaume.
Ebbie (1995), a TV movie with the first female portrayal of Scrooge, starring Susan Lucci as Elizabeth "Ebbie" Scrooge, owner of a huge department store, and some of her own employees doubling as the three Christmas Spirits.
Ms. Scrooge (1997), a TV movie starring Cicely Tyson as "Ebenita Scrooge", the managing director of a loan company, and Katherine Helmond as her deceased business partner Maude Marley.
Ebenezer (1997), a Western version produced for Canadian TV, starring Jack Palance as land baron Ebenezer Scrooge.
The Ghosts of Dickens' Past (1998), a mysterious girl (Jennifer Bertram) inspires Charles Dickens (Christopher Heyerdahl) to encourage charity and discourage child labor by writing A Christmas Carol.[118]
A Christmas Carol (2000), A TV-movie that takes place in the present where Ross Kemp plays Eddie Scrooge, a London loan shark. Jacob Marley (Ray Fearon) not only warns Scrooge of the three impending spirits, but doubles as the Ghost of Christmas Present.
A Diva's Christmas Carol (2000), TV movie that premiered on VH1, now on Lifetime, portraying Vanessa Williams in the Scrooge role as "Ebony" Scrooge, one third of a late-'80's pop trio called "Desire" and now an egotistical, arrogant, grouchy solo diva.
Scrooge & Marley (2001), a Christian-themed television film adaptation set in a fictional New England town called Winterset, Connecticut.[119] It was directed by Fred Holmes and produced by the Coral Ridge Ministries, starring Dean Jones as Ebenezer Scrooge, who in this adaptation starts out as an atheist and a personal injury lawyer. Also adapted from the book What If Jesus Had Never Been Born?[120] In the United States, the film aired on Trinity Broadcasting Network on 21 December 2001 and then 25 December; it also aired on syndicated stations on 24–25 December and then as part of The Coral Ridge Hour on 29–30 December and has since aired on TBN and other syndicated stations in subsequent years.[121]
A Carol Christmas (2003), another TV movie portraying Scrooge as an arrogant female celebrity, this time a TV talk show host named "Carol Cartman", played by Tori Spelling. Also featured were Dinah Manoff as Marla, Carol's stage mother-type aunt, Gary Coleman as the Ghost of Christmas Past, William Shatner as the Ghost of Christmas Present and an uncredited James Cromwell as the Ghost of Christmas Future.
Chasing Christmas (2005), TV film with the Ghost of Christmas Past (Leslie Jordan) going AWOL, leaving the 'Scrooge' of this story (Tom Arnold) stuck in 1965.
It's Christmas, Carol! (2012), a made-for-TV movie starring Emmanuelle Vaugier as an arrogant Chicago-based book publisher; her former boss, Eve (Carrie Fisher) approaches her on Christmas Eve and functions as all three spirits, Past, Present and Yet To Come.
A Nashville Christmas Carol (2020), a made-for-TV movie[122] starring Jessy Schram as the producer of a Christmas TV special who has become so devoted to her work that she has shut out emotional contact with people; her late former boss and mentor (Wynonna Judd) appears to her and with the help of Christmas Past and Present shows her parts of her past she never knew and how they affected her present. The story is very loosely based on Dickens's work and The Ghost of Christmas Yet-To-Come is not part of this story.
Boyfriends of Christmas Past (2021), a made-for-TV film[123] written by Edie Grace and Lisa Parson and directed by Don McBrearty, with Catherine Haena Kim as Lauren Kim, who is visited by the ghosts of four ex-boyfriends to teach her how to open her heart or risk losing her best male friend.
Christmas Carole (2022), a made-for-television comedy written by Anil Gupta and Richard Pinto, and starring Suranne Jones as a Scrooge-like entrepreneur named Carole Mackay, with the three ghosts represented by Morecambe and Wise (played by actors Jonty Stephens and Ian Ashpitel), Jo Brand and Nish Kumar.[124]
TV series episodes
Topper (1953); Henrietta reads "A Christmas Carol" to Topper and their guests. Topper falls asleep during the reading and dreams he is Scrooge.
Bewitched (1967); in the episode "Humbug not be Spoken Here". Samantha takes a miserly client of Darrin's to the North Pole on Christmas Eve to meet Santa Claus.
The Smothers Brothers Comedy Hour (1967); the episode aired on 24 December 1967 included an 18-minute parody sketch in which Tommy Smothers plays Ebenezer Scrooge III and Jack Benny plays Bob Cratchit.
The Odd Couple (1970); in the episode "Scrooge Gets an Oscar", Felix and the other poker players become Dickens characters in a dream after Oscar refuses to be Scrooge in a children's play.
Omnibus (1973), UK; "A Christmas Carol", a Dickens favourite as interpreted by mime artist Marcel Marceau.
Sanford and Son (1975); in the episode "Ebenezer Sanford", tightfisted Fred gets a ghostly wake-up call in this spoof of "A Christmas Carol."[125]
Little House on the Prairie (1975); in an episode that serves as a twist on the Dickens story, actor Ted Gehring plays "Ebenezer Sprague", a Scrooge-type self-centered and miserly banker who refuses to give and receive until a near-falling out with the Ingalls family over a loan (an analogue for the three Christmas ghosts) changes his ways.
The Six Million Dollar Man (1976); in "A Bionic Christmas Carol", Steve Austin uses his bionic abilities to make an old miser change his ways.[126]
WKRP in Cincinnati (1980); in the episode "Bah Humbug", Mr. Carlson plans to give the staffers no Christmas bonuses. But after eating one of Johnny Fever's "special" brownies, the ghosts of Christmas Past (Jennifer), Present (Venus) and Future (Johnny) visit him to show him the error of his ways.
Alice (1981); in the episode "Mel's Christmas Carol", Mel Sharples is haunted by a former business partner Jake, after he fires the waitresses from his diner on Christmas Eve.[127]
Family Ties (1983); in the episode "A Keaton Christmas Carol", Alex finds the spirit of Christmas in a dream when he is shown visions of the past and future by ghosts of Mallory and Jennifer.
Highway To Heaven (1984); in the episode "Another Song For Christmas", Jonathan and Mark become involved in their own version of Dickens's classic "Christmas Carol", involving a heartless used car salesman. Directed by Michael Landon.[128]
Fame: (1985); in the episode "Ebenezer Morloch", Mr. Morloch falls asleep and is visited by three ghosts.
George Burns Comedy Week: "A Christmas Carol II" (1985), an episode in which Scrooge is good-natured to a fault and all of Camden Town takes advantage of his generosity to the point of taking all his money. This prompts the spirits to return and make sure Scrooge achieves a balance between his past and current behavior.
Beverly Hills Teens: (1987); In "Miracle at the Teen Club - Part 1"[129] and "Miracle at the Teen Club - Part 2"[130] The teens envision themselves as the players in a Christmas Carol allegory while snowbound during Buck Huckster's Christmas Eve Party.
A Different World (1989); in the episode "For Whom the Jingle Bell Tolls", Whitley plays the Scrooge role over her mother's plans to visit the French Riviera for Christmas. She receives visits from the ghosts of Christmas Past (Mr. Gaines), Present (Walter) and Future (Jaleesa).
Mr. Belvedere (1989) in the episode "A Happy Guys Christmas" The Happy Guys of Pittsburgh are putting on their annual Christmas play and have decided on "A Christmas Carol". The entire Owens family is cast, but when Mr. Belvdere gets frustrated with the poor directing, he takes over the job, only to quit in a huff. This leads to Mr. Belvedere being visited by the Ghost of Christmas Past, Present and Future.
Northern Exposure (1994); in the episode "Shofar, So Good", Joel Fleischman learns the meaning of Yom Kippur from the ghosts of Yom Kippur Past, Present and Future.
Martin (1996); in the episode "Scrooge", Martin is visited by three Christmas spirits to encourage Martin's Christmas spirit and the joy of giving.
Xena: Warrior Princess (1996); in the episode "A Solstice Carol", Xena and Gabrielle help save an orphanage from being shut down by a tyrant king on Solstice Eve, by impersonating the three Fates.
I Was a Sixth Grade Alien (2000); in "A Very Buttsman Christmas", Ms. Buttsman is in charge at the embassy and planning on cancelling Christmas. This upsets Pleskit and Tim very much, especially because it would be Pleskit's first. As Ms. Buttsman drifts off into a deep sleep, she is visited by the ghost of Christmas Present, Past and Future.[131]
Nan's Christmas Carol (2009) is a spin-off of The Catherine Tate Show. The one-off special, based on Dickens's novella, is about Nan visited by three ghosts on Christmas night in her council flat.
Doctor Who – The Trial of a Time Lord (1986) – when the Doctor is put on trial by his own race, the Time Lords, they see evidence from the Doctor's past, present and future.
Doctor Who: A Christmas Carol (2010) – the 2010 Christmas special episode of Doctor Who borrowing elements from Dickens's novel, as the Eleventh Doctor attempts to make a miserly man who controls equipment that could save his companions from a crashing ship change his ways by influencing the man's past, culminating in him bringing the man's child-self into the future. Dialogue acknowledges the source, and Dickens himself has appeared as a character in two unrelated episodes.
It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia (2010); in the episode "A Very Sunny Christmas,"[132] Dee and Dennis blame Frank for ruining their childhood Christmases, and try to teach him a lesson by staging a haunting by Frank's former business partner, whom Frank believes is dead.
Suite Life on Deck (2010) A London Carol: London is too selfish to give anything for homeless and sick children during Christmas when Cody and Bailey asked for donations for needy children. On Christmas Eve night, London's mirror takes her back to the past, the present and future to learn her lesson.
Classic Alice, a 2014–2015 web-series re-imagining with Alice playing Scrooge as she leads herself through the ghosts of past, present, and future to discover what she really wants.
General Hospital 2019 "General Hospital's Christmas Carol" Actors from the soap opera portray the characters from Dickens novella. Actor Michael Easton portrays Scrooge.
In the Upstart Crow 2018 Christmas special, A Crow Christmas Carol, William Shakespeare (played by David Mitchell) is told the story of A Christmas Carol by a mysterious stranger (played by Kenneth Branagh). Will then uses the premise to try and make the miserly Sir Robert Greene (played by Mark Heap) to become a better person, after which he allows 'some future author' to write the story instead as a gift.
Staged (2022); in the episode "Knock, Knock", David and Michael perform an improvised adaptation of A Christmas Carol during a livestream.[134]
Animated
Gumby (1957) "Scrooge Loose" A Gumby Christmas Carol in which Gumby plays Sherlock Holmes to find and capture Ebenezer Scrooge, who has escaped out of the book by Charles Dickens and who is bent on ruining Christmas! Scrooge has walked into a book on Santa Claus stories, and he is replacing the presents with rocks on Christmas Eve. It's up to Gumby and Pokey (whom Gumby calls "Dr. Watson") to capture the humbuggish Scrooge and put a stop to his antics.
Bugs Bunny's Christmas Carol (1979) The cartoon is an adaptation of the Dickens novella, featuring Yosemite Sam as Ebenezer Scrooge, Porky Pig as Bob Cratchit and Bugs Bunny as Jacob Marley and Fred. Scrooge's dream-journey into his past, present, and future is omitted; instead, Bugs dresses up as a white-robed emissary of Hades to scare Scrooge straight.
The Dukes (1983) "A Dickens of a Christmas" in this episode of the animated version of The Dukes of Hazzard, Boss Hogg has a Scrooge like experience.
The Jetsons "A Jetson Christmas Carol" (1985) Spacely orders George to work overtime on Christmas Eve while Astro causes himself to be sick. Three spirits visit Spacely to convince him that Christmas is a time of giving.
The Real Ghostbusters (1986) In the episode "X-Mas Marks the Spot", on Christmas Eve Peter Venkman, Ray Stanz, Egon Spangler, and Winston Zeddmore end up traveling back in time to 1837 England, where they unknowingly meet Scrooge and end up "busting" the Three Christmas Ghosts by accident. It is revealed that Peter's childhood was very similar to Scrooge's.
Beverly Hills Teens (1987) "Miracle at The Teenclub parts I & II", The teens envision themselves as the players in a Christmas Carol allegory while snowbound during Buck Huckster's Christmas Eve Party
Bravestarr "Tex's Terrible Night," (1987) The series' villain, Tex Hex, fills the Scrooge role while the Shaman helps him to see the error of his ways, temporarily.
Camp Candy (1989) In the episode "Christmas in July" During a summer heat wave, the Camp Candy gang cools things off by staging a make-believe "Christmas in July." But when crabby Vanessa says "Bah humbug!" to their plan, the campers teach her about true holiday spirit with a goofy Camp Candy version of Charles Dickens's classic "A Christmas Carol."
The Chipmunks (1989) "Merry Christmas, Mr. Carroll" an episode of "The Chipmunks" in which Alvin is scrooge like and experiences the three spirits.
Animaniacs (1993) "A Christmas Plotz", a Warner version of A Christmas Carol, with the Warners as the three spirits, Slappy Squirrel as Jacob Marley and Thaddeus Plotz as Ebenezer Scrooge.
Avenger Penguins, UK (1994) "A Christmas Carol" Charles Dickens's novella is parodied in this episode. Doom realises he must restore power to the city after he blacks it out.
101 Dalmatians: The Series (1997) "A Christmas Cruella" An adaptation of Dickens's novella with Cruella in the role of Scrooge, Jasper and Horace as Marley, Cadpig as the ghost of Christmas Past, Rolly as the ghost of Christmas Present, and Spot as the ghost of Christmas Yet To Come.
Arthur (1999) "Prunella Gets It Twice" Prunella gets two dolls for her birthday and dismisses the second one, which is from Francine. Later, Prunella thinks that Francine spoiled the party by not joining in on the festivities. That night, Prunella has a dream where the Ghost of Presents Past takes her through time to clear things up and shows how far Francine went to get the doll for Prunella and makes her realize that Francine's attitude was because of how Prunella didn't appreciate the present.
Adventures from the Book of Virtues (2000) An adaptation of A Christmas Carol with Annie in the role of Scrooge, Zack in the role of Bob Cratchit, Plato in the role of Jacob Marley, Aristotle in the role of the Ghost of Christmas Past, Socrates in the role of the Ghost of Christmas Present, Aurora in the role of the Ghost of Christmas Yet to Come, and an unnamed blond orphan boy in the role of Tiny Tim.
Maxine's Christmas Carol (2000)[135] In this modernized (Y2K), animated adaptation of Charles Dickens's novel, A Christmas Carol, Hallmark Card comic character Maxine is the Scrooge.
Pepper Ann (2000) "A Valentine's Day Tune" In this Valentine's Day spin on "A Christmas Carol", Pepper Ann is visited by the ghosts of her past, present, and future to see why she hates Valentine's Day, what others think about her hatred of the holiday, and what will happen if she doesn't change her ways.
Aqua Teen Hunger Force (2002) "Cybernetic Ghost of Christmas Past from the Future" starts out as a Christmas Carol parody, with the eponymous time-traveling cybernetic spectre showing Carl a Christmas Day from his childhood, before the memory is interrupted by a robot war (which he doesn't remember because back then it was only a prophecy)
Veggie Tales: "An Easter Carol" (2004), a direct-to-video adaption which is similar, but is themed around Easter instead of Christmas.
Kappa Mikey (2006) "A Christmas Mikey", in which Ozu fills the Scrooge role and is visited by the Ghosts of Japanese Christmas. In this case, Ozu is only shown his past, and when the Present Ghost shows up, the Past Ghost explains Ozu's sad backstory and the three decide to ruin Christmas until the Future Ghost appears and sets them straight.
American Dad! (2006) "The Best Christmas Story Never Told" With Stan's Christmas spirit at an all-time low (thanks to special interest groups trying to make the holiday season more politically correct), the Ghost of Christmas Past visits him and tries to show him the true meaning of Christmas by taking him to 1970. However, Stan is convinced that Christmas can be saved by killing Jane Fonda
Wayside (2007) "Wayside Christmas", When Myron does not give Bebe a Secret Santa gift, a series of haphazard events confuse Myron into thinking he s actually stuck in his own version of A Christmas Carol . The other kids, including Todd, Dana and Maurecia, are baffled as he mistakes them for Ghosts of Christmas Past, Present, and Future, and in the end, Myron learns his lesson.
Dora's Christmas Carol Adventure (2009) Despite warnings, Swiper misbehaves and lands on Santa's naughty list. Thanks to pleas from Dora, Swiper gets a chance to redeem himself: he must learn the true meaning of Christmas by finding four missing ornaments, located in the past and the future.
The High Fructose Adventures of Annoying Orange "Orange Carol" (2012), an episode where Orange's annoying antics are spoiling everyone's holiday cheer, then a visit from three ghosts appeared and try to make Orange learn about the holiday spirit.
The Looney Tunes Show, "A Christmas Carol" (2012), the episode features a stage adaptation of the tale written by Lola, only without going by the book due to the character of Scrooge. It's currently unclear if she had read the book Bugs gave her or not.
Jake and the Never Land Pirates (2014): "Captain Scrooge" In this variation of Charles Dickens's A Christmas Carol, Captain Treasure Tooth visits Captain Scrooge (Captain Hook) and takes him through time.
Thomas & Friends (2016): "Diesel's Ghostly Christmas", a special double-length episode from Series 19; a loose adaptation of the story with Diesel playing the role of Scrooge.
My Little Pony: Friendship Is Magic includes a 2016 episode, A Hearth's Warming Tail featuring an in-universe adaption. In the episode, during the annual celebration of Hearth's Warming (the Equestrian version of Christmas), Twilight Sparkle tells Starlight Glimmer a story to get her into the spirit of the season. The story features Snowfall Frost (portrayed by Starlight Glimmer) as the story's version of Scrooge.
The Powerpuff Girls (2017) "You're A Good Man, Mojo Jojo!" After terrorizing Townsville during the holidays, Mojo Jojo is visited that night by three ghosts resembling the Powerpuff Girls who try to make him change his ways.
Family Guy (2017) "Don't Be A Dickens at Christmas" Peter takes a journey around Quahog with the ghost of Patrick Swayze after he loses his Christmas spirit.
Be Cool, Scooby-Doo! episode "Scroogey Doo" (2017) The gang travels to nineteenth-century Britain and runs into Scrooge who claims he was attacked by the ghost of his partner Jacob Marley and that three more ghosts are coming. The gang agrees to solve the mystery, but Velma wonders if she has more potential than just solving mysteries.
The Loud House (2020) "A Flipmas Carol", A Scrooge-like Flip is visited by three ghosts in a special take on A Christmas Carol.
Theater
The Marley Carol (1993), a Christmas Play in Two Acts by Dennis Drake, taking place on the Christmas Eve that Jacob Marley gives up the ghost.
Jacob Marley's Christmas Carol (1994), a play based on the book by Tom Mula (see below on "Literature") focusing on Jacob Marley and his attempts to redeem Scrooge lest he face eternal torment.[86]
Tiny Tim is Dead (1998), a play by Barbara Lebow that uses A Christmas Carol as a theme within the work. A group of homeless people attempt to re-enact the story but find themselves torn apart, leaving no hope for the future.[136]
Mrs. Bob Cratchit's Wild Christmas Binge (2002) is a musical parody of the Charles Dickens story A Christmas Carol. Written by Christopher Durang, the play was initially commissioned by City Theatre in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, when Durang was asked by Artistic Director Tracy Brigden to write a Christmas comedy. It premiered on 7 November 2002 at the City Theatre, with Kristine Nielsen in the title role. This parody was revived in 2012 with additional performances in 2013[137]
The Last Christmas of Ebenezer Scrooge: The Sequel to A Christmas Carol (Wildside Press, 2003) by Marvin Kaye. This sequel picks up where the original left off, with Scrooge trying to right an unresolved wrong; adapted for the stage.
Marley's Ghost (2003) by Jeff Goode is a stage play which is a prequel along similar lines to the novel by Osmun (see below in "Literature").
A Klingon Christmas Carol (written c. 2006) is an adaptation set on the Klingon homeworld of Qo'noS in the Star Trek fictional universe.[138] The play was co-written and directed by Christopher O. Kidder, and was performed from 2007–2010[update] by Commedia Beauregard, (a Saint Paul, Minnesota, theatre company),[138] and also presented in Chicago for 2010.[139]
The Trial of Ebenezer Scrooge (2007), a comedic play where, one year after the events of the original story, Scrooge sues Marley and the Spirits for kidnapping and emotional distress.[140]
Ebenezer Ever After, 2010, musical adapted by Dan Flowers and Fred Walton from Flowers's novel The Spirit of the Season (see below in "Literature"); premiered in Portland, Oregon in 2010.
An American Country Christmas Carol (2010), a new musical adaptation with book and lyrics by Scott Logsdon and music by Rand Bishop, Kent Blazy, Roxie Dean, Tim Finn, Billy Kirsch, J. Fred Knobloch, and Pam Rose. It was presented as a staged reading at the Boiler Room Theatre in Franklin, Tennessee, on 5, 6, and 13 December 2010.[141]
Scrooge's Long Night (2014), a comedic, family-friendly take on the story with audience participation and 4 actors playing 12 roles.[142]
An American Christmas Carol (2014), a ballet that relocates the story to post World War II America. Produced by Ballet Fantastique, the score included the music of Frank Sinatra, Ella Fitzgerald and Nat King Cole, and was performed by Jazz singer Halie Loren.[143] A filmed version of the ballet was released in 2020.[144]
Charles Dickens Writes A Christmas Carol (2015), an adaptation by Richard Quesnel, by Lost and Found Theater inc, at The Conrad Center for the Performing Arts in Kitchener, Canada.[citation needed] This adaptation tells the story of how A Christmas Carol came to be written, as well as the story of A Christmas Carol.[145]
Scrooge in Love! (2015) One year after the novella, Scrooge's life takes a turn as the romantic—new ghosts (and Jacob Marley) arrive to help him find his lost love Belle. This was produced for the first time in 2015 in San Francisco.
Scrooge in Love! (2016), a musical written by Duane Poole (music by Larry Grossman and lyrics by Kellan Blair) in which Ebenezer Scrooge, rather than being miserly, sees money as a cure-all and takes generosity overboard.[146]
Solstice Song: A Christmas Carol for the 21st Century (2016) by Deirdre Duffy. A re-imagining of Dickens's classic, set in Washington DC on Winter Solstice 2012, in which Andrew Blossom (the "Scrooge"), a widowed defense contractor, is visited by his deceased wife Lydia (the "Marley") and by the ghosts of conspiracy theory past (CV Groves/SS Californian), present (John F Kennedy/South Tower, morning of 11 September), and future (the Falling Man/worldwide ecological catastrophe), who seek to help Blossom come to terms with the loss of his son on 11 September and the power he holds as a survivor. Produced as an enhanced audio drama in 2020.[147]
A Dickensian Christmas (2016), a staged lecture and reading produced by Andrew McKinnon exploring the story behind A Christmas Carol. The show was presented by Tama Matheson, and featured carols performed by Tahu Matheson, Teddy Tahu Rhodes, and the Australian Youth Choir. It was presented as one-night only events at the Melbourne Recital Centre and Sydney's City Recital Hall.[148]
A Christmas Carol (2017), a new adaptation by Deborah McAndrew, directed by Amy Leach for Hull Truck Theatre. This production transferred to the Leeds Playhouse for Christmas 2018, then it returned during the Christmas 2020 season. This version relocates the story to the North of Victorian, England.[citation needed]
In January 2019, Winchester (UK) based theatre company Blue Apple Theatre staged a re-working of the story with an actress with Down Syndrome, Katy Francis, in the leading part of 'Emilina' Scrooge. The show was performed at Theatre Royal Winchester.[149]
An Actors Carol (2019), a comedic adaptation by Charles Evered, telling the story of a burned out actor who has played the character of Scrooge one too many times, has a nervous breakdown and is visited by three ghosts of his own. Written for as few as four actors. First premiered in California in 2015, starring Tony winning actor Hal Linden.[150] Published in 2019 by Broadway Play Publishing, Inc.[151]
A Christmas Carol (2020), a film adaptation by David and Jacqui Morris. A grandmother narrates the story to her children as the children prepare a toy theatre for their annual performance of A Christmas Carol. Simon Russell Beale is the voice of Scrooge.
A Christmas Carol Live (2020), a filmed version of Jefferson Mays' one man show adaptation of the story. The show was filmed at United Palace in New York and later released for a limited time on the streaming site On The Stage.[153]
A Very Jewish Christmas Carol (2023), a comedic play written by Elise Esther Hearst and Phillip Kavanagh, and produced by Melbourne Theatre Company.[154] This adaptation relocates the story to present day Melbourne, and takes place during Chrismukkah. The play blends elements of the original Dickens story with contemporary Christmas culture and Jewish folklore, such as having the three ghosts represented by a Rein-Dybbuk, a Gingerbread Golem, and Lilith Claus[155]
On 9 April 1980, the Mutual Radio Theater broadcast a radio play entitled "The Last of Scrooge",[157] starring Vincent Price as the Narrator and Hans Conried as Scrooge, relating the events occurring after Scrooge's reformation that eventually brought the old man to an unhappy and miserable end.
Scrooge Blues (2016) was written by Nicholas McInerny and broadcast on BBC Radio 4 in December 2002[158] and re-broadcast on BBC Radio 7 on 28 December 2010.[159] This continuation, starring David Hargreaves, takes place one year after the events of A Christmas Carol after the transformation of Ebenezer Scrooge.
In Bleak Expectations, a Dickensian pastiche comedy series, the protagonist Philip 'Pip' Bin (played by Tom Allen) unsuccessfully attempts to become a novelist to raise himself out of poverty, one of his rejected attempts starting "How Ebenezer Scrooge hated Harvest Festival". Later, his arch-nemesis Gently Benevolent disguises himself as the Ghost of Harvest Festival Past in order to con Pip out of his fortune by imparting moral lessons via poorly workshopped theatrical performances passed off as visions.
In John Finnemore's Souvenir Programme, Finnemore's storyteller character tells the story of Christopher Mascheer, an employee at the Toy Crusher Corporation who plans to spend Christmas Day working rather than spending time with his family. After being shown his lonely future by the ghost of his childhood friend Rufus (a lion), Mascheer resolves to ignore his family completely to become Toy Crusher CEO sooner.
In The Museum of Everything, an audiovisual display ride details the life of Thomas Queasley, the worst-selling author in Victorian Britain whose works are clear plagiarisms of Charles Dickens's. One such example is An Easter Sing-song.
Music
"Ebenezer Scrooge" (1953), a novelty song performed by Teresa Brewer based on the novella.[160]
"Jacob Marley's Chains" (1993), a song by Aimee Mann inspired by the character of Jacob Marley. The song features on her album Whatever.[161]
"The Ghost of Christmas Past" (2016), a song by Elizabeth Chan using the Ghost of Christmas Past as an allegory for bereavement.[162][163]
A Christmas Carol: A Folk Opera (2017), a concept album by folk band Green Matthews that retells the story by putting new lyrics to well-known carols and traditional tunes [164] A concert version of the album was toured around the UK the following year.[165]
A Christmas Carol (2020), a concept album by metal band Majestica that retells the story using remixes of classic Christmas carols, such as "Tis the Season to Be Jolly", "Jingle Bells", and"Carol of the Bells".[166]
"Ghost of Christmas Past" (2020), a song performed by Brina Kay inspired by the character of the same name.[167][168]
God Bless Us Every One (Methuen, 1985) by Andrew Angus Dalrymple. Subtitled Being An Imagined Sequel to "A Christmas Carol" and featuring all the major characters of the original in 1843, the year of the original's publication (the original is dated as having occurred seven years earlier here), expanding upon the Cratchit children Tim and Belinda.
"Whatever Became of Tiny Tim?" (1992) by John Mortimer (New York Times Book Review, ). In this short story, Tim grew up to be a successful businessman and gained a knighthood, but became even more heartless than Scrooge (beginning his career by embezzling funds from Scrooge's Christmas turkey fund, then buying Scrooge out and pensioning off his own father). After moving to North Africa, he is visited on Christmas night 1894 by the ghosts of Scrooge and Christmas Yet-to-Come who force him to see a horrible vision of the world in 1992.
Jacob Marley's Christmas Carol (1994), a book by Tom Mula focusing on Jacob Marley and his attempts to redeem Scrooge lest he face eternal torment.[86]
Timothy Cratchit's Christmas Carol, 1917 (1998) by Dale K. Powell. A sequel novel to the Charles Dickens classic (Dickens World, 1998). In this version, an elderly Tiny Tim is a wealthy immigrant living in America who experiences his own spiritual visitations on Christmas Eve.
The Spirit of the Season, 1998, by Don Flowers; Paralleling the visitations of the three "spirits" 20 years before, Scrooge prevails on a grown-up Tim Cratchit to help to him try to reconnect with and win freedom for Marley's Ghost. Later adapted by Flowers and Fred Walton as a musical, Ebenezer Ever After (see above in "Theater").
Marley's Ghost, (2000), by Mark Hazard Osmun: The prequel to A Christmas Carol. A novel imagining the life and afterlife of Scrooge's partner, Jacob Marley and how Marley came to arrange Scrooge's chance at redemption.
Mr. Timothy (HarperCollins, 2003) by Louis Bayard. Here again is an adult Tiny Tim, only this time as a 23-year-old resident of a London brothel who becomes embroiled in a murder mystery. Mr. Timothy was included in The New York Times's list of Notable Fiction for 2003.
The Haunting Refrain to Charles Dickens' "A Christmas Carol" (2004, revised 2007). This short novel details the lives of the original characters, plus a few new introductions, 21 years later. It is posted exclusively to the web at his time and is out of print from its original printing run.
The Trial of Ebenezer Scrooge (Ohio State University Press, 2001) by Bruce Bueno de Mesquita. A uniquely philosophical take on the Scrooge mythology set in the afterlife with Scrooge on trial to determine if he merits entry into Paradise.
Scrooge & Cratchit (2002) by Matt McHugh. Bob Cratchit is now Scrooge's partner in business as they both face the wrath of bankers as ruthless as Scrooge in his prime. Reprinted in 2007 as The Index-Journal holiday edition insert. In print and Kindle/iPhone/ebook formats.
The Last Christmas of Ebenezer Scrooge: The Sequel to A Christmas Carol (Wildside Press, 2003) by Marvin Kaye. This sequel picks up where the original left off, with Scrooge trying to right an unresolved wrong. This version was also adapted for the stage (see above in "Theater").
Hanukkah, Shmanukkah!, (2005) book written by Esme Raji Codell and illustrated by LeUyen Pham, re-imagines the 'Carol' story as a Chanukkah tale, with a miserly factory owner ("Scroogemacher") being visited by the spirits of three rabbis, each representing a different era of Jewish history.[170]
Marly's Ghost: A Remix of Charles Dickens' A Christmas Carol (2005), a young adult novel written by David Levithan and illustrated by Brian Selznick[171]
Starring Tracy Beaker (2006), a children's book by Jacqueline Wilson that revolves around Tracy's involvement in a school production of A Christmas Carol
I am Scrooge: A Zombie Story for Christmas (2009) is a novel by Adam Roberts dealing with the aftermath of Tiny Tim's parlous health. It turns out that the child was a harbinger of an infectious virus that threatens a zombie apocalypse, and it is left to Scrooge and the Ghosts of Christmas Past, Present and Future to rectify the matter.
Scrooge: The Year After (2012) is a sequel written by Judy La Salle taking place one year after the events of the original novel, following Scrooge's attempt to investigate the cause of his sister Fan's death. It is broken into volumes, and thus far, only the first volume of the sequel has been released.
An Amish Christmas Carol (Amish Christian Classic Series Book 1) (2012) by Sarah Price
One Last Christmas Carol: The Saga of Scrooge Continues (2012) by T. J. Cloonan (Author), R. A. Cloonan (Photographer). Dicken's characters become involved in a Victorian era mystery.
What did Scrooge do next? A fascinating sequel to Charles Dickens's famous story 'A Christmas Carol' (2013) by Michael Allen. In his famous story 'A Christmas Carol', Charles Dickens introduced us to Ebenezer Scrooge – and anyone who is familiar with that story will surely have wondered whether Scrooge really did change his ways. So here's the answer.
Tim Cratchit's Christmas Carol: The Sequel to the Celebrated Dickens Classic (2014) by Jim Piecuch. Tiny Tim is all grown up in this continuation of Charles Dickens's beloved holiday classic, and this time a certain ghost shows him the true meaning of Christmas cheer.
Jacob T. Marley, a 2014 novel by William R. Bennett focusing on Jacob Marley, how he influenced Scrooge into becoming worse than he was, and his attempts to make amends posthumously.[172]
"Scroogical" (2014), a modern retelling of the tale that begins with Jacob Marley making a bet with the Ghost of Christmas Present, who doubles as a broker for souls.
A Kindle short story collection A Christmas Carol: The Death of Tiny Tim and Other Dark Stories by Joseph L. Calvarese was published in 2014. The title story is a murder mystery that suggests that Scrooge sent the prize turkey to the Cratchit family with ill intent.
The Life and Times of Bob Cratchit: A Background Story to Charles Dickens' A Christmas Carol (2015), by Dixie Distler a novel detailing how Bob Cratchit grew up and came to work at Scrooge and Marley's, how he got married, and other events before the story began.[173]
Changed by Christmas: The Sequel to Charles Dickens's A Christmas Carol (2015) by Elizabeth W. Watkins.
A Christmas Carol II: The Rise of the Juggernauts (2016) by Nicholas Kaminsky. A fantasy tale in which Scrooge has died, and Tiny Tim has become a martial artist. Tiny Tim must battle a treacherous secret society and a mechanical army, called the Juggernauts.
The Three Scrooges (2016) by Jeff Lane. The three spirits return to visit Scrooge accompanied by two new spirits, Ebenezer himself from two different times in his life
Jacob – A Denouement in One Act (2017), a story set roughly 80 years after the original where Jacob Marley, having played all three ghosts with no idea if his visit was successful, learns of the positive effects he had on Scrooge and London as a whole that may free him of his chains.
Marley (2017), a serialized web novella focusing on Jacob Marley in the days before A Christmas Carol, primarily his life and how he came to redeem Ebenezer. It also shows the background of the three Ghosts and features action sequences as someone Marley knew in life, and spurned, steals the Ghost of Christmas Present's torch in an effort to permanently stop the dead visiting the living.[174]
Tiny Tim and The Ghost of Ebenezer Scrooge: The sequel to A Christmas Carol (2017) by Norman Whaler. In this romantic sequel, Ebenezer Scrooge dies suddenly just days before Christmas. Tiny Tim, now a young man who lost his sweetheart, battles anger and lost faith. Scrooge's ghost returns to teach him a much needed lesson.
A Vegan Christmas Carol (2018), book written by S. E. Harrison, provides a full-text adaptation in which animal-based products have been replaced.[175]
The Society of Scrooge: The Further Trials and Triumphs of Scrooge and His Companions (2019) by Judy La Salle that continues the story the author began in the novel Scrooge: The Year After, which was published in 2012
A Christmas Carol Sequel: "The Redemption of Jacob Marley" (2019) a Kindle book by Andrew Passehl. Scrooge decides to help the Ghost of Jacob Marley obtain his redemption.
Christmas Parcel: Sequel to Charles Dickens' Classic "A Christmas Carol" (2019) by Alydia Rackham. Ebenezer Scrooge is dead, and Timothy Cratchit has grown into a young man who is terrified of poverty, willing to forfeit Christmas to chase business ventures. Scrooge's ghost is determined not to allow Tim to follow in his footsteps.
A Fifth Visitor: Or How Scrooge Kept Christmas (2019) by John D. Payne. Five years after Scrooge's famous Christmas Eve, he is visited again by a new spirit.
Mary's Song: A Sequel to Charles Dickens' A Christmas Carol (2019) by Dixie Distler, a follow-up to the author's 2015 novel "The Life and Times of Bob Cratchit" in which Scrooge must fight to save Christmas from dark forces.
Ebenezer's First Noel: A Prequel to The Christmas Carol (2019) by Philip Wik. In this retelling, Jacob sends Ebenezer back to his days when he was in love with Belle for one last chance for love and to save Marley from his ghostly torments. Pursued by the criminal Professor James Moriarty, Ebenezer and Belle and their children Catherine and Heathcliff spend much of their lives in mid-nineteenth century Australia. This novel combines characters and elements from Sir Arthur Conan Doyle, H.G. Wells and Dickens.
Marley: A Novel (2019) by Jon Clinch. The story of Jacob Marley, business partner to Ebenezer Scrooge, the man who will be both the making and the undoing of Scrooge.
Video game adaptations
Mega Man Christmas Carol (2010) – In this Mega Manfangame, Mega Man gets his Christmas presents stolen by an evil Santa Claus. To get the presents back, Mega Man must fight four Robot Masters based on the four ghosts from A Christmas Carol.
Mega Man Christmas Carol 2 (2011) – The sequel to Mega Man Christmas Carol. Mega Man, Proto Man and Bass fight against five more Robot Masters based on A Christmas Carol characters.
Podcasts
THREE GHOSTS[176] (2020), book and music by C.E. Simon, Lyrics by Liz Muller. THREE GHOSTS is an epic retelling of Charles Dickens' A Christmas Carol, with a cast of over 40 people from all over the world. Released on 19 December 2020.[177]
^Dickens' Public Readings: The Performer and the Novelist Philip Collins Studies in the Novel, Vol. 1, No. 2, Charles Dickens (summer 1969), pp. 118–132
^ abcdefghijklmnopqGuida, Fred (2000). A Christmas carol and its adaptations: a critical examination of Dickens's story and its productions on screen and television. Jefferson,N.C.: McFarland & Co. ISBN978-0-7864-0738-5.
^"Tiny Tim Comes to Television", The New York Times, 24 December 1944, p. 35.
^"Christmas Night". BBC. 25 December 1946. Archived from the original on 21 December 2016. Retrieved 6 December 2016.
^"A Christmas Carol". IMDb.com. 25 December 1947. Archived from the original on 7 August 2019. Retrieved 27 July 2019.
^Guida, Fred (2000). A Christmas Carol and Its Adaptations: A Critical Examination of Dickens's Story and Its Productions on Screen and Television. McFarland & Company. p. 177. ISBN0-7864-0738-7. CAST: John Carradine (Ebenezer Scrooge); Ray Morgan (Nephew; Narrator); Bernard Hughes; Eva Marie Saint; Somer Alder; Sam Fertig; Helen Stenborg; Jonathan Marlowe; David Carradine. Live telecast from DuMont's station WABD on December 25, 1947. The Variety review quoted below indicates that this New York-based production was also fed to Philadelphia, Baltimore and Washington, D.C.
^"Television Reviews. A Christmas Carol". Variety. 31 December 1947. pp. 18, 28. Archived from the original on 17 February 2014. Retrieved 8 September 2021. In playing the well known "Scrooge" John Carradine gave a performance of a grumpy old man minus any particular highlights. The script made little of "Tiny Tim" and / even though Carradine's young son was in the cast he was not identifiable until an epilog of bows which called out all the players and seemed the best directorial touch of the performance.((cite news)): CS1 maint: bot: original URL status unknown (link)
^Carradine, David (1995). Endless Highway. Journey Editions. p. 72. ISBN1-885203-20-9. One Christmas he played Scrooge. I got the part of "Young Scrooge," the kid the ghost of Christmas past shows him. I had three lines. I guess you could call this my TV debut. They paid me twenty-five dollars for it. My dad bought me a suit with the money. The suit cost fifty dollars, so I actually went into debt on that job. It's been working pretty much like that ever since.
^"A Christmas Carol". BBC. 19 December 1923. Archived from the original on 21 December 2016. Retrieved 6 December 2016.
^"On the Air Today", The Washington Post, 25 December 1934, p. 21. "Nash-LaFayette Radio Program" (advertisement), The New York Times, 25 December 1934, p. 32.
^"Lionel Collapses, But a Barrymore Acts as 'Scrooge'", The Washington Post, 26 December 1936, p. X1.
^"Listen! with Glyn" (advertisement), The Washington Post, 20 December 1940, p. 36.
^"You Don't Play Scrooge You Just Ain't Workin'", The Washington Post, 23 December 1953, p. 46.
^Binkowski, Jon; Smith, Lisa Enos (18 November 2022), A Christmas Karen (Comedy), Michele Simms, Meghan Colleen Moroney, Rolin Alexis, Renaissance Entertainment (II), archived from the original on 14 July 2023, retrieved 21 November 2023
^"A Christmas Carol". Electric Entertainment. Archived from the original on 31 March 2022. Retrieved 16 May 2019.
^"Tiny Tim is Dead". Barbara Lebow – Playwright. Archived from the original on 5 February 2018. Retrieved 4 February 2018.
^Christopher Durang (2007). Miss Witherspoon and Mrs. Bob Cratchit's Wild Christmas Binge: Two Plays. Grove/Atlantic, Inc. pp. x, 70. ISBN0-8021-9969-0.
^ abBelkin, Douglas (18 December 2010), "BaQa'—or Is It Humbug? Aliens Attack a Holiday Classic", The Wall Street Journal, New York, NY, U.S.A.: Dow Jones & Company, ISSN0099-9660, archived from the original on 21 December 2010, retrieved 19 December 2010, The arc of A Klingon Christmas Carol follows the familiar Dickens script: An old miser is visited on a hallowed night by three ghosts who shepherd him through a voyage of self-discovery. The narrative has been rejiggered to match the Klingon world view.
^Weber, Kris (21 November 2023). "A Very Jewish Christmas Carol". TheatreMatters.com.au. Archived from the original on 25 November 2023. Retrieved 25 November 2023.
^"The Goon Show". BBC. Archived from the original on 22 December 2020. Retrieved 24 August 2020.
^"Marly's Ghost". Davidlevithan.com. Archived from the original on 21 December 2021. Retrieved 20 December 2021.
^Bennett, R. William (14 October 2014). Jacob T. Marley: R. William Bennett: 0783027079159: Amazon.com: Books. Shadow Mountain. ISBN978-1-60907-915-4.
^Distler, Dixie (15 May 2015). The Life and Times of Bob Cratchit: A Background Story to Charles Dickens' A Christmas Carol: Dixie M. Distler: 9781484932353: Amazon.com: Books. CreateSpace Independent Publishing Platform. ISBN978-1-4849-3235-3.
