Few holiday tales have captured the true meaning and essence of the Christmas spirit quite like Charles Dickens’ A Christmas Carol.
Almost everyone is familiar with the story of greedy, miserly Ebenezer Scrooge, Jacob Marley and the lovable Tiny Tim; thanks in part to it never being out of print since its original publication in 1843 and adaptations to opera, film and stage.
Now, Banff’s St. Paul’s Presbyterian Church is offering the community an early Christmas present with a reading of the holiday classic by stage and film actor Martin Evans at 7 p.m., Wednesday (Dec. 2).
Evans will present a one-hour traditional reading of A Christmas Carol by candlelight as part of the St. Paul’s Presents Series in Banff, a free event to bring the true meaning and essence of Christmas.
A veteran of the Canadian stage, Evans has performed extensively in theatres across the country, including The National Ottawa, Neptune Halifax, MTC Winnipeg and Theatre Calgary.
Classical theatre has been predominant in his career, with Evans having performed in many Shakespeare productions, including King Lear (Edmund), King John (King John), Julius Caesar (Octavius Caesar), Titus Andronicus (Saturninus), Loves Labours Lost (Berowne) and Macbeth (Macbeth) just to name a few. Other productions include Blithe Spirit, Cyrano de Bergerac, Hedda Gabler and, of course, A Christmas Carol, which happens to be one of the actor’s childhood favourites.
He is looking forward to bringing his one-man reading of a preferred classic to the stage; his first “real” reading material as a child.
“It was just a coincidence that they had an opening at this time of year for the St. Paul’s Presents Series and it’s something I’ve wanted to do for a long time. When I played in half a dozen productions of A Christmas Carol, in both musical versions and otherwise, it has always been a great favourite of mine,” Evans said.
“I always seemed to get cast as Cratchit and left them weeping ... but now I get to actually play everybody and it’s certainly going to be a challenge.”
As with most Dickens’ work, Evans believes it’s the descriptiveness of his stories that keeps drawing generations towards his canon.
“You want to be able to keep all of the main points of the story. Dickens used to give readings, especially during a tour he was on in New York and other parts of North America, a series of lectures. He was basically doing what I’m going to be doing except that he probably read the whole book, which is a daunting prospect. I’m basically following in his heels, I suppose,” Evans said.
Why does this Victorian era story still hold such a place in people’s hearts into the 21st century?
“I think there’s a contrast between greed and the other side of this with the joyfulness and the happiness of sharing, which Christmas has sort of lost over the decades.”
St. Paul’s Presbyterian Church presents A Christmas Carol, 7-8 p.m. on Wednesday (Dec. 2). The family friendly event is admission free, with Christmas refreshments served after the performance.
