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NOTES FROM THE ADAPTER

 

The Victorians were obsessed with, and possessed by, the supernatural in all its various guises: ghosts, fairies, angels and demons, visions of the afterlife and a reality beyond the every day. My objective in adapting 'A Christmas Carol' as a one-man show, told from the point of view of Jacob Marley’s ghost, was to emphasize the differences between a saved soul and one that is lost; Scrooge being the former, and Marley the latter. This contrast serves to highlight the themes of redemption and forgiveness by comparing Marley’s temporary liberation from his chains to that of Scrooge’s full reclamation of spirit; shining a light on the necessities of changing one’s outlook upon life, in regards to acknowledging and taking account for one’s fellow beings as well as adding a certain poignancy to the proceedings since Marley can never really escape his imprisonment and must continue to suffer in death on account of his behaviour in life.

 

Who better to tell a story of redemption than the spirit who regrets never achieving it for himself? Just as Marley returned to haunt Scrooge, so he returns to haunt us.

 

James Hyland, November 2009

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DEDICATION

 

This production is dedicated to Jack and Joey.

 

"In my heart shall I forever carry thee."

 

James Hyland, November 2009/2010

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