We celebrated both Dickens’ bicentenary, and the expansion of our Get Into Reading groups across the capital, with a truly magical line-up of readers, comedy, and music which had the audiences in stitches one minute, and tearful the next. The British Library provided a suitably literary venue and Vintage gave everyone a free Dickens novel to take home with them. No wonder the public tickets sold out in a day!

Charles Dickens casts a critical eye over proceedings

Whilst a portrait of the great man himself looked down on us, his actual DNA appeared on stage in the form of Lucinda Dickens Hawksley, his great-great-great granddaughter, who apologised for reading A Tale of Two Cities from a well-loved paperback rather than a precious family heirloom. This made no difference to the quality of her performance, however; all of our readers left the audience in spellbound silence. 

The wonderful AS Byatt read the opening to Great Expectations, reminiscing about the effect it had on her as a child and delivering Magwitch’s threats with relish. It might be January, but our own Phil Davis’ portrayal of the loving Cratchitt family in A Christmas Carol  still kindled a warm and fuzzy feeling, whilst  Angela Macmillan movingly recreated Peggotty’s loyalty and devotion to the young David Copperfield, leaving one audience member ‘weeping like a burst water pipe’.

Ida Barr does her thing

TRO's Director Jane Davis and Tweedy the Clown

 Judging by the enthusiastic response from the audience and the reaction on Twitter, the event was an enormous success:

“I didn’t know I could be entertained like that”

“Clowns, cowbells, magicians and AS Byatt should be mixed more often!”

“Pure joy”

Dickens himself was a consummate entertainer and would surely have approved of the eclectic line-up, a perfect mix of comedy and pathos, just like the novels we were there to celebrate.

A big thank you to everyone who was involved and made it such a special event. If you came along, we’d love to hear your thoughts so please leave a comment below.

Don’t worry if you didn’t make it this time around – we will be back in Liverpool as usual in December and fingers crossed our London escapades will be the first of many!

We’re having a shared reading Christmas party while listening so please get involved -  tweet your thoughts by using the #eveningreadin hashtag and join our Tweet Party (Party Hashtag: #eveningreadin; Party Host: @thereaderorg)

Also, if you’ve missed any of the previous parts you can get everything Evening Read-In related right here : what better way to spend some time over the festive period than listening to the most classic Christmas story of all being read aloud?

Click here to listen to A Christmas Carol – Part 5 audio

Read along with the story here

Part 5 Synopsis:

Scrooge is overjoyed to find that everything in his room is as it once was and is especially happy and grateful to Marley and the Three Spirits for everything they have shown him. He is very much an altered man and pledges to show his gratitude for the second chance he has been given by embracing the spirit of Christmas and life itself. He is quite giddy and unsure of how long he has been gone, he calls out to a boy and asks him what day it is. The boy replies that it is Christmas Day. He then instructs the boy to go and buy the biggest turkey in the butcher’s shop – saying he will pay him to do so – so it can be delivered to the Cratchits’ house.

Once he is ready, Scrooge goes out into the street and wishes everybody he sees a Merry Christmas. He comes across one of the gentleman who had called at his office the day before campaigning on behalf of the poor and needy. He apologises for his actions and promises to donate many large sums of money to the charity to make up for his past discrepancies. He passes through the streets, as joyful as it is possible for any person to be. He arrives at Fred’s house, where he is welcomed with open arms to dinner and the family’s Christmas party.

The next morning Scrooge arrives early at his office purposely to catch Bob Cratchit coming in late. Scrooge adopts his old demeanour as a disguise and chastises a flustered Bob for his lateness, before saying he will raise his salary – something that Bob initially does not believe. The two men drink to Christmas and from that day Scrooge becomes a close friend to the entire Cratchit family – especially to Tiny Tim, who prospers. Scrooge truly is a changed man and continues to keep Christmas as well as any man can.

Last week was a rather sombre affair as we encountered the ultra mysterious Ghost of Christmas Yet to Come, a spectre of death. Though it didn’t have an awful lot to say, thankfully the Evening Readers did. We were rather impressed at Scrooge’s brave decision to put the prospect of personal improvement and redemption before fear and had to feel great empathy at his very surreal ordeal; as one reader pointed out it was “like seeing your own obituary published in a paper then watching your grave being robbed” – very unsettling indeed. Also hardly anyone could fail to be moved by Bob Cratchit’s sorrow – a completely different aspect of death but another nobody should ever have to bear witness to. In the end, we concluded that Dickens may have well introduced the concept of ‘tough love’ through Scrooge’s emotional journey and it was not just Scrooge that was left humbled as we took away the fact that “we enter the world with nothing and leave with nothing”.

Hopefully, tomorrow’s concluding part will be a much cheerier affair, in keeping with the increasingly Christmassy mood that is descending all around. Join us at 9pm on the dot for the last time with the first Evening Read-In (keep your eyes peeled in the New Year for announcement of the next Read-In…) and don’t be shy – it’s the final opportunity to air your thoughts on the story by tweeting along with the accompanying hashtag #eveningreadin .

Get involved in our live listening, social and shared reading experience - tweet your thoughts by using the #eveningreadin hashtag and join our Tweet Party (Party Hashtag: #eveningreadin; Party Host: @thereaderorg)

Click to listen to A Christmas Carol – Part 4 audio

Read along with the story here

Part 4 Synopsis:  

The phantom appears before Scrooge; a disconsolate and rather disturbing presence. This Spirit is shadowy in both appearance and nature; it does not speak when Scrooge asks it if it is the Ghost of Christmas Yet to Come. Though terrified of the Spirit, Scrooge is keen to accompany it, knowing whatever it has to reveal will ultimately lead him to become a better man.

Scrooge and the Spirit arrive in the heart of the city, where groups of businessmen are feverishly discussing the death of a man. However none of them are mourning his passing. They then travel to a crime-ridden corner of the town where a group of vagabonds gather around some personal effects of not much value which appear to have been taken from the man who has died. The group barter and laugh at the objects and Scrooge is horrified by their actions. He takes the case of this unfortunate man to foreshadow his own eventual fate; that is, if he does not change his ways. The scene once again changes; in a bare and dark room and lying alone, Scrooge is confronted with the body of the man – though he does not see who it is. They move on to the house of a young couple and their children. They are careworn with worry, but their fretting is relieved when the young man announces the death of the man everyone has been talking about and to whom they owed a debt.

Scrooge asks the Spirit to show him a death that does not evoke emotions of pleasure or relief, but love and tenderness. The Spirit brings them to a familiar dwelling – Bob Cratchit’s house. It is overwhelmed by a solemn atmosphere. The family are all there – except for Bob. When he arrives home he is welcomed by his wife and children and tries hard to be cheerful for their sake, but breaks down at the thought of Tiny Tim, who has died. When recovered, Bob informs the family that he met Fred, Scrooge’s nephew, who though he did not know the child expressed sorrow at his death and Bob marvels at his kindness. All of the family announce that Tiny Tim’s spirit will live with them always.

Knowing that the Spirit will soon depart, Scrooge beseeches it to let him know the identity of the dead man. The Spirit still does not reply and heads straight on, past Scrooge’s workplace and his house, to a graveyard where it points to one grave – which bears a very familiar name. Scrooge asks the Spirit whether this horrifying vision is what will be, or what may be and therefore can be changed. He pleads that he is not the man he once was and promises to honour the spirit of Christmas not just at the time itself but all the year through so that this nightmare may not come true. As his promises are repeated, the Spirit’s robe alters and changes into a bedpost and Scrooge finds himself back in his bedroom.

Instead of searching through shelves at the DVD rental shop and clear out the entire stock of popcorn supplies in the supermarket, why not listen in to our audio of the original and surely the best version – straight from the pen of Dickens himself. Countless actors have put their own spin on Scrooge but as the Evening Readers have been discovering over the past 3 weeks it’s much more fun to form your own impression of Ebenezer (with a little help from Charles, of course).

Part 4 of the classic Christmas tale will be here tomorrow at 9pm – if you’re late to the Christmas reading party, you can catch up with Parts 1 2 and 3 (perfect to get you into the festive feeling). And because the Evening Read-In is all about interaction, you can chat about Part 4 as it happens on Twitter with the hashtag #eveningreadin .

We want you to get involved in sharing the story over the next hour - tweet your thoughts by using the #eveningreadin hashtag and join our Tweet Party (Party Hashtag: #eveningreadin; Party Host: @thereaderorg)

Click to listen to A Christmas Carol – Part 3 audio

Read along with the story here

Part 3 Synopsis:

In order to be completely prepared and ready for the arrival of the next Spirit, Scrooge awakes instinctively at one. Despite his resolution not to be surprised he finds that when the clock strikes the hour, it is nowhere to be seen. Scrooge follows a beam of light from the adjoining room and finds the Spirit there, sitting amongst an overwhelming feast and swathed in festive decoration. It was the Ghost of Christmas Present – majestic looking and incredibly jolly in demeanour. Having learnt much from the first Spirit, Scrooge is more forthcoming in wanting to profit from what the second Spirit has to teach him. By touching the Spirit’s robe, they begin their journey into the city streets on Christmas morning. Despite the gloominess of the climate, there is incredible cheer in the air; shops teem with delights and people embrace the merry mood, wishing each other goodwill.

Having been absorbed in the atmosphere, they move on to the house of Bob Cratchit, Scrooge’s clerk. Bob’s arrival is eagerly awaited by his family who are gathered inside; he enters in threadbare clothing with his sickly son, Tiny Tim, perched on his shoulder. All together and content, the family go on preparing and enjoying their scant Christmas dinner and despite Mrs Cratchit’s protesting, Bob raises a toast in Scrooge’s name. The family have a very happy time, even as Tiny Tim continues to ail. Looking at the boy, Scrooge feels a wave of concern for his welfare, which is emphasised when the Spirit discloses a bleak vision of the family’s future.

Having visited other Christmas gatherings – including a group of miners and men at sea who by all means should be having a miserable time but instead are sharing in the universal happiness – they arrive at a house vibrant with the sound of laughter. It belongs to Fred, Scrooge’s nephew. Everyone is having a wonderful celebration, complete with music and many games. Offering a contrast, Fred mentions Scrooge’s attitude to Christmas. Fred’s wife says she has no patience for Scrooge but Fred says he cannot help but feel pity, as Scrooge misses out on so many pleasant moments. Despite them being very disparaging, Fred and his friends drink a toast to Scrooge. Though he cannot be seen, Scrooge plays along with all of the games and festivities, quite taken with a joyful mood as before unseen.

The Spirit grows perceptibly older, and informs Scrooge that there is not long of his life left – indeed, it ends at midnight and it is a quarter to. Before the Spirit disappears, Scrooge notices something strange protruding from the Spirit’s robe. Two children – a boy and a girl – emerge. The Spirit informs Scrooge that they represent two of humanity’s worst traits – Ignorance and Want. Scrooge is reminded of his dismissal of society’s most poor and needy, and the Spirit warns him that Doom will await if Scrooge does not take heed of the two children. Almost as soon as the Spirit fades away, Scrooge eyes a hooded phantom coming towards him like mist on the ground…

However, if for whatever reason you find that you’re lacking in the spirit then we have just the antidote for you – The Evening Read-In. The story of A Christmas Carol so far has plenty of spirit in every sense of the word – that special seasonal feeling in the air (which has not quite reached Scrooge just yet), the copious amounts of drink flowing at Fezziwig’s party and, of course, in the not-quite-physical but certainly very real form of Scrooge’s spectres – yes, proceedings are spooky enough that you’d be forgiven for thinking time had been turned back and it was Hallowe’en rather than Christmas.

Last week we met the Ghost of Christmas Past, complete with wonderful contradictions – all at once shadowy and light, serene and strong – and an appearance it was suggested was reminiscent of  the Green Man (which, rather appropriately, is “a symbol of rebirth or renaissance” – you could never accuse Dickens of not thinking these things through). Like Scrooge we learnt a few things along the way – including finding out exactly what a “Welsh cap” as worn by the very dapper Mr Fezziwig is (it’s ‘a woollen or worsted cap, originally made in Montgomery, Wales’) and coming across what surely is the perfect excuse for being late for any appointment in these wild and wintry conditions: just say that your clock stopped because “an icicle must have got into the works” (just tell any doubters that it’s Charles Dickens-approved). Deeper issues were also pondered, such as whether aspirations can always be kept ‘noble’ and if it’s the case that one can only ever ‘profit’ in either business or love (I’m sure we can all guess where Scrooge’s riches lie…) – and just how do you throw a Christmas party to rival the Fezziwigs’ bonanza? That may be one question that will go forever unanswered…

Tomorrow it’ll be the turn of another spirit to pay Scrooge a visit – and we’ll be getting into the spirit by reading and listening in. Why not join us? There’s no time like the Present (might have given away the story a little there…). Be here at 9pm sharpish and get on Twitter too (#eveningreadin) for Part 3 of the Dickensian classic.

Click to listen to A Christmas Carol – Part Two audio

Read along with the text as you listen or if you’d rather be surprised, a synopsis of Part 2:

Having been severely spooked and shaken by his home visit from the ghost of Marley the previous night, Scrooge awakes still in a very confused and trouble state of mind – not helped by the fact that when he wakes up, it is pitch black dark and the clock says twelve midnight; though Scrooge did not go to sleep until after two a.m. Surely he could not have slumbered for almost a whole 24 hours? The first of the three Spirits that Marley told Scrooge would visit him is due to arrive as the clock strikes one, and Scrooge can do little but contemplate its arrival – and wonder whether it is all just a very strange dream…

The first Spirit is contrary – childlike in size, but with aged-white hair and a remarkably fresh face, illuminated by the radiant light that surrounds it. Scrooge asks what it is and the Spirit replies that it is the Ghost of Christmas Past. But it does not represent the past in general; rather Scrooge’s own past. The Spirit beckons Scrooge to take a walk with it and as soon as Scrooge grasps its hand, they are transported to a completely different place, but one that is instantly memorable to Scrooge. The Spirit takes Scrooge to various Christmases from his past, varying from his lonely childhood in boarding school onto his first work apprenticeship with a very merry man and much-loved employer, Mr Fezziwig. The journey through his memories is one that Scrooge experiences as intensely real and finds highly emotional; all at once he is saddened, guilty, elated and thoughtful.

The last two stops on the journey are extremely distressing for Scrooge, and he begs for the Spirit to take him back home and show him no more – but the Spirit insists that Scrooge face up to the shadows of his past, as they cannot be changed. Having been forced to take stock of long lost opportunities – and long lost love – a struggle ensues, a light goes out and Scrooge returns to his bedroom, overwhelmed by tiredness and the events of the evening. But the second spirit is on its way…

As you’re enjoying listening (which we’re very sure you will be), we’d love for you to get involved and share your thoughts on the unfolding story with us live over the next hour - tweet us as well as adding #eveningreadin onto your tweets (or join our Tweet Party to see all the goings on: just type in #eveningreadin as Party Hashtag and @thereaderorg as Party Host)

• Wondering what profession we’d find a modern-day Scrooge in – newspaper editing (topical…)?  Investment banking? Management consultancy? (no offence intended if you’re in any of these businesses yourself)
• Pondering the really-quite-apt if brief reference Dickens makes to Hamlet in the story – another melancholic kindred spirit for Ebenezer?
• Thinking about the respective chains we ‘forge in life’ and being accountable for our actions; agreeing that Scrooge is especially  lucky to get a chance of redemption, unlike poor damned Marley
• Revealing who in our own lives Scrooge reminds us of (he is a bit reminiscent of a grumpy grandad) – as well as marvelling at his quite remarkable hidden comedic talents (Ebenezer Scrooge: a stand-up in the making?)…

We also received a lot of compliments about Lynn’s lovely accent – we can’t help thinking that the story would have gone quite differently (and perhaps wouldn’t have to have been told at all) if Scrooge was a Geordie…

The next part of A Christmas Carol – and of course, the next Read-In – will be  this Thursday evening (1st December) at 9pm; same time, same place for everyone to listen in to what happens next (if you joined us last week, no doubt you’re already poised on the edge of your seat to find out – and if you weren’t there then you’ve got enough time  between now and then to catch up). Join us at The Reader Online for the audio and read-along text and on Twitter to tell us what you think – just be sure to attach #eveningreadin to your tweets so we can see what you’re saying.

Reading in is definitely the new going out (especially given that very noticeable chill outside, as well as the many downpours) – so we’ll see you there!

A Christmas Carol – Part One audio

Go here if you’d like to read along with the text as you listen…

And if you’d rather just listen, a brief synopsis of the first part:

Ebenezer Scrooge is a cold man. It is not just his surroundings that replicate the iciest chill of the fiercest Arctic winter, but his very person too. He is miserly, miserable, self-contained and almost completely cut-off from family, friends and society – his only ‘friend’ and ‘kindred spirit’ in the world, Jacob Marley (of Scrooge & Marley) having died on Christmas Eve seven years earlier. Even before Marley’s death, Scrooge never particularly liked Christmas. He certainly doesn’t see it as an occasion to celebrate or reason to holiday from work.

As Christmas Day fast approaches, Scrooge is distinctly without Christmas cheer and has little time or consideration to give to anyone wanting to celebrate the season – not his very cheery nephew Fred, not passing carollers, certainly not the poor and destitute who could profit from his assistance at this special time of year. He is just about able to begrudgingly allow his overwrought clerk, Bob Cratchit, to have Christmas Day off to spend with his family – but not without wondering why anyone would rather celebrate when they could be productive and working, even if the occasion only falls once a year.

As Scrooge returns to his house that Christmas Eve – which is just as dark and dismal as his place of work, if not more so – he expects to face an entirely normal night with definitely no out-of-the-ordinary occurrences. But soon after he enters, some very strange things happen which puts Scrooge in rather a superstitious mood. In his home, Scrooge receives another visitor – and not one he can so easily dismiss – who has a stark warning for Scrooge about his life and his ways, with a promise of more unwelcome visitors to come…

It’s an interactive shared reading experience – so join in the conversation by tweeting: attach the hashtag #eveningreadin to your tweets (or tweet us @thereaderorg) so you can share your thoughts on Scrooge and the story over the next hour.