T'was the night before Christmas and all through the house, not a creature was stirring as they are all enraptured by this charming radio production from 1975.To mark the final day of my advent challenge, I decided that I would do something I had never done before and review my first ever radio play while I finish the last of my Christmas baking, and what an enjoyable way to experience it it was.
Scrooge is played by veteran American TV actor E. G. Marshall, who also acts as the narrator and presenter of the tale. His clipped radio presenter voice and spot on English dialect are matched by his riotous performance to which he has committed with all of his heart.
The cast is superb across the board but what really stands out is the marvellous script, which is mostly a faithful retelling of Dickens' story but slimmed down and written to be accessible to an audience who have only their ears to rely on and less than an hour in which to do it.
It is a gentle, rewarding 45 minutes of audio enjoyment, with the story unravelling at a decent pace. It is quite remarkable just how much of the story is compressed into this slender running time and how at no time does it feel rushed in enfolding its story.
It is a sumptuous, rich feast of a play that I cannot recommend highly enough and it is a fitting way to finish my second year of reviewing 24 more adaptations of the greatest story ever told.
The only question that remains is can I make it for a third year?
I think I can...
As festive as spending a Christmas Eve writing my blog.
"CBS Radio Mystery Theater: A Christmas Carol." (1975) 5/5
P.S. Thanks to everyone who has been following my blog. It has been an utter joy to write and I can only hope that you have enjoyed it too.
Merry Christmas! God bless us every one!
I enjoyed it very much indeed.
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