Exploring the true story of A Christmas Carol (From Watford Observer)

Exploring the true story of A Christmas Carol

2:16pm Thursday 8th December 2011 in Theatre By Melanie Dakin

Tiny Tim is one of Dickens’ most affecting characters and yet Ebenezer Scrooge cannot find it in his heart to show kindness even to this poor, ailing child. As we approach the bicentenary of Dickens’ birth, it’s time to reflect on both the genius of the writer and how A Christmas Carol, his dark tale of want and hardship, still rings true.

Director/performer James Hyland has adapted the story as a one-man show, A Christmas Carol – As told by Jacob Marley (deceased). In it, the ghost of Jacob wreaks revenge on his selfish, misguided business partner and forces Scrooge to see the error of his ways.

Throughout James has decided not to go for the soft approach.

“Often what happens with adaptations of A Christmas Carol is they skim over the Tiny Tim part,“ says James. “It is a serious scene with regards to a man experiencing quite horrible loss and it stands at the centre of the tale – if Tiny Tim dies, so does Scrooge’s soul.

“Dickens’ main theme is that we are all members of the same family. In A Christmas Carol mankind can and does often lose its way and it’s an important tale as it reminds us what is great about us as human beings. We have the capacity for love, kindness, common goodness and these are all springboards from the plight of Tiny Tim.

"Tim is Scrooge’s child in many respects as Dickens sees Ebenezer as this Victorian benefactor, who is responsible for all of society and therefore for all children.“

Actors are storytellers at the end of the day. Improvisation is a form of writing

James Hyland

James studied at the National Youth Theatre and Rose Bruford College, where he took on the role of Pete in The North Pole, winning the Guardian International Student Drama Award at the Edinburgh Festival and the award for Best Ensemble Acting at the National Student Drama Festival at the age of 22. He went on to perform with the Royal Shakespeare Company, and, in film, he appeared in Diagnosis: Superstar, nominated for Best UK Feature Film at the London Film Festival in 2008. James set up his own production company, Brother Wolf, where he created acclaimed works such as Dead Meat, Play the Game and his portrayal of serial killer, Joseph Smith, in The Fire Raisers.

James tells me writing, directing and adapting works, as well as acting in them is second nature for him.

“Actors are storytellers at the end of the day. Improvisation is a form of writing in many instances. I’ve adapted Hard Times, A Christmas Carol and Fagin’s Last Hour, which is being reworked for the Dickens bicentenary next year. I’m working on a children’s story at the moment and adapting a horror novel into a musical.“

James can also be seen in the rapper Tinie Tempah’s Brit award-winning new music video Disappoint You, which won Best Urban Video (Budget) at the UK Music Video Awards. James wrote the dialogue and plays the lead role of a corrupt policeman.

“It took about seven days to write. I was thinking about these misanthropic characters and about what makes them tick, like Alf Garnett. In the video, I play a nasty, small-minded policeman who has similarities to Scrooge because he has his eyes opened to his community and welcomes them with love.

“In A Christmas Carol I wanted audiences to be unnerved by the gothic aspects of the tale. In essence, it’s the kind of ghost story that was historically told at Christmas in Victorian times. You do get a buzz from playing people who have no restraint but who then learn to reconnect with their memory of goodness and love of people in the end.“

A Christmas Carol – As told by Jacob Marley (deceased) comes to The Old Town Hall, High Street, Hemel Hempstead on Friday, December 16 at 8pm. Details: 01442 228091, www.oldtownhall.co.uk