A recovering alcoholic is set to “fulfil his dream” of performing Charles Dickens’ classic A Christmas Carol this week - in a pub.
After four years of sobriety, Martin Prest returns to centre stage as a narrator and actor at the King’s Head Theatre in Upper Street, Islington and Etcetera Theatre above the Oxford Arms in Camden.
“I tend to avoid pubs now, but can’t think of anywhere I’d rather be than a theatre. I’ll be thinking more about the performance than the drinks. Once the show starts, nothing else will be on my mind.” said Mr Prest
Mr Prest performed the Christmas classic last year in Cambridgeshire, but transporting the show to London will fulfill one of his life dreams. He narrates the whole performance from start to finish and plays over 20 characters in the process.
“It’s the perfect story and one of our best loved. The idea of performing A Christmas Carol is not a new one. The first stage adaptation of it appeared just months after its first publication in 1843. Dickens’ own reading tours all started for him with public readings of A Christmas Carol. I’m just following in some very big footsteps and loving it.
“The ending is my favourite part. It really is the most perfect story of redemption. I can’t imagine Christmas without A Christmas Carol to get me in the spirit.” said Mr Prest.
Dickens’ classic has never been out of print since its first publication in 1843 and inspired its first stage adaptations just months later.
A Christmas Carol, King’s Head Theatre Sun 15, Sun 22 and Mon 23 December www.kingsheadtheatre.com 0207 478 0160. Etcetera Theatre, Tues 17 – Sun 22 Dec www.etceteratheatre.com 020 7482 4857.
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