An Evening of Dickens - A Christmas Carol

David Lambert brings A Christmas Carol to The Halls on Thursday 17 December, a reading that draws on a very specific Norwich tradition. Back in October 1859, Charles Dickens gave a reading of the novella at St Andrew's Hall to great acclaim, and this evening is built around that connection. Lambert, a local actor, writer and director, takes the story back to the same venue, bringing the novella to the stage in a city Dickens himself once read it to.

It's a story that almost single-handedly created our modern view of the Festive Season, and hearing it read aloud puts it back where it started — as a piece of performance rather than just a book on a shelf. Lambert handles the reading himself, and the staging is designed for you to settle in at table seating, with the option of a drink from the bar if you fancy one. It's a relaxed setup, more like a long dinner or a night at the pub than a formal theatre seat, so you can just sit back and listen.

The evening runs on Thursday 17 December at The Halls, St Andrew's & Blackfriars Hall, St Andrew's Hall Plain, Norwich NR3 1AU, with the reading starting at 7pm. If you're already in the city that night, it's a straightforward one to get to.