Storrowton's Christmas Carol

Many of you are probably only familiar with Eastern States Exposition (ESE) during The Big E. Well contrary to what you might think, the grounds are not completely desolate during the Fair’s off season. Apart from The Big E, there are over 100 other shows held at ESE throughout the year.

If you have been keeping tabs on this blog, you might recall that Yuletide week and Walking in a Winter Wonderland are going on now. Another recent event you may not have heard of is Dickens at Storrowton.

Storrowton Village Museum set the stage for this incredible event which featured Gerald Charles Dickens’ magical performance of “A Christmas Carol.” Gerald, the great, great grandson of author Charles Dickens, performed his rendition of the holiday favorite to a large audience in Storrowton’s Meetinghouse last Monday night.

Gerald captivated the audience as he made the entire Meetinghouse his stage. He brought life to each character, using different voices and interacting with audience members. Gerald’s Ebenezer Scrooge sulked on the pulpit steps as Jacob Marley walked the aisles of the church dragging his chains behind him. His emotional portrayal of Bob Cratchit and the Ghost of Christmas Yet to Come moved audience members to tears. Needless to say, it was an outstanding performance.  

The special event was preceded by a social hour in Storrowton Tavern and invited guests had the opportunity to meet the talented Gerald Dickens following his performance. 

As we were impressed by him, Gerald was impressed with Storrowton Village. Following the show, he wrote on his blog, “What a wonderful, spectacular setting. You are all doing something very special there and it was a complete pleasure to be a small part of it.”

Gerald, a resident of Oxfordshire, England, began his theatrical performance of “A Christmas Carol” in 1993. His one-man dramatization of the holiday classic was inspired by his great, great grandfather’s own readings of the timeless story. This remarkable performance has been recorded, performed at schools, colleges and universities throughout the county and across the seas. We are lucky to have had him!