DIARY EXCLUSIVE: Peter Macqueen will open up the Scrooge Diaries
DIARY EXCLUSIVE: Peter Macqueen will open up the Scrooge Diaries

EVERYBODY knows the story of Scrooge... or at least they think they do.

That’s the intriguing premise of an entertaining one-man show coming to Barnard Castle tonight (Wednesday, December 18).

The Scrooge Diaries claims to tell the real story of A Christmas Carol, from Ebeneezer Scrooge’s point of view – with audience participation welcomed.

The show is the brainchild of Cumbrian-based actor and writer Peter Macqueen.

He said: “I’ve never been a great fan of Christmas. Two of the best Christmases were in 1992 and 2008, playing Scrooge, first at the Library Theatre, Manchester and then at the Theatre by the Lake, Keswick.

“No need for pretence or excuses about my unseasonal mood or behaviour, I was playing Scrooge and everybody knew what that meant.”

This led to a weekly diary column in his local newspaper, The Keswick Reminder.

“Scrooge’s Diary was, of course, written in Scrooge’s own style. Everything and everyone was fair game for his miserable, damning and acerbic pen.

“It's ten years on, the Scrooge Diaries are still appearing in the Reminder and I decided it was time to revisit the character only this time I have allowed him to tell his own ‘Carol’ – to put his side of the story out there; to put the literary record straight.”

The show starts at 7.30pm and tickets are £12 or £10 for U16s.

Contact The Witham on 01833 631107 for more details.