Shine a light
Sir David Suchet says Dickens’s A Christmas Carol offers hope in dark times
Illustration by Matthew Brazier
- Anna Jones
Nothing brings us together like a festive ghost story and, since its publication in 1843, Charles Dickens’s A Christmas Carol has never been out of print. It is the seasonal chiller. Sir David Suchet is delighted to be narrating it, alongside some of the author’s lesser-known tales, for a new podcast series. “These aren’t merely creepy stories — they’re ghostly reflections of the human soul.”
Ad
We know about your devotion to Agatha Christie, but how well do you know Dickens?
I don’t claim to be a Dickens expert, but he has always held up for me as the master of the English language. Reading these ghost stories has just been one of the most enjoyable and exciting pieces of audio work I’ve done. I’ve been blown away by how he writes. He’s very theatrical.
Why do you think Dickens remains so prescient?
I would say the same thing about Shakespeare and, if I’m allowed to, Agatha Christie. They all write about the human condition: love, jealousy, greed, hate, envy, crimes. They talk about poverty and society. They have managed to write about various aspects of our lives as human beings and make them into dramatic tales. That’s why they will never date.
Why do you think that we enjoy being scared at Christmas?
Well, if you go back to when you were a little child and somebody scared you, what was the first thing you did? You screamed and giggled. We love mystery, we love being scared. I mean, look at Doctor Who! We love to be taken outside of ourselves into realms that we don’t quite understand, and being a little bit frightened can be very enjoyable.
Is A Christmas Carol the ultimate seasonal ghost story?
A Christmas Carol is a work of genius. It’s just got everything. Not only the most extraordinary characters, but Scrooge himself going through that redemption... It’s what Christmas is all about, which is generosity, kindness, family if you have one, friends if you haven’t. Being social, being warm to each other. Ultimately, that’s the world that Ebenezer Scrooge enters and enjoys for the rest of his life. It’s a wonderful story.
Would you like to meet Agatha Christie as your ghost of Christmas past?
Agatha Christie has been very important in my life, because I never met her and I’ve always wanted to. At the same time, I’ve always wanted not to meet her because she was famously not pleased with any of her Poirots. I’ve often been asked what I would say to her if I met her. I might ask, “How do you think I did?” But I’m not sure whether I’d have the courage.
What is a Suchet Christmas like?
Our Christmasses have changed over the years. But our great tradition is that I always read the poem The Night before Christmas to the family. When I was
filming once in America, I recorded it for my family in England. Wherever I am, down the phone, on Zoom or in person, if it’s possible, I will still do The Night before Christmas. I think I did it from Australia once.
Our world today can be a little unkind — does Christmas shine a light of hope?
Yes, I think that’s right. When the lights are put up at Christmas, you’re not aware of this heavy, heavy winter blackness. You can walk through London into the early hours and it’s gloriously lit up. I think it makes people feel good. I always feel more nervous when everything comes to an end, when everything is taken down, and people feel lonely again and bereft of this spirit of Christmas. It’s a time to share with family or friends, wherever you are. That’s what Christmas is about.
Other festive podcasts...
That’s Not How It Went Down
Want to see this content?
This page contains content provided by Spotify. We ask for your permission before anything is loaded, as Spotify may use cookies and other technologies. To view this content, choose 'Accept and continue' to allow Spotify and its required purposes.
Accept and continue
Available from 15 December
Was Scrooge a real person? The podcast debunking films based on a true story gets festive as it examines the 2017 biopic The Man Who Invented Christmas, about how Charles Dickens wrote A Christmas Carol.
Katherine Ryan’s Christmas Intervention
Katherine Ryan assembles her family — and obligatory celebrity guests — to work their way through their worst Christmas disasters, and perhaps in the end, find some way to make it through the festive chaos this year.
CBeebies Christmas Panto
You can’t have Christmas without a panto. If you want to keep the kids quiet on the drive to the relatives, this audio version of CBeebies’ 2025 production, Cinderella, may well be your fairy godmother.
The Calm Christmas Podcast with Beth Kempton
Want to see this content?
This page contains content provided by Spotify. We ask for your permission before anything is loaded, as Spotify may use cookies and other technologies. To view this content, choose 'Accept and continue' to allow Spotify and its required purposes.
Accept and continue
Available now
Now in its fifth year, this seasonal guide to avoiding last-minute stress from self-help author Beth Kempton also includes diversions into the stories behind different traditions and general festive musings.
The Uncanny Christmas Casebook
Want to see this content?
This page contains content provided by Spotify. We ask for your permission before anything is loaded, as Spotify may use cookies and other technologies. To view this content, choose 'Accept and continue' to allow Spotify and its required purposes.
Accept and continue
Available from 23 December
We can’t claim that Danny Robins is a modern-day MR James, but his tales of real-life brushes with the uncanny are perfect for wintry night chills. This Christmas he tests Diane Morgan’s claims of supernatural visitations.
Ad
DAVID CRAWFORD
Authors
Anna Jones
Ad
Ad
Get the Christmas double issue
Too much to watch at Christmas? Let Radio Times do the choosing to find something the whole family will enjoy.
Ad