Bah humbug Christmas is just not Christmas without Scrooge getting in the act.

And this year he makes an appearance in the one man play Marley is Dead, on at Hampton Court House this weekend.

In Charles Dickens' classic novel, three ghosts visit the cold hearted Ebeneezer Scrooge and by showing him his past, present and future convince him to change his ways.

The show is being staged by actor Clive Francis, whose theatrical credits include a West End run of Entertaining Mr Sloane and numerous TV roles.

This is not the first time Clive has played Scrooge he first found himself in the miser's shoes in the Royal Shakespeare Company's production of A Christmas Carol.

"In a moment of blissful madness, Ian Judge asked me to portray the tight fisted old villain in his production for the RSC," he says. "The thought of foraging into the world of Dickens, and creating a real despot of a character like Scrooge was something I could hardly refuse."

Playing a miserable old git every night may not be every actor's ambition but Clive loved every minute of it.

"As it turned out, A Christmas Carol was the happiest and most fulfilling job I think I have ever had the good fortune to be offered. It was such a huge success that we were asked to repeat it the following year.

"Needless to say I was delighted, as I knew the RSC would never revive it again after that a hunch made very apparent when I found the set broken up and piled high at the Feltham refuse depot!"

Now Clive is looking forward to this latest incarnation of Scrooge.

"Abandoned though it might have been, I could never get the old boy and his wonderful story out of my head and was determined to try and create it again.

"I met with Tim Bird, a brilliant young graphic artist and filmmaker in Hampton, who introduced me to one of the most exciting musical talents of his generation, Philip Sheppard.

"The three of us became good friends, and decided to find a project where our diverse talents could be put to good use. Together we came up with the idea of creating a one-man show of A Christmas Carol, where the Spirits of Past, Present and Future (through film and animation) could be superimposed on to the stage with effortless fluidity."

q A Christmas Carol is on this weekend. For more details see the listings.

December 21, 2001 11:30