After sell-out performances last year at the Sessions House, Usk, and The Retreat in Llanover ,Daniel McGowan is returning for two nights at each venue, performing his acclaimed one-man version of the Dickens classic, ‘A Christmas Carol’. Bringing Scrooge, Marley, Bob Scratchit, and all the other characters to life , in the atmospheric yet intimate setting in both places, this lively adaptation brings out the true meaning of Christmas.

Daniel said, ‘Last year’s shows in both places were over-subscribed, so it’s great to be invited back to perform again for those who missed it last year. It’s also very gratifying that some people who saw it last time have already booked seats to see it again.’

Daniel is performing the show at The Sessions House, Usk, on Friday December 5, and Saturday December 6 at 7.30pm. Seats for Friday are already sold out, but there are some seats left for the Saturday performance. Tickets, to include wine and mince pies are £10 and can be ordered from: [email protected] or call 07851291696.

‘A Christmas Carol’ will be at The Retreat on Friday December 12 and Saturday December 13, starting at 7.30pm., with tickets again at £10 each, ordered as above.

The Retreat is offering a pre-show Christmas meal, from 6pm, costing £25, and ticket holders can order this separately from the venue by calling 07805 898132.

Dickens’ work is credited with helping shape the modern Christmas, and the novelist himself celebrated the festive season heartily.

He was inspired to write the story following a visit to the Field Lane Ragged School, one of several establishments for London's street children.

The treatment of the poor and the ability of a selfish man to redeem himself by transforming into a more sympathetic character are the key themes of the story.

Published on December 19, 1843, the first edition had sold out by Christmas Eve; and by the end of 1844, 13 more editions had been released.

In 1849 he began public readings of the story, which proved so successful he undertook 127 further performances until 1870, the year of his death.

Sadly, his own final Christmas in 1869 was somewhat spoilt when his Herefordshire Christmas turkey failed to arrive at his Kent home.

It had been dispatched from Ross-on-Wye train station by his reading tour manager George Dolby, whom Dickens visited locally a number of times.

After receiving a telegram asking “Where’s my turkey?” on Christmas Eve, Dolby then discovered that the wooden waggon carrying the festive fare had gone up in flames in a tunnel near Reading, and he had to send a telegram to the writer conveying the sad news.

A musical verison of the Christmas classic specially adapted for the production by playwright Chris Harris was performed last weekend by actors and singers from Haberdashers' Monmouth Senior Schoolin aid of local charities in the school chapel (Almshouse Street) in Monmouth in a special performance which raised money for Maggie’s, the cancer support charity, and the Monmouth Foodbank.