A Christmas Carol, the 1843 novella by Charles Dickens (1812–1870), is one of the English author's best-known works. It is the story of Ebenezer Scrooge, a greedy miser who hates Christmas but who is transformed into a caring, kindly person through the visitations of four ghosts (Jacob Marley and the ghosts of Christmas past, present, and future). The classic work has been dramatised and adapted countless times for virtually every medium and performance genre, and new versions appear regularly.

Public readings

The novel was the subject of Dickens's first public reading, given in Birmingham Town Hall to the Industrial and Literary Institute on 27 December 1853. This was repeated three days later to an audience of 'working people', and was a great success by his own account and that of newspapers of the time. Over the years, Dickens edited and adapted the piece for a listening, rather than reading, audience. Dickens continued to give public readings of A Christmas Carol until his death. Public readings of the novel continue to be held today, with some readers performing in character as Dickens.

Theatre & stage productions

An early theatrical production was A Christmas Carol: Or, the Miser's Warning!, a two-act adaptation of A Christmas Carol by C. Z. Barnett, first produced at the Surrey Theatre on 5 February 1844, just weeks after the publication of the novella. A version by Edward Stirling, A Christmas Carol; or, Past, Present, and Future, sanctioned by Charles Dickens, opened at the Adelphi Theatre in London on 26 February 1844, running for over 40 nights.

1980 – 1999

2000 – 2009

2010 – present

Film & movie productions

Live action films

1901 – 1950

1951 – 1999

2000 – present

Animated films

1980 – 1999

2000 – present

Television adaptations

Live action television

1943 – 1956

Between 1943 and 1956, most television versions of the story were staged live.

1958 – 1999

None of the later versions were done live but were either shot on videotape or filmed. They include:

2000 – present

Animated television

Direct to DVD

Audio media productions

Radio

1923 – 1999

2000 – present

Recordings

1941 – 1999

2000 – present

Opera

Ballet

Graphic novels & comic adaptations

1948 – 1999

2000 – present

Parody adaptations

1985 – 1999

2000 – 2009

2010 – present

Derivative works

The basic plot of A Christmas Carol has been put to a variety of different literary and dramatic uses since Dickens's death, alongside sequels, prequels, and stories focusing on minor characters.

Derivative film adaptations

1900s

2000 – present

Derivative television movie adaptations

1957 – 1999

2000 – 2019

2020 – present

Derivative TV series episodes

1953 – 1980

1981 – 1999

2000 – present

Derivative animated adaptations

1950s – 1999

2000 – 2010

2011 – present

Derivative theater adaptations

1990s – 1999

2000 – 2010

2011 – 2019

2020 – present

Derivative radio adaptations

Derivative music adaptations

Derivative online productions

Derivative literature

1980s – 1999

2000 – 2010

2011 – 2019

2020 – present

Video game adaptations

Podcasts