Interview with Andy Lyons | A Christmas Carol Live Radio Show

Written by Micah C. Beachy

Interviewer: Hi Andy! I hope you’re doing well. Thank you very much for taking the time to speak with me. What has it been like writing your own script for this project?

Andy: I have been having a blast working on this adaptation. I realized, during this process, and much to my surprise, that I have only been exposed to theatrical adaptations of A Christmas Carol – both as an audience member, and as an actor – and I have never sat down and read the story as written by Mr. Dickens. What I have found in the reading, not surprisingly, and what makes Dickens such an enduring voice is his depth of specificity in describing his characters and locales. It is also what makes his stories so perfect for theatrical adaptation. Dickens tells us exactly what the streets look, sound and smell like, what people are wearing, even what the shadows look like falling on Scrooge’s front door. Therefore, in most adaptations we see the descriptions – in the costumes, lighting, and set design – and only hear a fragment of what he wrote. So, I’m really looking forward to sharing this wonderful story in a medium that will allow more of Dickens’ words to take us on this magical journey.

Interviewer: What does this project mean to you? 

Andy: As corny as it may sound, A Christmas Carol rejuvenated my holiday spirit, and saved Christmas for me years ago. Having lost my sense of wonder and belief in magic after my mother’s death at the impossibly young age of 45, I avoided Christmas, and the Christmas spirit for years. It wasn’t until I was cast in a production of A Christmas Carol in Bangor, Maine ten years later that I saw the magic we created on stage light up child after child who came to see our production. They believed in the magic, and understood the message, and I was a part of giving that to them. Since that time I have wanted to bring that delight to as many people as possible, and I promised myself that I would write my own adaptation one day. So here I am, writing that adaptation and looking forward to sharing this fantastic story with yet another group of people young and old. And with any luck I can help save Christmas for some other sad and angry kid out there who really needs to believe in that magic.

Interviewer: How will this production differ from all of the other productions of A Christmas Carol that you’ve done before? 

Andy: The biggest difference is the radio play aspect. A Christmas Carol was originally meant to be read, not performed, so much of what Dickens wrote in A Christmas Carol is, of course, expository. While much of the scene and setting can be conveyed visually during a staged performance, (with lights, costume, and scenic elements), we will have to rely solely on Dickens’ words, Foley artists making the sound effects, and a few musicians to completely create Scrooge’s world for the radio audience. 

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