Blue plaque marks Dickens' Christmas Carol reading

A blue plaque to mark the first ever public reading of A Christmas Carol by Charles Dickens himself, is to be unveiled outside its venue - Birmingham Town Hall.

The plaque is being unveiled by Birmingham actor Anton Lesser, known for Wolf Hall, Endeavour, and Game of Thrones.

The public reading took place at the venue in December 1853 and it is believed the town hall was one of the playwright's favourite places to perform.

"He wanted people who couldn't afford tickets to come so he reduced the price for them, and he cleared out all the seats so as many people could come in. It was a great success," Lesser said.

"That was the beginning of him touring his own works, which he went on to do until he died."

The unveiling coincides with a very special evening with, A Christmas Carol with ALesser and Orchestra of the Swan. Their performance will be insterpersed with words and music to tell Dickens' famous tale.

The blue plaque is being awarded by Birmingham Civic Society and is part of the wider Amplify Town Hall project, a refurbishment and archive initiative supported by nearly £124,000 from The National Lottery Heritage Fund.

The project aims to capture and celebrate the extraordinary history of Birmingham's oldest events venue, the venue said.

Nicola Gauld, co-chair of the civic society's heritage committee, said: The Heritage Committee were intrigued to hear this story and strongly felt that it was a significant event in Birmingham's past that should be commemorated and celebrated."

Tickets for the event can be purchased at the B:Music website.

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