York actor to stars in Ghost Stories for Christmas

A YORK actor and writer, who recently starred on TV on Inside No 9, will be reviving his Dickensian Ghost Stories here in the city this Christmas.

James Swanton, who last Christmas starred in Lot No. 249, the BBC Christmas Ghost Story – will be reviving Ghost Stories for Christmas at York Medical Society in Stonegate.

James Swanton and Mark Gatiss rehearsing The Quatermass Experiment (Image: Sonia Sanchez Lopez) Ghost Stories for Christmas is made up of James’s acclaimed solo renditions of A Christmas Carol, The Chimes and The Haunted Man. They will play eight dates in York from Monday, November 25 to Thursday, December 5 before transferring to London’s Charles Dickens Museum in the run-up to Christmas.

James Swanton in The Haunted Man (Image: James Hyndman) James has just finished a run of The Signal-Man at York Medical Society – a partner event with the York Ghost Merchants – that sold out a month in advance. His other Dickensian theatre work has been highly acclaimed, with Simon Callow describing James’s West End play Sikes & Nancy as "startling and enthralling" and Miriam Margolyes calling his performances at the Dickens Museum "extraordinary" and "superb".

Actress Miriam Margolyes is a fan "I’ve had to skew my York shows early because of the exceptional demand down south," said James.

"Indeed, we’ve already sold out all 18 performances of A Christmas Carol in London.

"But being a northerner, York is where I feel most at home – and there’s no better setting for Dickens than York Medical Society. We’ve moved to their largest space to accommodate more guests, but we’ve kept the vital period atmosphere. It’s a properly immersive experience: all gilt-framed portraits and heavy curtains and dim lighting.

"I’ll be giving six performances of A Christmas Carol here in York. There’ll also be one showing apiece of The Chimes and The Haunted Man, its lesser-known but fascinating follow-ups."

Kit Harington and James Swanton in Lot No. 249 (Image: Kieran McGuigan) The York run of Ghost Stories for Christmas is selling quickly, with some performances already sold out. James has strategic advice for securing tickets.

"The best availability comes at the start of the run in late November. You can still secure a place for A Christmas Carol then. With tickets being only £16 each, this could be the perfect way to kick off your festive celebrations.

‘"I greatly look forward to gathering people together for some heart-warming storytelling. And I promise I won’t dress up as Satan!"

York Medical Society (Image: Newsdesk) Ghost Stories for Christmas runs from November 25 to December 5 at York Medical Society in Stonegate.