Known internationally as Captain Jean-Luc Picard in Star Trek: The Next Generation and Professor X in the X-Men films, Patrick Stewart also undertook a very different acting challenge. In 1988, he devised a solo adaptation of Charles Dickens’ A Christmas Carol, performing approximately 40 roles in a single evening from a script he adapted himself.
The project originated in 1985, during a delay while he was working on Lady Jane. Picking up an old copy of Dickens’ novella, Stewart became absorbed in the story and subsequently abridged it for a reading at a local church.
The stage production later offered a way to preserve his theatrical life alongside television. Stewart had initially imagined trying Star Trek for a year, but the producers wanted a six-year commitment. As the series flourished, a solo show allowed him to maintain his range without coordinating his availability with other performers.
He repeatedly returned to the production, with American performances documented in 1994 and 2001, followed by a charity performance in 2019. His relationship with the story also extended to TNT’s 1999 television adaptation, in which he played only Ebenezer Scrooge opposite a full cast.
Richard E. Grant portrayed Bob Cratchit, while Joel Grey played the Ghost of Christmas Past. Written by Peter Barnes and directed by David Jones, the film received generally favorable reviews. Variety praised Stewart’s portrayal, noting that his extensive stage experience helped make Scrooge’s transformation convincing.
