David Suchet reveals why Charles Dickens's A Christmas Carol remains so prescient – and what he'd say to Agatha Christie

This article first appeared in Radio Times magazine.

Nothing brings us together like a festive ghost story and, since its publication in 1843, Charles Dickens’s A Christmas Carol has never been out of print. It is the seasonal chiller. Sir David Suchet is delighted to be narrating it, alongside some of the author’s lesser-known tales, for a new podcast series. “These aren’t merely creepy stories — they’re ghostly reflections of the human soul.”

We know about your devotion to Agatha Christie, but how well do you know Dickens?

I don’t claim to be a Dickens expert, but he has always held up for me as the master of the English language. Reading these ghost stories has just been one of the most enjoyable and exciting pieces of audio work I’ve done. I’ve been blown away by how he writes. He’s very theatrical.

Why do you think Dickens remains so prescient?

I would say the same thing about Shakespeare and, if I’m allowed to, Agatha Christie. They all write about the human condition: love, jealousy, greed, hate, envy, crimes. They talk about poverty and society. They have managed to write about various aspects of our lives as human beings and make them into dramatic tales. That’s why they will never date.

Why do you think that we enjoy being scared at Christmas?

Well, if you go back to when you were a little child and somebody scared you, what was the first thing you did? You screamed and giggled. We love mystery, we love being scared. I mean, look at Doctor Who! We love to be taken outside of ourselves into realms that we don’t quite understand, and being a little bit frightened can be very enjoyable.

Is A Christmas Carol the ultimate seasonal ghost story?

A Christmas Carol is a work of genius. It’s just got everything. Not only the most extraordinary characters, but Scrooge himself going through that redemption... It’s what Christmas is all about, which is generosity, kindness, family if you have one, friends if you haven’t. Being social, being warm to each other. Ultimately, that’s the world that Ebenezer Scrooge enters and enjoys for the rest of his life. It’s a wonderful story.

Would you like to meet Agatha Christie as your ghost of Christmas past?

Agatha Christie has been very important in my life, because I never met her and I’ve always wanted to. At the same time, I’ve always wanted not to meet her because she was famously not pleased with any of her Poirots. I’ve often been asked what I would say to her if I met her. I might ask, “How do you think I did?” But I’m not sure whether I’d have the courage.

What is a Suchet Christmas like?

Our Christmasses have changed over the years. But our great tradition is that I always read the poem The Night before Christmas to the family. When I was filming once in America, I recorded it for my family in England. Wherever I am, down the phone, on Zoom or in person, if it’s possible, I will still do The Night before Christmas. I think I did it from Australia once.

Our world today can be a little unkind – does Christmas shine a light of hope?

Yes, I think that’s right. When the lights are put up at Christmas, you’re not aware of this heavy, heavy winter blackness. You can walk through London into the early hours and it’s gloriously lit up. I think it makes people feel good. I always feel more nervous when everything comes to an end, when everything is taken down, and people feel lonely again and bereft of this spirit of Christmas. It’s a time to share with family or friends, wherever you are. That’s what Christmas is about.

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