Tony Norman’s musical, A Christmas Carol by Candlelight, was broadcast four times by BBC Radio 4 Extra last Christmas Eve, as part of the station’s Nicholas Parsons Day. Original songs and classic Christmas carols were linked together by Nicholas’s brilliant narration. Recorded in 2018, when Nicholas was 95, his vibrant performance added great credence to his retelling of the famous Christmas story. Paul Merton introduced this exclusive radio production as we stepped back in time to London 1843, where the atmospheric tale of Ebenezer Scrooge and his ghostly visitors unfolded... “Nicholas would be so happy to know A Christmas Carol by Candlelight is to be aired on BBC Radio 4 Extra,” says Tony Norman. “He worked in many areas of show business, but his heart was at the BBC. Nicholas asked me about his narration when we were in the studio, and I told him I loved the way he’d brought all the characters to life. He said people tended to forget he was an actor in the West End in the early days of his career. He certainly drew on all that experience with this heartfelt performance.”

A Christmas Carol by Candlelight was warmly received by the listeners and Tony said it was a pleasure to talk to BBC South East Today and BBC Radio Sussex about the programme.