THE CRICKET ON THE HEARTH & THE HAUNTED MAN
Cover art for The Cricket on the Hearth and The Haunted Man designed by Clayton Hickman
Following the critically-acclaimed release of The Chimes in 2022, Average Romp presents two more full-cast adaptations of Charles Dickens’ Christmas stories; The Cricket on the Hearth and The Haunted Man. They have not been dramatised for live-action film or television in the past century, so this gives listeners an opportunity to enjoy two stories they are unlikely to have seen before.
They are now available for download from the Average Romp website, www.averageromp.com
The Cricket on the Hearth (originally published in 1845) concerns a carrier called John Peerybingle who fears his wife Dot may be unfaithful to him due to their age difference. The story also features an ill-matched wedding between the imperious factory owner Tackleton and the free-spirited May. A supernatural element is provided by a talking cricket that speaks to John after a drunken night out.
Here, it is adapted by Eddie Robson (writer of Welcome To Our Village, Please Invade Carefully for Radio 4 and the acclaimed novel Drunk On All Your Strange New Words). The cast for this heartwarming and comedic tale includes:
Graham Fellows (“John Shuttleworth”) as John Peerybingle
Jason Forbes (King & Conqueror) as Edward
Geoff Leesley (Bergerac, Brookside) as Tackleton
Tony Marshall (All Quiet on the Preston Front, Life on Mars) as Caleb
Bronté Barbé (Doctor Who, Kathy and Stella Solve a Murder!) as Dot
Rosa Escoda (Line of Duty) as May
and Katie Moore (The Paradise) as Bertha.
The Haunted Man and the Ghost’s Bargain: A Fancy for Christmas-Time, to give it its full title, is a darker tale about a scientist called Redlaw who is consumed by regret. Visited by a spirit in the form of his own shadow, he is given the chance to forget his troubles. However, this gift manifests as an infection and when other characters lose their sorrows we see how they are changed for the worse.
Like The Chimes, it is adapted by Jonathan Morris (writer/producer of V:UK for Big Finish, amongst many other things). The cast for this grim and sinister tale includes:
Paterson Joseph (The Sandman, Wonka) as Redlaw
Jeff Rawle (Drop the Dead Donkey, Hollyoaks) as Philip
Tim Speyer (of the Royal Shakespeare Company) as William
Dan Starkey (Doctor Who, Gunpowder Siege) as Charles Dickens
Matthew Steer (Wyatt Earp and the Cowboy War) as Tetterby
Rosie Baker (The Hound of the Baskervilles) as Sophia
and Tilly Vosburgh (EastEnders, Inside Man) as Milly.
(L to R) Tony Marshall, Rosa Escoda, Bronté Barbé, Graham Fellows, Geoff Leesley, Jason Forbes and Katie Moore
(L to R) Rosie Baker, Dan Starkey, Matthew Steer, Paterson Joseph, Jeff Rawle, Tim Speyer, Tilly Vosburgh
The productions reunite the team behind The Chimes; director Lisa Bowerman and sound designer/composer Howard Carter. The cover artwork is by Clayton Hickman and the plays were recorded at the Soundhouse Studio, London.
Both productions are 55 minutes in duration and can be purchased together for £12. They are not available individually but can be purchased at a discount with The Chimes.
Previews of the first 15 minutes of both episodes can be streamed for free on YouTube and Spotify.
The Cricket in the Hearth/The Haunted Man will also be available from Big Finish in late 2026.
Note: With The Chimes, this means that nearly all of Charles Dickens’ Christmas books have now been adapted; only his fourth Christmas book, The Battle Of Life, remains to be done.
Any further enquires to: info@averageromp.com
Praise for The Chimes:
“This lively dramatisation gives you exactly what you want and expect. It’s not a modern-day remix. Working-class characters speak as they always do in Dickens adaptations – someone shouts “read all abaht it!” within the first three minutes – and the upper classes are snooty and unforgiving. Trotty is played by Toby Jones, brilliant as ever; indeed, every character is portrayed with verve and warmth.” – Miranda Sawyer, The Guardian
“1844 and 2022 are more alike than perhaps we’d like to believe, and this engaging adaptation is a chance to experience Dickens’ powerful tale. 9/10” – SciFiBulletin
“The cast in this new audio production from Average Romp are wonderful… A Christmas Carol may be the Dickens story we want to hear this time of year, but The Chimes is the Dickens story we need to hear this time, this year.” – Set The Tape
[Toby Jones] is up there with many of the best cinematic Scrooges… What Average Romp has achieved here is a version of The Chimes THAT WORKS AS WELL as the best Christmas Carol you’ve ever seen. Yes, even the Muppet one.” – Warped Factor
“The entire cast is spot on. Toby Jones brought humanity, warmth, and depth to Toby Veck. Thank you to everyone at Average Romp. I now have another great addition to my Dickensian Christmas audio collection.” – SciFiPulse