A Christmas Ghost Story

We are very much looking forward to a second seasonal evening with Toby Virgo and his atmospheric Victorian character, Carter the Cabman!

Having travelled back to the 1888 Autumn of Terror, we will rejoin Carter for a ghost story set on the first Christmas Day following the Whitechapel Murders. 

The evening will feature a first public reading of this short story. As those who were at last year’s event or have read the beautifully produced novel will know, the writing is dark, atmospheric and immersed in the streets of London and the realities of life for people of the time. 

Following the tradition of haunting stories on long nights, we think this is a perfect way to celebrate the season Victorian style! There will also be mulled wine and festive biscuits to complement the evening.

Read the synopsis, and watch the video below for a taste of what to expect…

‘Christmas Day, 1888 - the first Christmas since the Whitechapel Murders. 

Whilst most Londoners are keen to put their Autumn of Terror behind them, others - including hansom cab driver Jeremiah Carter, riding home from a bitter nightshift on the capital's gaslit streets - have no wish to make merry, only wanting to lock their doors and keep out the London cold. 

Escaping the recent past, though, is not as easy as it seems, and as he drinks his wine and cooks his Christmas bird, memory and fantasy fight a duel in the penny theatre of Carter's imagination as he is finally forced to see that he is much closer to the murders than even he understands.'

A short film which includes an extract from Carter, the Cabman: https://youtu.be/koo0yhpVg-I ‘In the hopelessness of the Victorian dark, hansom cab driver Jeremiah Carter looks to the stars’.

Tickets are free, but book early to guarantee a seat. The event will start at 7.30pm, with doors open from 7pm for festive treats and bookshop browsing. We hope to see you there!