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James Swanton

@jamescswanton.bsky.social
856 followers 149 following 191 posts

Actor in Apartment 7A, Inside No. 9, Tarot, The First Omen, Lot No. 249, Stopmotion, DASHCAM, Host, Frankenstein's Creature. Much Dickens on stage. Spooky.

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James Swanton @jamescswanton.bsky.social · 21h
Tonight we Shearsmith, so have a few thoughts on my INSIDE NO. 9. #halloweencountdown
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James Swanton @jamescswanton.bsky.social · 07/10/2026
B-list monsters tonight! Cataloguing them is one of my low-level obsessions. #halloweencountdown
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James Swanton @jamescswanton.bsky.social · 06/10/2026
Hammer Dracula afterglow - and some vintage film recommendations! #halloweencountdown
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James Swanton @jamescswanton.bsky.social · 05/10/2026
Moving on, some top-flight doggerel (wolfferel?) from THE WOLF MAN, the 1941 film of which starred Bela Lugosi... as Bela. Odd. #halloweencountdown
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James Swanton @jamescswanton.bsky.social · 04/10/2026
And tonight, as Bauhaus very nearly said: 'BELA LUGOSI'S HEAD!' #halloweencountdown
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James Swanton @jamescswanton.bsky.social · 03/10/2026
Let's try to compile the ultimate Amicus anthology film. I admire/fear anybody who's restrained enough to choose just one Peter Cushing story. #halloweencountdown
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James Swanton @jamescswanton.bsky.social · 02/10/2026
And for today, an old (and rather familiar) Scottish prayer... #halloweencountdown
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James Swanton @jamescswanton.bsky.social · 02/10/2026
I'm intending to create some mildly spooky video content for every day in the run-up to Halloween. Here was yesterday's entry: a short extract from a 1798 witchcraft ballad! #halloweencountdown
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James Swanton @jamescswanton.bsky.social · 19/09/2026
This summer, shooting commenced on QUASIMODO'S KEEPER - my one-man exploration of Claude Frollo, Archdeacon of Victor Hugo's NOTRE-DAME DE PARIS. He's one of the ultimate human monsters - the archetypal incel? - and I honestly don't think I've played anyone more horrendous. Fascinating stuff.
A portrait of James Swanton as Claude Frollo. He is wearing a black cloak and a purple tunic emblazoned with a gold cross, and he sits in the corner of a medieval church.
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Stephen Graves @stephengraves.co.uk · 09/09/2026
Amazing production – what @jamescswanton.bsky.social did with a couple of lights and a shadow in the climax was extraordinary. Also very much enjoyed the Blitz spirit as it gradually dawned on the audience and performers that the show was going to overrun massively. 😅
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James Swanton @jamescswanton.bsky.social · 15/08/2026
Ah, good to know! I haven't started to publicise the Christmas shows yet. Seems a little perverse in these heatwaves!
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Jason Heeley @jaseheeley.bsky.social · 15/08/2026
Just booked tickets to see Mr. @jamescswanton.bsky.social do a thing in York in November. Last year's performances were sublime and in a wonderful setting. I'm not overly familiar with THE HAUNTED MAN beyond its story outline, so I'm doubly excited. www.yorktheatreroyal.co.uk/show/charles...
yorktheatreroyal.co.uk
York Theatre Royal
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James Swanton @jamescswanton.bsky.social · 15/08/2026
Thanks so much, Jason! Hugely appreciated.
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James Swanton @jamescswanton.bsky.social · 03/08/2026
Many happy returns to the great @annodracula.bsky.social! Count Orlok and I hugely enjoyed his traditional birthday bash.
A view of Kim Newman's office, featuring Kim, James Swanton and a watchful framed picture of Count Orlok.
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James Swanton @jamescswanton.bsky.social · 10/05/2026
A pleasure! Hope you got home all right!
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Daniel McGachey @daniel-mcgachey.bsky.social · 09/05/2026
Nice to bump into @jamescswanton.bsky.social at York Theatre Royal this afternoon. The only previous time I saw him in person he turned into a monster from outer space... And rather brilliantly too.
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Dawn of the Claire @ctallers.bsky.social · 18/04/2026
The First Omen rocked. Well done @jamescswanton.bsky.social - you messed me up!
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All In The Telling - The Ghost Story Network @allinthetelling.bsky.social · 06/04/2026
Our lantern light falls on the extraordinary @jamescswanton.bsky.social - a masterful actor who has brought chilling life to phantoms & monsters on the big & small screen. James also performs the ghost stories of #CharlesDickens - an essential event for all storytelling fans. www.jamesswanton.com
James SwantonJames Swanton as The Mummy
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Beanwriting @beanwriting.bsky.social · 03/04/2026
Well, you know you’re on for a real treat when you see @jamescswanton.bsky.social ‘s name in the opening credits (The Severed Sun — wonderfully refreshing horror— check it out, it’s my head-canon now as to what Thomasin did after the events of The Witch (2015).
Tv showing the credits opening : James Swanton as The Beast in red text on a black background card.
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James Swanton @jamescswanton.bsky.social · 25/02/2026
The best podcast going! I'm slowly catching up; currently on THE BRIDES OF DRACULA (1960).
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James Swanton @jamescswanton.bsky.social · 13/02/2026
Where do you go to find authoritative pronunciations for alchemical terms? Nigredo, albedo, citrinitas (especially) and rubedo, etc. All I'm finding online are videos created by pseuds (or, indeed, robots) that I don't exactly trust.
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The Film Canary @thefilmcanary.bsky.social · 28/01/2026
Ooh, a lede buried there; @jamescswanton.bsky.social in a @bigfinish.bsky.social at last! Hurrah!
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James Swanton @jamescswanton.bsky.social · 28/01/2026
My interview for the Dickens Museum's SHOWTIME! exhibition is now available online. They projected it on a wall for six months, meaning I was too frightened to watch! Includes ramblings on David Lean's seminal OLIVER TWIST (1948), Simon Callow, Alastair Sim, Gonzo, etc.
youtu.be
Showtime! - Adapting and Acting in Charles Dickens's Stories | Charles Dickens Museum
YouTube video by Charles Dickens Museum
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James Swanton @jamescswanton.bsky.social · 04/01/2026
Here's the full retrospective...
youtu.be
York's Famous Pantomime | A Retrospective
YouTube video by Henry Calvert
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James Swanton @jamescswanton.bsky.social · 04/01/2026
This pleased me immensely: in a recent mini-doc on York's legendary panto, you can clearly see a copy of @jimmymcdonough.bsky.social's THE GHASTLY ONE on display in Berwick Kaler's home office. Check the bottom shelf, on the far right...
A home office lined with posters for pantos past. There are also two bookshelves, one of which displays a copy of THE GHASTLY ONE.
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James Swanton @jamescswanton.bsky.social · 04/01/2026
I gave 62 one-man Dickens plays in the run-up to Christmas, as well as being interviewed by The New York Times. Common sense dictates I should get some rest, but what I'd really like is another job. Ah - who'd be an actor?
A sheet of newsprint, including an article with the title '"A Christmas Carol" Read Aloud With Dickensian Intensity'.Alice Zoo's New York Times portrait of James Swanton, sitting on a wooden chair in Victorian attire, bereft of shoes and socks.
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Andy Murray @mrgeetsromo.bsky.social · 28/12/2025
On BBC 4 Extra at 4pm: a repeat of @tobyhadoke.bsky.social’s estimable and effective 2018 radio adaptation of The Road. Genuinely not to be missed if you’re a Nigel Kneale fan. www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/m...
bbc.co.uk
BBC Radio 4 - The Road by Nigel Kneale
The legendary 1963 lost TV play. Adapted by Toby Hadoke.
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James Swanton @jamescswanton.bsky.social · 26/12/2025
How heartwarming! Thank you so much, Claire!
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James Swanton @jamescswanton.bsky.social · 26/12/2025
Last chance today!
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HODAG RPG @hodagrpg.bsky.social · 26/12/2025
Watching...Marveling, really at @jamescswanton.bsky.social 's INCREDIBLE performance as Ransley in The Haunted Season: To Fire Come At Last! Holy macaroni, US folks run, don't walk over to Shudder to check it out!
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James Swanton @jamescswanton.bsky.social · 05/12/2025
Funnily enough, I was fitted with a Judge Death helmet - ages ago now, pre-pandemic - for an unmade TV pilot. Not sure where the picture's gone... Bleach, by the way, might be our greatest living actor. An authentic genius.
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Anton Bitel @antbit.projectedfigures.com · 04/12/2025
"confronts a modern-day Scrooge with how the other half lives... and dies": @stephengraves.co.uk's short ghost story THE DEAD OF WINTER (2023) is now on ShortsTV and Prime Video, screening as part of the "Christmas Stories" compilation. projectedfigures.com/2023/10/18/t...
projectedfigures.com
The Dead of Winter (2023) - Projected Figures
Stephen Graves' short Christmas ghost story THE DEAD OF WINTER confronts a modern-day Scrooge with how the other half lives... and dies
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James Swanton @jamescswanton.bsky.social · 26/11/2025
Five stars (⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️) for my CAROL here: 'While there will undoubtedly be many versions of A CHRISTMAS CAROL to choose from this festive season, on screen and stage, this is one helluva performance not to be missed.' Virtually sold out in London, but SIGNAL-MAN and HAUNTED MAN tickets remain!
thereviewshub.com
A Christmas Carol – The Charles Dickens Museum, London   - The Reviews Hub
Writer: Charles Dickens  Have we ever lived in more Dickensian times? With shameful levels of child poverty, homelessness, and hunger, it’s shocking to think that almost two centuries later, these iss...
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James Swanton @jamescswanton.bsky.social · 27/11/2025
Click and scroll to find all London tickets!
dickensmuseum.com
What's on at the Charles Dickens Museum
Find out more about the fantastic events and activities at the Charles Dickens Museum which take place throughout the year.
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James Swanton @jamescswanton.bsky.social · 27/11/2025
Selfies taken before shows 19 (THE HAUNTED MAN) and 20 (A CHRISTMAS CAROL). 42 left! We're sold out in York, but we've some London availability coming up. The two CAROLs on 2nd December are the only ones with any spaces left; also room for THE HAUNTED MAN and THE SIGNAL-MAN (3rd and 4th December).
A green-lit selfie with a piercing white over-the-shoulder light.A blue-lit selfie with a background of heavy curtains and moulded plaster ceiling.
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James Swanton @jamescswanton.bsky.social · 27/11/2025
I'm ashamed never to have read any Scott. I've just stationed George Eliot's MIDDLEMARCH on my coffee table to coax myself into reading that at last!
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James Swanton @jamescswanton.bsky.social · 26/11/2025
... and for THE HAUNTED MAN here.
dickensmuseum.com
The Haunted Man
The last of Dickens's Christmas Ghost Stories, The Haunted-Man is brimming with that classic Dickensian combination of gothic chills and warming Christmas spirit. Join actor James Swanton for his solo...
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James Swanton @jamescswanton.bsky.social · 26/11/2025
Tickets for THE SIGNAL-MAN here...
dickensmuseum.com
The Signalman & The Trial for Murder - Live Performance
Live, onsite performance.  £22 per adult£18 per concessionWe have not placed an age limit on this performance, but please note that this show is, by its nature, designed to be frightening. We would no...
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James Swanton @jamescswanton.bsky.social · 26/11/2025
Five stars (⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️) for my CAROL here: 'While there will undoubtedly be many versions of A CHRISTMAS CAROL to choose from this festive season, on screen and stage, this is one helluva performance not to be missed.' Virtually sold out in London, but SIGNAL-MAN and HAUNTED MAN tickets remain!
thereviewshub.com
A Christmas Carol – The Charles Dickens Museum, London   - The Reviews Hub
Writer: Charles Dickens  Have we ever lived in more Dickensian times? With shameful levels of child poverty, homelessness, and hunger, it’s shocking to think that almost two centuries later, these iss...
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James Swanton @jamescswanton.bsky.social · 23/11/2025
Book sharpish for A CHRISTMAS CAROL, THE HAUNTED MAN and THE SIGNAL-MAN...
dickensmuseum.com
What's on at the Charles Dickens Museum
Find out more about the fantastic events and activities at the Charles Dickens Museum which take place throughout the year.
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James Swanton @jamescswanton.bsky.social · 23/11/2025
Here's my pre-show selfie from last week's press night at the Dickens Museum. The first CHRISTMAS CAROL of the season, and the 18th performance in this year's marathon. 44 to go! We're now fully sold out in York. The best availability is for London at the start of December. Hurry, do!
A blue-lit selfie, incorporating a Victorian collar and a fragment of Christmas tree.
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Once Upon A VHS - 80s and 90s Fantasy Podcast @onceuponavhs.bsky.social · 23/11/2025
The Horned King animatronic, a featured villain in Tokyo Disneyland's defunct Cinderella Castle Mystery Tour - part of the strange legacy of The Black Cauldron (1985). Listen to our episode with @jamescswanton.bsky.social - linktr.ee/onceuponavhs
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Once Upon A VHS - 80s and 90s Fantasy Podcast @onceuponavhs.bsky.social · 21/11/2025
A surprisingly sensual witch encounter in The Black Cauldron (1985). Listen to our episode with @jamescswanton.bsky.social - linktr.ee/onceuponavhs
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Once Upon A VHS - 80s and 90s Fantasy Podcast @onceuponavhs.bsky.social · 21/11/2025
New episode: The Black Cauldron (1985) with @jamescswanton.bsky.social Listen: linktr.ee/onceuponavhs
The Black Cauldron UK VHS cover
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James Swanton @jamescswanton.bsky.social · 19/11/2025
Anything you can donate to assist the truly great Michael Patrick would be most welcome! He's an incredibly gifted actor and writer, and he's going through something I can't begin to imagine - but he's carrying on with his typically massive optimism, courage and heart. Long may he reign.
gofund.me
Donate to Tracheostomy Support For Michael, organized by Conal Maguire
Hello everybody, We are Michael’s mates. We love Michael. Michael has Motor Neu… Conal Maguire needs your support for Tracheostomy Support For Michael
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James Swanton @jamescswanton.bsky.social · 19/11/2025
Anything you can donate to assist the truly great Michael Patrick would be most welcome! He's an incredibly gifted actor and writer, and he's going through something I can't begin to imagine - but he's carrying on with his typically massive optimism, courage and heart. Long may he reign.
gofund.me
Donate to Tracheostomy Support For Michael, organized by Conal Maguire
Hello everybody, We are Michael’s mates. We love Michael. Michael has Motor Neu… Conal Maguire needs your support for Tracheostomy Support For Michael
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James Swanton @jamescswanton.bsky.social · 11/11/2025
A quick ticket update for my 45 imminent performances of A CHRISTMAS CAROL, THE HAUNTED MAN and THE SIGNAL-MAN, in York and London both!
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James Swanton @jamescswanton.bsky.social · 11/11/2025
Huzzamaray!
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James Swanton @jamescswanton.bsky.social · 11/11/2025
And links to my London shows can be found on the Dickens Museum's events page...
dickensmuseum.com
What's on at the Charles Dickens Museum
Find out more about the fantastic events and activities at the Charles Dickens Museum which take place throughout the year.
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James Swanton @jamescswanton.bsky.social · 11/11/2025
The last of the York tickets are here...
yorktheatreroyal.co.uk
York Theatre Royal
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