There may be no better way to get into the holiday season’s spirit of generosity this year than seeing the production of “A Christmas Carol” presented by the great-great-grandson of its author, Charles Dickens.

Gerald Dickens will be presenting three one-man performances of “A Christmas Carol” on Wednesday and Thursday in Nashua. Dickens depicts all 26 characters on stage with just a table, wing-back chair and hat rack as props.

His Nashua appearances are his only New Hampshire stops in his 2011 tour. Proceeds benefit The Telegraph’s Santa Fund.

It took several years for the one-man performance to become what it is today, and it all started in 1993, which marked the 150th anniversary of the first publication of “A Christmas Carol.”

“A close friend who was responsible for fundraising on a local charity, asked me to recreate one of Dickens’s own public readings. I agreed and set to work on creating a reading that would be exciting and fun to a modern audience,” Dickens said.

Dickens gave each character a distinct voice, way of standing, facial expression, and demeanor, so that the audience would recognize them.

“Although I’d originally only planned to do the reading as a one-off,” he said, “I had enjoyed it so much that I began to work more at it. For two Christmases, I performed the reading, until one fateful day I lost my script and, faced with an expectant audience, decided to take the plunge to see if I could get through the show with no book.”

He discovered that he knew the text by heart and was able to perform it as a theater show. He improvised all the movements and has since honed the production to what it is now.

Fortin Gage, now celebrating its 80th year in business at their location at 86 W. Pearl St., Nashua, is partnered with Byers’ Choice Carolers from Chalfont, Pa., to present “A Christmas Carol” to the area.

“We first met Gerald through Byers’ Choice Carolers,” Jill Gage, co-owner of Fortin Gage, said. “We have been carrying Byers’ Choice Carolers for over thirty years, and when Bob Byers Jr approached us in June of 2009 to see if we would be interested in having ‘A Christmas Carol’ play in the area with the great-great-grandson of Charles Dickens, we jumped at the opportunity.”

Dickens, of Oxford, England, is looking forward to visiting Nashua again. “I have a particularly fond regard for New England, and New Hampshire in particular,” he said. ”The audiences are very receptive and are so enthusiastic that they seem to become part of the show.”

“The other very exciting thing is that every member of the audience knows the story, either through the novel or through movies, so they are living the story, too. And as I said earlier, actually become part of the story, which I actively encourage!” Dickens said.

The performances will benefit two local charities through gifts and financial contributions.

“The Nashua Telegraph’s Santa Fund and the Women’s Fund of NH seem like a great fit for us,” Gage said. “We want the children in the area to be taken care of for the holidays; it would be sad not to have a gift under the tree.” The Women’s Fund of NH does wonderful work for the women and girls in the area to help them become stronger people in the community, which helps them improve their lifestyles and futures.

The previous evening of Wednesday, Nov. 30, includes a four-course dinner, a performance of “A Christmas Carol,” and the opportunity to meet Gerald Dickens during the evening. The event is at the Crowne Plaza in Nashua at 7 p.m. Tickets are $85 each or a table of 10 for $750 and are available through Fortin Gage by calling 882-3371. A limited number of seats are available and tickets sell fast.

On Thursday, Dec. 1, the public has two chances to see the performance. Keefe Memorial Auditorium is the venue for the 12:30 p.m. presentation, and at 7 p.m., the Crowne Plaza will host the production. Tickets are $20 each for either show and can be purchased through Fortin Gage by calling 882-3371 or online at www.FortinGage.com.

“We have been very happy with the shows the last two years,” Fortin said, “and feel this is a great tradition that we started for the area. We hope to continue it for many years to come.”