A Christmas Carol: A Ghost Story
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
by Charles Dickens
| A Christmas Carol: A Ghost Story | |
|---|---|
 Poster for the cinema release of A Christmas Carol: A Ghost Story (2022) | |
| Written by | Mark Gatiss |
| Based on | A Christmas Carol by Charles Dickens |
| Date premiered | 29 October 2021 |
| Place premiered | Nottingham Playhouse |
| Original language | English |
| Setting | London |
A Christmas Carol: A Ghost Story is a play based on the 1843 novella of the same name by Charles Dickens, adapted for the stage by Mark Gatiss.
On Christmas Eve, seven years after the death of his partner Jacob Marley, the solitary miser Ebenezer Scrooge receives a visit from the ghost of his former partner. Fettered in heavy chains as a consequence for a lifetime of greed, Marley tells Scrooge that it isn't too late for Scrooge to save himself from the same fate by changing his ways. To do so, however, he must first face three more ghosts.[1]
Cast and characters
| Character | Nottingham and London | Birmingham | London | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2021 | 2023 | 2024 | 2025 | |
| Ebenezer Scrooge | Nicholas Farrell | Keith Allen | Matthew Cottle | |
| Jacob Marley/Old Joe/Ghost of Christmas Yet to Come | Mark Gatiss | Peter Forbes | Rufus Hound | Neil Morrissey |
| Fred/Young Scrooge | James Backway | Lance West | ||
| Ghost of Christmas Past | Joni Ayton-Kent | Bettrys Jones | Grace Hogg-Robinson | Grace Daly |
| Ghost of Christmas Present/Fezziwig | Joe Shire | Mark Theodore | ||
| Tiny Tim | Zak Ford-Williams | Ryan Weston | Elliot Douglas | |
| Belle | Aoife Gaston | Angelina Chudi | Kalifa Taylor | |
| Caroline | Angelina Chudi | Leona Allen | Karendip Phull | Michaela Bennison |
| Narrator/Tim | Christopher Godwin | Geoffrey Beevers | Michael Mears | |
| Bob Cratchit | Edward Harrison | Oscar Batterham | Henry Davis | |
| Mrs Cratchit | Sarah Ridgeway | Rebecca Trehearn | Charlotte Bate | |
| Grace Cratchit | Renae Rhodes Esmé Tchoudi |
Madison Spencer-Ogiorumua Ava-Jade Wolstenholme |
Sophie John Corrina Onyiukah Orla Rae Wilson |
|
| Edwin Cratchit | Lauren Tanner Charlie Westlake |
William Barker Charlie Westlake |
Takunda Khumalo River Mahjouri Logan Meers |
|
Production history
Nottingham and London (2021)
The adaptation was directed by Adam Penford, designed by Paul Wills with a lighting design by Philip Gladwell, sound design by Ella Wahlström, video design by Nina Dunn, movement direction by Georgina Lamb and composition by Tingying Dong.[2]
The production was originally scheduled to open in 2020 but was delayed due to the COVID-19 pandemic.[3] It was eventually produced at the Nottingham Playhouse from 29 October to 20 November 2021 before transferring to the Alexandra Palace in London where it ran from 26 November 2021 to 9 January 2022 with a cast of 15 playing 50 characters, including Nicholas Farrell as Scrooge and Gatiss as Marley. The production was filmed live for a cinema release during the run in London and received a cinema release on 27 November and 1 December 2022 [4][3][5] before it was shown on BBC Four on 25 December 2022.[6]
Nottingham and London revival (2023)
The production was revived at the Nottingham Playhouse from 28 October to 18 November 2023, before transferring again to the Alexandra Palace from 24 November 2023 to 7 January 2024. It starred Keith Allen as Scrooge with Peter Forbes as Marley.[7]
Birmingham (2024)
The production played at the Birmingham Repertory Theatre for their annual Christmas show from 14 November 2024 until 5 January 2025. It starred Matthew Cottle as Scrooge and Rufus Hound as Marley.
London revival (2025)
It was announced that the production will be revived again at the Alexandra Palace from 22 November 2025 until 4 January 2026. It will star Cottle reprising the role of Scrooge from the Birmingham run and Neil Morrissey as Marley.[8][9]
Differences from the novella
Similar to the 2017 Old Vic adaptation, a scene is added in which a reformed Scrooge briefly reunites with Belle, the love of his life, who ended their engagement in their youth after he started to become greedy. The two exchange Christmas greetings before Belle parts ways with her family. Throughout the story, an elderly narrator tells the story. Towards the end, when speaking about Scrooge's change and how he came to embody Christmas, he starts to get emotional; the narrator is then revealed to be an adult Tiny Tim relaying Scrooge's story to his grandchildren.