# A Christmas Carol (2017 play)

A Christmas Carol is a play by Jack Thorne based on the 1843 novella of the same name by Charles Dickens.
The adaptation was written for The Old Vic in London where it premiered for the 2017 festive season and has returned every year since due to popular demand. It has also performed on Broadway (where it won 5 Tony Awards), on a US tour and in Melbourne.

## Production history
### London (2017–present)

The adaptation premiered at The Old Vic in London on 20 November 2017, running until 20 January 2018, starring Rhys Ifans as Ebenezer Scrooge. The production is directed by Matthew Warchus and designed by Rob Howell, with music composed and orchestrated by Chris Nightingale. Notably, the production's design transforms the Old Vic proscenium stage into the round with seating onstage and a walkway going through the centre of the stalls, creating a more immersive environment for the audience and the performers (who greet and hand out mince pies and satsumas to members of the audience before the play begins).
Following the success of the production, it was revived at the Old Vic for the 2018 season (24 November 2018 to 19 January 2019, starring Stephen Tompkinson as Scrooge) before returning again for the 2019 season (23 November 2019 to 18 January 2020, starring Paterson Joseph as Scrooge).
The production was scheduled to return for the 2020 season from 21 November 2020 to 16 January 2021; however, due to COVID-19 pandemic the production was performed as part of the Old Vic: In Camera series from 12 to 24 December 2020, being broadcast live from the empty Old Vic auditorium and streamed to audiences via Zoom. Andrew Lincoln starred as Scrooge, with many members of the cast from previous years at the Old Vic returning.
The production returned again (for audiences to attend in person) for the 2021 season (13 November 2021 to 8 January 2022 starring Stephen Mangan as Scrooge) before returning for the 2022 season (12 November 2022 to 7 January 2023, starring Owen Teale as Scrooge) for the 2023 season (11 November 2023 to 6 January 2024 starring Christopher Eccleston as Scrooge.) and for the 2024 season (9 November 2024 to 4 January 2025, starring John Simm as Scrooge). The production will return for its ninth consecutive season from 12 November 2025 to 10 January 2026.
The production has raised £1.5 million globally for food poverty and deprivation-focused charities including Field Lane, The Felix Project, Coram Beanstalk, FoodCycle and FareShare.

### Broadway (2019)

For the 2019 season, The Old Vic production opened on Broadway at the Lyceum Theatre from November 7, 2019, until January 5, 2020, starring Campbell Scott as Ebenezer Scrooge. Unlike the Old Vic, the production was adapted into a traditional proscenium arch setting. The production was due to Broadway for the 2020 season, but it was cancelled due to the COVID pandemic.

### Dublin (2019)

A new production ran at the Gate Theatre, Dublin from 15 November 2019 to 18 January 2020 which was directed by Selina Cartmell with set and lighting designed by Ciaran Bagnall and costumes designed by Katie Davenport.

### US tour and San Francisco (2021)

The Old Vic production toured the US opening at the First Interstate Center for the Arts, Spokane, Washington from November 12 to 13, 2021 followed by The Orpheum Theatre, Phoenix, Arizona (November 18–21), The Smith Center, Las Vegas (November 23–28), and the Ahmanson Theatre, Los Angeles (November 30 to January 1, 2022) starring Bradley Whitford as Scrooge.
An identical production ran at the Golden Gate Theater, San Francisco from November 26 to December 26, 2021, starring Francois Battiste as Scrooge.

### Melbourne (2022–present)

The Old Vic production had its Australian premiere at the Comedy Theatre, Melbourne running from 12 November until 29 December 2022, starring David Wenham as Scrooge. The production returned from 17 November until 31 December 2023 starring Owen Teale as Scrooge (reprising his role from the 2022 London revival) with members of the company returning. The production will return again from 22 November to 29 December 2024, starring Erik Thomson as Scrooge.

## Cast and characters
### The Old Vic, London casts (2017 to present)

| Character | Original cast | 1st revival | 2nd revival | 3rd revival (Old Vic: In Camera) | 4th revival | 5th revival | 6th revival | 7th revival |
| Character | 2017/18 | 2018/19 | 2019/20 | 2020 | 2021/22 | 2022/23 | 2023/24 | 2024/25 |
| Ebenezer Scrooge | Rhys Ifans | Stephen Tompkinson | Paterson Joseph | Andrew Lincoln | Stephen Mangan | Owen Teale | Christopher Eccleston | John Simm |
| Bob Cratchit | John Dagleish | Peter Caulfield | Steven Miller | John Dagleish | Jack Shalloo | Roger Dipper | Rob Compton | Rob Compton |
| Tiny Tim | Toby EdenGrace FinchamEthan QuinnLenny Rush | Leo LakeLara MehmetLuka PetrovicLenny Rush | Rayhaan Kufuor-GrayLara MehmeLenny RushEleanor Stollery | Rayhaan Kufuor-GrayLara MehmeLenny RushEleanor Stollery | Casey-Indigo Blackwood-LashleyRayhaan Kufuor-GrayEleanor StollerySuri White | Casey-Indigo Blackwood-LashleyFreddie Marshall-EllisJoe Vo ScanlonHolly Speed | Casey-Indigo Blackwood-LashleyAlexander JosephFreddie Marshall-EllisFreddie Merritt | Casey-Indigo Blackwood-LashleyFreddie Marshall-EllisFreddie MerrittVinnie Stone |
| Fred | Eugene McCoy | Eugene McCoy | Fred Haig | Eugene McCoy | Oli Higginson | Dominic Sibanda | Samuel Townsend | Ahmed Hamad |
| Father / Marley | Alex Gaumond | Michael Rouse | Andrew Langtree | Michael Rouse | Andrew Langtree | Sebastien Torkia | Andrew Langtree | Mark Goldthorp |
| Ghost of Christmas Past | Myra McFadyen | Myra McFadyen | Myra McFadyen | Myra McFadyen | Amanda Hadingue | Julie Jupp | Julie Jupp | Julie Jupp |
| Young Ebenezer | Jamie Cameron | Jamie Cameron | Kwêsi Edman | Samuel Townsend | Samuel Townsend | Samuel Townsend | Matthew Maddison | Connor Wood |
| George | Jamie Cameron | Jamie Cameron | Kwêsi Edman | Samuel Townsend | Geraint Downing | Geraint Downing | Geraint Downing | Geraint Downing |
| Little Fan | Melissa Allan | Witney White | Melissa Allan | Melissa Allan | Rose Shalloo | Melissa Allan | Rose Shalloo | Georgina Sadler |
| Belle | Erin Doherty | Frances McNamee | Rebecca Trehearn | Gloria Obianyo | Karen Fishwick | Lydia White | Frances McNamee | Juliette Crosbie |
| Fezziwig | Alastair Parker | Alastair Parker | James Staddon | Clive Rowe | James Staddon | Alastair Parker | Alastair Parker | Alastair Parker |
| Ghost of Christmas Present / Mrs Fezziwig | Golda Rosheuvel | Nichola Hughes | Gloria Onitiri | Golda Rosheuvel | Rachel John | Jenny Fitzpatrick | Gemma Knight Jones | Jenny Fitzpatrick |
| Mrs Cratchit | Maria Omakinwa | Ava Brennan | Maria Omakinwa | Maria Omakinwa | Bridgette Amofah | Meesha Turner | Jessica Joslin | Kimmy Edwards |
| Jess | Siena Kelly | Rosanna Bates | Hollie Edwin | Rosanna Bates | Nicola Espallardo | Merryl Ansah | Hana Ichijo | Lillie-Pearl Wildman |
| Ferdy | Oliver Evans | Oliver Evans | Samuel Townsend | Sam Lathwood | Geraint Downing | Geraint Downing | Geraint Downing | Geraint Downing |
| Nicholas | Tim van Eyken | Tim van Eyken | Nick Hart | Tim van Eyken | Nick Hart | Billy Cullum | James Hume | Baker Mukasa |

### Other worldwide casts (2019 to present)

| Character | Broadway | US tour | San Francisco | Melbourne | Melbourne | Melbourne |
| Character | 2019/20 | 2021 | 2021 | 2022 | 2023 | 2024 |
| Ebenezer Scrooge | Campbell Scott | Bradley Whitford | Francois Battiste | David Wenham | Owen Teale | Erik Thomson |
| Bob Cratchit | Dashiell Eaves | Dashiell Eaves | Ramzi Khalaf | Bernard Curry | Bernard Curry | Tim Wright |
| Tiny Tim | Sebastian Ortiz Jai Ram Srinivasan | Sebastian Ortiz Cade Robertson | Charlie Berghoffer IV Gabriel Kong | Alexis AbelaSasha HampsonEvie Rose HennessyTheo Watson-Bonnice | Alexis AbelaMira FeldmanEvie Rose HennessyLibby Segal | Mira FeldmanWynton InmanLibby SegalNoah Sherburn |
| Fred | Brandon Gill | Brandon Gill | LeRoy S. Graham III | Andrew Coshan | Andrew Coshan | Kaya Byrne |
| Father / Marley | Chris Hoch | Chris Hoch | Ben Beckley | Anthony Harkin | Anthony Harkin | Anthony Cogin |
| Ghost of Christmas Past | Andrea Martin | Kate Burton | Nancy Opel | Debra Lawrance | Debra Lawrance | Alison Whyte |
| Young Ebenezer | Dan Piering | Harry Thornton | Kris Saint-Louis | Cameron Bajrakatarevic-Hayward | Cameron Bajrakatarevic-Hayward | Felix Star |
| George | Matthew LaBlanca | Brett Ryback | Wiley Naman Strasser | Benjamin Colley | Benjamin Colley | Benjamin Colley |
| Little Fan | Rachel Prather | Glory Yepassis-Zembrou | Monica Ho | Emily Nkomo | Aisha Aidara | Aisha Aidara |
| Belle | Sarah Hunt | Sarah Hunt | Ash Malloy | Sarah Morrison | Sarah Morrison | Sarah Morrison |
| Fezziwig | Evan Harrington | Evan Harrington | Colin Thomson | Nicholas Kong | Grant Piro | Grant Piro |
| Ghost of Christmas Present / Mrs Fezziwig | LaChanze | Alex Newell | Amber Iman | Samantha Morley | Samantha Morley | Samantha Morley |
| Mrs Cratchit | Erica Dorfler | Chante Carmel | Stephanie Lambourn | Stephanie Lambourn | Stephanie Lambourn | Stephanie Lambourn |
| Jess | Hannah Elles | Grace Yoo | Annie Sherman | Melanie Bird | Deirdre Khoo | Kaori Maeda-Judge |
| Ferdy / Nicholas | Alex Nee | Alex Nee | Samuel Faustine | Cameron Taylor | Kaya Byrne | Cameron Taylor |

## List of carols used

* God Rest You Merry, Gentlemen
* It Came Upon the Midnight Clear
* Il est né, le divin Enfant
* I Saw Three Ships
* Wassail! Wassail! All Over the Town
* O Holy Night
* In the Bleak Midwinter
* Ding Dong Merrily on High
* Coventry Carol
* See, amid the Winter's Snow
* Joy to the World
* Silent Night

## Differences from the novella

After his reformation, Scrooge is reunited with Belle, his former fiancée, who ended their engagement after he became greedy. He goes to Belle's house, where she is happy to learn of his change of heart, though both know that Belle cannot abandon her family. They exchange greetings before they part ways.

## Awards and nominations

| Year | Award | Category | Nominee | Result |
| 2020 | Tony Awards | Best Original Score | Christopher Nightingale | Won |
| 2020 | Tony Awards | Best Scenic Design in a Play | Rob Howell | Won |
| 2020 | Tony Awards | Best Costume Design in a Play | Rob Howell | Won |
| 2020 | Tony Awards | Best Lighting Design in a Play | Hugh Vanstone | Won |
| 2020 | Tony Awards | Best Sound Design | Simon Baker | Won |
| 2020 | Drama Desk Award | Outstanding Adaptation | Jack Thorne | Won |
| 2020 | Outer Critics Circle Award | Outstanding Orchestrations | Christopher Nightingale | Honoree |
| 2020 | Outer Critics Circle Award | Outstanding Sound Design | Simon Baker | Honoree |
| 2020 | Outer Critics Circle Award | Outstanding Scenic Design | Rob Howell | Honoree |
| 2020 | Outer Critics Circle Award | Outstanding Costume Design | Rob Howell | Honoree |