Full casting has been revealed for The Old Vic's 2023 iteration of its annual A Christmas Carol. As previously announced, this year's staging will be led by Christopher Eccleston (Accused, The Leftovers) as Ebenezer Scrooge. Performances will run November 11–January 6, 2024, with a November 22 opening night.
This year's cast will also include Rob Compton as Bob Cratchit, Geraint Downing as Ferdy and George, James Hume as Nicholas, Hana Ichijo as Jess, Jessica Joslin as Mrs Cratchit, Julie Jupp as Ghost of Christmas Past, Gemma Knight Jones as Ghost of Christmas Present and Mrs. Fezziwig, Andrew Langtree as Father and Marley, Matthew Maddison as Young Ebenezer, Frances McNamee as Belle, Alastair Parker as Fezziwig, Rose Shalloo as Little Fan, and Samuel Townsend as Fred.
Sharing the role of Tiny Tim will be Casey-Indigo Blackwood-Lashley, Alexander Joseph, Freddie Marshall-Ellis, and Freddie Merritt. Rounding out the company as swings will be Jeremy Batt and Rachel Moran.
The Old Vic's production always collects money for charities fighting food insecurity in the U.K. This year's charity will be City Harvest London. In seven years of presenting the holiday classic, the London theatre has raised more than £1.2 million for charities including Field Lane, The Felix Project, Coram Beanstalk, FoodCycle, FareShare, and City Harvest London.
"Being selected as The Old Vic’s Christmas charity is an incredible honor," says City Harvest CEO Sarah Calcutt. "A Christmas Carol is much beloved by many Londoners and this year’s production is set again to bring this vital classic to a new audience. Much like in Dickens' time, there are people being admitted to hospital today suffering from preventable illnesses caused by lack of fresh produce and a nutritious diet. At City Harvest, we rescue nutritious food and redistribute it for free to our network of 375 community partners. Since founding in 2014, we have provided over 50 million meals to some of London’s most vulnerable people. We could not achieve this without the support of organizations like The Old Vic."
The U.K. company has presented Jack Thorne's adaptation of the Charles Dickens classic annually since 2017, with Artistic Director Matthew Warchus at the helm (Thorne is also the co-writer of Harry Potter and the Cursed Child). The production played a Broadway run in 2019, winning five Tony Awards, and toured North America in 2021.
The holiday presentation features sets and costumes by Rob Howell, music and arrangements by Christopher Nightingale, lighting by Hugh Vanstone, sound by Simon Baker, and movement by Lizzi Gee. Casting is by Jessica Ronane.
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Take a look at the production's 2019 Broadway run below:
