Academy Award-winning actor Jim Broadbent makes his long-awaited return to the stage to play Scrooge in a new comic re-telling of A Christmas Carol, adapted by Patrick Barlow from Charles Dickens's classic story of greed, grief, ghoulish ghosts and eleventh-hour redemption. Broadbent will be joined by Adeel Akhtar (Four Lions, Hamlet Young Vic), Amelia Bullmore (The Norman Conquests Old Vic, Scott & Bailey), Keir Charles(The White Devil RSC, Mydidae Soho Theatre) and Samantha Spiro (Hello Dolly Open Air Theatre, Bad Education). Puppeteers Jack Parker and Kim Scopes complete the ensemble.

Coming together to create this innovative new work are some of our most loved and mischievous maverick theatre-makers. The play is written by the Olivier Award-winning and Tony-nominated Patrick Barlow (The 39 Steps) with whom Jim Broadbent performed for many years in Barlow’s cult comedy troupe The National Theatre of Brent. A Christmas Carol is directed by Olivier Award-winning Phelim McDermott, Artistic Director of Improbable, one of Britain’s most inventive theatre companies, and who was responsible for the iconic 1998 production of Shockheaded Peter. McDermott also directed Theatre of Blood at the National Theatre in which Broadbent last appeared on stage.

Joining them is the critically acclaimed designer Tom Pye (The Testament of Mary, The Death of Klinghoffer, The Low Road) and Toby Sedgwick (War Horse, The 39 Steps) as Director of Movement. Peter Mumford will design the lighting and Gareth Fry will design sound.