Last Updated on November 26, 2025
The Spirit of Christmas
4.8 out of 5.0 starsWhat says Christmas to you? The lights on Oxford Street? The first Nutcracker of the season? Or perhaps a favourite pantomime. The Old Vic production of A Christmas Carol may be a relatively recent addition to the London festive calendar, now in its ninth year, but it consistently impresses. I have meant to see it for as long as I can remember, and this year I finally did.
A Christmas Carol has become a quintessential London festive show in less than 10 years. Walking into an unrecognisable Old Vic, completely reconstructed in the round, to see a show that is so popular and that I’d wanted to see for so long, I was just a little hesitant. Was it all just seasonal hype?
The ceiling hung with hundreds of lanterns, warm mince pies on offer as you navigate to your seat, a mixture of top-hat-and-dress-coat-clad actors and musicians interspersed with Old Vic ushers on stage. Somehow, without a branch of holly or a twist of tinsel, it felt like Christmas already.
Rhys Ifans played the first of the Old Vic Scrooges way back in 2017. Last year, it was John Simm, and this year, the role belongs to Paul Hilton, taking Scrooge from Christmas-hating, miserly misanthrope to a redeemed and generous adopter of the festive spirit. This is Charles Dickens’ classic story, set in London and brought to life in an immersive and compelling show. Directed by Matthew Warchus and adapted by Jack Thorne, it’s been delighting audiences since it first opened, having picked up five Tony Awards on its Broadway run and travelled as far as Australia. But this is the story’s spiritual home, Dickens’ London, bringing it so brilliantly to life.
A Christmas Carol is a unique mix of entertainment. With fabulous musicians on stage at the start playing English folk songs on accordion, penny whistle and fiddle, we are quickly drawn into Victorian England. And, when Scrooge appears, building his office from box files marked with his and his partner’s names, it’s all too credible. The staging throughout is remarkably minimalist, yet, with the help of four ghosts, some dry ice, and a lot of brilliant acting, we travel from Scrooge’s childhood home to his school, to his first workplace, and more.
The stage production takes the book’s title at face value, and a series of traditional carols punctuates the story. Brilliant music throughout from composer and arranger Christopher Nightingale, with Musical Director Alan Berry and a team of talented musicians accompanying. There are charming numbers played on handbells with Berry conducting what appears to be the entire cast on stage (even Tiny Tim has his own bell).
The strong ensemble cast all play, sing and dance – and mingle with the audience at various points as Brussels sprouts are parachuted from above and everyone is covered with a seasonal scattering of foamy ‘snow’. It could be smaltzy. It isn’t.
This cast truly inhabits its roles. From Paul Hilton as a bitter yet poignant Ebeneezer Scrooge, his eyes gradually opened through encounters with the four ghosts, to Rob Compton, who brilliantly reprises his role as Bob Cratchit, and the charismatic and perceptive Tanisha Spring as Belle. Lauren Jones is a gentle and charming Little Fan, later returning with power as the Ghost of Christmas Future, while Kibong Tanji delivers a terrifying Ghost of Christmas Present, contrasted with the enigmatic Annie Wensak as the Ghost of Christmas Past.
The familiar story of Scrooge’s redemption is brought to life with inventive stagecraft, striking lighting and sharp sound effects, all threaded with moments of humour and sadness. The music, singing and dancing give the production an extra layer of magic.
Just when you think it is all over, the well-established charity appeal rounds off the show. This year, it is for Feeding Britain, a UK charity that supports food clubs, school holiday clubs and more. It is a testament to the power of the production that audiences willingly rummage through pockets and purses for coins and notes to drop into the ushers’ buckets. Since its inception, the appeal has raised more than £1.7 million.
A Christmas Carol offers a strong alternative to panto, though its darker themes may be unsuitable for very young children; age guidance is set at eight and over. Despite the snow, the dancing and the flying turkey, this is not superficial or saccharine festive fare. It is a dark, funny, and uplifting show all at once. If you leave with a smile, determined to make the most of the Christmas spirit, yet also thinking of the real Tiny Tims of this world, then the production has done its job.
A Christmas Carol
The Old Vic
The Cut, London
SE1 8NB
A Christmas Carol runs from 12 November 2025 to 10 January 2026. Tickets start at
For more seasonal entertainment in London, do check out our roundup of what’s on over Christmas this year. We’ve picked the best of London Theatre to include.
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