If anything can capture the spirit of Christmas, this show most definitely can. The Old Vic has done it again, yet another phenomenal production of A Christmas Carol adapted by the award-winning Jack Thorne (Harry Potter and the Cursed Child) and directed by Matthew Warchus (Matilda The Musical). What a show!

The classic story is told in such a beautiful way engaging audiences of all ages to come together and share some joy. Never before have I experienced such a collective aura of happiness from an entire audience before.

The set is glorious. Rob Howell has done a phenomenal job providing just enough set to allow the audience’s imagination to run wild. The use of mere sound effects and mime to replace the intricacies of set was genius and worked a treat. Usually this would break the suspension of disbelief however, as this is told as a story it merely heightens the engagement from the viewers. The suitcases stacked to create a desk and chair that magically slot into the stage floor are genius, along with the door frames that rise up from the stage to imprison Scrooge in his office. To top it off the hanging lightbulbs that drown the auditorium are majestic and are made even more wondrous when characters enter swinging over there audience holding onto a lightbulb. The chains of Jacob Marley dragging across the door still ring in my ear. A highlight of the set has to be the immense amounts of veg and ingredients for a Christmas dinner that are funnelled over the audiences heads from the balcony to the stage while the audience are engulfed in snow from the roof of the theatre. The elation from the audience was nothing short of breathtaking.

Christopher Eccleston is perfection. His portrayal of Scrooge covers all bases. His sensitivity, humour, wit, harshness and grump all intertwine to create the most honest and real Scrooge I’ve seen. His spirit at the end of the show compared to his drone at the start gives the events of the story authenticity as you really see and feel a change in his humanity. The touching moments with Tiny Tim in the latter parts of the show draw a tear to the eye as both actors demonstrate such raw feeling and emotions. He is truly a master of his craft

The rest of the cast also provide strong performances but most importantly create a powerful ensemble. The sequence of bell ringing alone requires immense levels of trust and support from one’s company. Their choral moments provide such light and shade on the story and their voices echo both eerily and majestically throughout the theatre. Individually they provided beautiful highlights when singing alone throughout the auditorium to join together to create one magnificent carol.

The music throughout the show was nothing short of remarkable. I particularly enjoyed that it didn’t drown out the story. There was a strong focus on storytelling and the songs and music supported that rather than replacing it. Every note was purposeful and a second rendition of the bell ringing to close the show was nothing short of spectacular.

Overall this show will not only get you in the Christmas spirit but it will also leave you speechless at the mastery of a remarkable lead actor supported by a truly cohesive ensemble.

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️